Spiritual Midwifery

I rate this book a 10. I would and have encouraged others to read it. I personally thought I was open-minded to the alternative choices of the process of birth yet this book expanded my vision and thought-process of the event of pregnancy and birth even broader. Anyone considering the art of midwifery or doulaship usually is holistic in nature. These people are the ones I would most consider suggestion of the book. It most broadens the mind in the area of holistic treatment as well as catches the reader off guard from our current stylistic approach to birth as well as everyday living both socially and intimately. I learned many things from this book about birthing, about living, about thought process, about God's provision, about intimacy with one's mate and their involvement in birth and much more. The one thing that stands out is loose lips on your mouth means loose lips between your legs. That may be a vulgar way of putting it but when speaking of birth it is not. Technically it is not the vaginal lips that will be loose but rather the cervix but it gives the correct implication; looser = easier delivery. Another lesson is no complaining! This was a hard concept to swallow in that I am a) pessimist and b) knowledgeable first hand on the pain of childbirth. Ina May gives details of birth experiences on the precision of the birth changing in correlation to complaining verses positive attitude/environment. There is much more detail that I learned and intrigued me to learn and some of them are: the detailed anatomy of the pelvis, holistic treatment of many common conditions such as thrush, yeast infection, low iron, cramps, swelling, the encouraged participation of the husband, and most importantly that it is NATURAL and OKAY to want to have a birth the way one wants! I only disagreed with the supernatural spiritual aspect of the book. The spirituality of emotions and perceived surroundings and actions were all very informative and educational. The spirituality of beliefs from beyond that effect us here I looked over or replaced them with my own beliefs using discernment where needed.

As a first-time mom without any other pregnant friends, it is difficult to develop realistic expectations for birth -- particularly if you intend to have a "natural" birth in a hospital setting. I have received a huge range of unsolicited birth stories from well-intended friends and family, but most of them are either 1) funny or 2) scary anecdotes that don't help me prepare in any way to give birth. Although we can't control what people say to us in a grocery store line or at a family function, we can seek out stories (like this book) that will give us POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES on the birth process. PROS: - This book is really positive and life-affirming. Expecting moms and dads need all the emotional support we can get! - The variety of birth scenarios and perspectives was fantastic. Lots of different parent personalities and labor/delivery approaches were reviewed in a non-judgmental style. - Most of the "natural births" detailed in this book were in home environments, but could have easily been supervised by cooperative physicians and nurses. Ina May and the other midwives acknowledge the role medical professionals played in the few necessary interventions. They obviously have a good working relationship and rapport with nearby hospitals. - It talks honestly about the complex emotions, sensations, apprehensions and relationships of the parents going through the birth process. - While most of the stories are from mothers, some are also written by the fathers. As a person who is married to a strong, capable, loving man who plans to be my "birth partner" in labor and delivery, I was happy to see this perspective. Dads need to be educated and empowered, too! - This is a text meant to enrich and empower your understanding of birth, not explain the medical/biological processes. We all need an escape from the clinical birth guides. CONS: - Starting with stories as far back as the 1970s, the lingo in the book was sometimes distracting ("feeling Holy", "telepathic", "psychadelic" etc.). - Each story is 1-2 pages long, and many were written years (or decades) after the birth happened. This means some of the stories seem glossed over and a bit too easy to be realistic. I appreciate that the storytellers are doing their best to recount what was meaningful to them, but it seems like important factual details are missing from about 25% of the stories. CONCLUSION (4.5 STARS): - Great perspective on the emotions associated with birth. - Empowering stories of mothers and fathers working together to bring their little ones into the world. - I feel more mentally prepared and more confident as my due date approaches.

