Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
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Book Reviews of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Book Review: brimming with wisdom
Summary: 5 Stars
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is brimming with wisdom from midwife Ina May Gaskin's many years of experience. This book also has a practical and down-to-earth approach that is refreshing, informative, and easy to read.
This book begins with a collection of birth stories, which take up where her classic book Spiritual Midwifery left off. (In fact, some of the women giving birth here were the babies being born at The Farm, Ina May's community, in Spiritual Midwifery.) We see some of the varieties and realities of birth, and that birth can still be natural, even in the high-tech 21st century.
In the second half, Ina May describes the practical and political situation for modern-day birth and birth practices, opening our eyes to prenatal testing, rhogam, cytotec, cesareans, VBAC and induction, to name a few. Her voice is gentle and encouraging, while telling the full story - ALL the pros and cons - of birth interventions.
Her descriptions of labor, and especially her chapters on the pain/pleasure riddle, and the sphincter laws, are personal favorites, and resonate very much with my own experiences as physician and mother.
This book will be of great benefit to all mothers-to-be and their carers. First-time mothers will especially gain wisdom, and perhaps a necessary disillusionment with our highly medicalised system of birth. Ina May promotes informed choice, as well as respect, for mothers and babies everywhere. May her book be widely read!
Book Review: Thank you, Ina May
Summary: 5 Stars
I have two groups of friends who have recently given birth: the ones that hire midwives and give birth at home or in a birthing center with no medication, and those who had epidurals and would have had c-sections if it had been up to them. Knowing that my body's been created by God to give birth, this was a refreshing book to read. I was classified as high risk pregnancy, so a home or birthing center birth was not an option. However, when my OB started to insist on a c-section (even after the perinatologist said I could give birth vaginally), I found another doctor (at 37 weeks!!). The way I felt about my body after I read this book was that it was powerful, and that childbirth is a natural, beautiful experience to be celebrated, not a disease to be treated. Along with the Hypnobirthing method, the confidence and relaxation I gained by reading this book helped my 3-hour labor (FIRST BABY!). I did use a half dose of pain medicine (because baby was in distress and needed to be monitored, so I had to be on my back or side), but not an epidural, and I am so glad, because there is NOTHING like that beautiful urge to PUSH baby out!
I also learned that it's OKAY to eat during labor, especially if I need to! The hospital did not allow me to, but my husband and I brought granola bars and crackers, and every time I got hungry, he would sneak a snack into the bathroom for me to eat while I was in there. I think this also contributed to my shorter labor.
Book Review: Exactly the book that's needed in this Epidural Age
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone associated with the childbirth genre knows of Ina May, and her many devotees have been waiting a long time for this book. It couldn't have come at a better time, as legions of today's women voluntarily turn to the tricks of modern obstetrics, notably epidemic epidurals.I'm a retired midwife (and author of Baby Catcher, a modern midwifery memoir), and feel I learned a good bit of my craft by listening to Gaskin speak, visiting The Farm a bazillion years ago, and reading and rereading and rereading Spiritual Midwifery. But much in obstetrics has changed since Spir. Mid. was published; at that time, natural childbirth was all the vogue, and Ina May was sort of preaching to the choir. Now, oh lordy, now things are very, very different. Cesarean rates hover around 25-30% in some hospitals, and the epidural rate is twice that. What are these women thinking??
It was by studying Ina May's 'style' that I realized the power of teaching by parable: the power of story-telling. Women's eyes glaze over when they're lectured to, but their attention is rivited by birth stories. In this Guide to Childbirth, Gaskin deals with the changes in modern OB and offers ways to get around the routines. But she once again relies on her story-telling techniques for getting across her central message: If you're surrounded by people who believe you can do it and who support your own belief that you can do it, then guess what? You can do it.
Book Review: Re-Education
Summary: 5 Stars
I did not realize how much of my opinions were based upon dramatized horror stories. Yes, labor is painful, but our bodies were made to do this. This book has multiple stories from mothers and their labor experience. Instead of focusing on the pain it focuses on the techniques used to ease the birthing process.
By the third story, I had a classic "Well, DUH!" moment. It made so much sense that I felt stupid for not realizing it before. It helped ease my fears and amazingly I was actually looking forward to the labor process.
That said, you must read this with an open mind. Ina May has been a practicing midwife on a commune called "The Farm" for the past 30 years. With all due respect to this lifestyle, it is not one that I wish to emmulate. After reading this book I still wanted to give birth with in walking distance of a sterile delivery room. However, it did make me more selective in my choice of physician and hospital. I was also heavily armed with questions and it was very easy to make informative decisions.
To my delight many hospitals have adopted Ina May's school of thought, but I digress. As for the book, this should be a staple for all expecting parents.
Since writing this review I gave birth to my son sans drugs of any kind. It was the beautiful and empowering experince that I hoped for. I recommend the Bradley Method to help you reach this goal.
Book Review: Better than the girlfriends by a landslide
Summary: 5 Stars
I have known Ina May for a long time, and I have been waiting for this book for years. Now that I have my copy in hand, I am not disappointed. First off, she starts the book with 100 plus pages of birth stories. Wonderful birth stories, scary birth stories, maddening birth stories, and even second generation birth stories. I loved reading the story of the birth of Mariahna, and then several pages later the story of how Mariahna herself gave birth. There is a special bonus in the birth story of two obstetricians (a married couple) giving birth. The book would be worth the investment if only for the birth stories. Part two of the book includes well written and researched information on pregnancy, birth, midwifery, and obstetrics. It includes a historical perspective that is fascinating and imformative. Statistics and research are covered in a way that is neither dry nor boring.
I highly recommend that anyone pregnant, contemplating pregnancy, or involved with pregnant women should read this book. While one may disagree with some of the conclusions and recommendations, the data is compelling and the recommendations both evidence based and cost effective.
When the wealthiest country in the world has criminally high infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates, it is time for some change. Read the last chapter (first if you like) for a vision of how that change might be brought about.