I think I'm the first _man_ to review this book. In a way that's kind of sad, but hey, I don't mind going first, fellas. Besides, I've reviewed just about everything of Stephen Gaskin's I could find, and it's about time I reviewed Ina May's book. And here in Ohio we've got a Mennonite midwife named Freida Miller who's doing time in prison. Why? Because she saved the life of a birthing mother by giving her prescription medication without a license. Worse, she's not even in prison for dispensing the meds; she's in prison because she refuses to reveal the name of the doctor who _gave_ her the meds in the first place. This displeases me and causes me to question the legal and pharmaceutical establishments even more than I already did, which is a lot. So consider this review my little blow for the revolution. Ina May Gaskin wrote the book on midwifery -- four times, in fact, as the fourth edition of the book was published in 2002 and it gets longer every time. The new edition is updated with the usual stuff, including yet more stories from the parents and midwives at the Farm (including some stories from the babies, now all grown up, who were the subjects of the _original_ stories) and a new preface by Ina May. And if you're reading this page, you don't need me to tell you that it's the bible of practical midwifery. What you may _not_ already know is what a spiritual book it is. Of course the title is _Spiritual Midwifery_, but some readers may be inclined to write that off as hippie jargon. As other reviewers have noted, there is some hippie jargon in the book, but I don't think you should read "around" it or "past" it. You should read _through_ it; it's part of the point. The medium really is sometimes the message, and this is the appropriate language for the concepts Ina May wants to lay on you. What Ina May wants you to know, what she and the midwives at the Farm have successfully shown for thirty years and counting, is that birthing really is (or can be) a sacrament and that _how we be_ has a profound effect on _how we birth_. As Stephen remarks somewhere, the Farm midwives have successfully demonstrated that _vibes are real_. This is good news and it's important to more than birthing mothers -- even to more than women. I don't mean to minimize the importance of the practical midwifing aspects of the book, either; it's just that I didn't read the book for that reason myself. (I was present at the births of both of my children, but they were born in the hospital as my wife preferred.) The thing is, Ina May and Stephen are good people. In fact they manage to be both kind _and_ competent -- a difficult trick and one that I certainly haven't mastered myself. And there are lots of other good people represented in this book, in the stories and in the pictures. (The folks in the photos look like folks you'd want to meet. If you look at them right, you can actually see their souls.) So this review is partly to help spread the word about midwifery and partly to help spread the word about these good people. Vibes _are_ real, it _does_ matter how we be, and don't let anybody tell you any different.

I found this book and Ina May's "Guide to Childbirth" to be invaluable in my preparations for my first child. The reading is smooth and comforting and the stories are so varied, but all so empowering. I am certain that these two books are what gave me the strength and knowledge to have an entirely natural child birth (in a hospital, we couldn't afford a midwife in our area). Because of these stories, I was prepared for anything and I believed in my baby and body. I accepted the pain, kept breathing, and "rode the waves". Child birth was the hardest and most glorious experience of my life. I am so grateful to Ina May and the other women in these books for sharing their wisdom. I truly have love in my heart for them. No one in my family had much to share about birth, especially natural birth. It's just not something they talk about. If it hadn't been for these books I would have felt alone, scared, and possibly made decisions about birth that I wasn't comfortable with. These books made me feel welcome and safe in this beautiful part of life and gave me the power to have the type of birth I wanted for my son and myself. I can't express it enough. Don't bother with any other books on the topic, even if you want the epidural or other assistance, I'm positive this and the other book will help you. I would read, "A Guide to Childbirth" first and then this one. I think the other book is a bit more "universal" and it has a lot of good information about possible complications, ect. "Spiritual Midwifery" is as it sounds, a little more on the "hippie" spectrum, but absolutely pure gold. (yay! my first review! never been anything so important/worth it before) Good Luck Ladies!!! Your body was designed for this, embrace and love it!

This book has been my birthing bible for fifty years. When anyone became pregnant, I bought them this book. I had my child at home with a midwife when I was 21 but had attended many home births before-and this book was in all our homes and is a MUST HAVE for any expectant parent. Ina May Gaskin and The Farm midwives share their extensive knowledge and experiences and provide you a guide to give you all the information you need to create the birthing experience YOU want to have. It’s your time and you have the right to do it your way, without fear and to have a joyful experience. Best book on pregnancy and birth-and the only one you need.

I first read this book in 1978 when I visited the Farm for a summer in my late teens. The following year, I studied in the first state certification program for lay midwives in Arizona where this, along with Margaret Myles "Textbook for Midwives", was one of our main textbooks. I gave birth to two children in the late 80s and because of this book and its heartfelt wisdoms and solid and grounded medical knowledge, gave birth with no pain. Not only did I not have fear, I had a foundation of love for my babies and pure surrender to the power of my own body to do this incredible thing. My second birth was a breech. My midwife had just moved and the doctor I used for a hospital birth was more than happy to let me have a "home birth" in the hospital and a vaginal breech, no routine interventions, etc. because I was clear that a breech was a variation not a complication of childbirth. My knowledge which started from this book, set me up to have amazing births and help others do the same. The U.S. still has the highest caesarean section rate of any industrialized nation. 1/4 of all babies born in the U.S. are surgically removed from the mother's body. This is most often due to the routine use of infant monitors and epidurals and other drugs which immobilize the mother. Giving birth is a joy and does not have to be medical torture. Babies are not meant for "removal" like tumors. Vaginal birth helps them breath, release certain enzymes, stimulate glandular activities, and other normal responses not present in a caesarean surgical birth. Read this book. Love your body and your baby. Allow your births to be your greatest rite of passage - and mind-blowing fun!

I am a student midwife so am currently reading every midwifery book I can get my hands on. I really enjoyed this book, but I want to warn readers not to take everything is says and run with it. I saw where some reviewers were slightly offended by its new age content, hippy language, and sensual birthing experiences. Even if you don't agree with all that, there is still some wonderful information in here so I suggest reading this with an open mind and pull the good and toss the bad, whatever those may be for you. The good for me: It was interesting to learn about the Farm culture and hippy culture in that time. I thought that the hippy language was funny and instead of being offended by it like other reviewers, I appreciated the cultural authenticity it created in the book. I was encouraged by the ways to get through the pain of natural labor. While not all methods work for everyone, I find myself really relating to Ina's suggestions to relax, breathe, have a sense of humor, love on your husband, and don't complain. I will definitely walk into my next birthing experience with a more relaxed, accepting, appreciative, and uncomplaining approach. My husband and I really bonded through my daughter's birth, and I love how Ina tries to incorporate the husband into the experience. I don't think I'm into being sexual through birth, but having your husband there to hold onto and work through it with is a very amazing and intimate experience. I like her approach of not thinking of child birth as painful. Yes, it hurts like crap, but if you can stop focusing on the pain and stop expecting or fearing it, you will have a much more relaxed and easier time. It definitely put into perspective how amazing and special childbirth is. I also liked her section for midwives. I found it very easy to read and understand and I'm sure I will refer back to it often. The bad: I am a Christian, and this book is what I would call new age. While a lot of new age beliefs correlate with Christianity, the ones that I did not connect with were like the telepathic and psychadelic stuff. Some of it was just a little weird for me. Also, some of the information seems a little outdated. Like having a woman on bedrest drink vodka everyday to keep from going into labor. I don't have a problem with a small glass of wine to try to relax the uterus, but hard liquor every day? Not in my practice! Overall, if you can get past what you don't agree with in this book, I think its an excellent resource for women preparing for natural childbirth. Read every book you can and pull from it what will work for you. I also think anyone pursuing midwifery should read it. I learned a lot about myself and how I want to be (and not be) with my clients, along with a lot of useful skills.

I purchased this for the second time, my first was 1982 a week before I gave birth to my first son’s home births experience . I still have this book 42 years later and now have the pleasure of giving one to my daughter who just let me know she was pregnant . There are not enough words to express this wonderful book that helped me with 4 home births. A book written with so much information and the birth stories are so beautifully and brings calmness to any Mother who is traveling down this road of life . Youwill find yourself crying because of the passionate way it all comes together and that’s the great beauty of this whole book .

Un libro fantástico y muy especial. Creo que Ina May trajo este libro al mundo con el mismo amor y respeto con el que ha traído a cada uno de los bebés a los que ha ayudado a nacer.

A bit hippyish- but great to get you in a positive birth mindset (especially the birth stories). Love Ina Mays books.

This book was originally written in 1972 by a midwife, who is a lifelong advocate for, and practitioner of natural childbirth. It contains dozens of birth stories, most are uplifting but a few are sad. The book also contains sections of helpful information for the parents as well as information and instructions geared towards the midwife including development of the baby, examining the pregnant mom, instructions for normal and difficult births, and lists for supplies. It is written in easy to understand plain English and profusely illustrated with photos, drawings and diagrams. The language and photos in the book are a product of its time - the early 70’s - and as such it uses fun “hippy” words and phrases throughout. As a new doula, I found the book to be inspirational because it is so totally different from the modern allopathic approach to pregnancy and birth in the hospital, and its use of pharmaceutical drugs and interventions. The more natural approach of keeping the parents, especially the mother, calm and in a loving state of mind makes the labour and delivery so much easier. The midwives in the book turn the pregnancy and birth experience into a wonderful and spiritual event by maintaining a loving supportive environment for women while giving birth by the use of simple techniques such as encouraging cuddling, “smooching” and loving during labour or the “rushes” as they call the contractions. The philosophies in this book are what I plan to use in my own practice as a doula. From qualities of love, acceptance and gentleness, to the more mechanical things to do to help the mother, such as encouraging her to keep her lips loose to help to loosen the lips of the vagina. And little phrasings to tell her such as, “things are progressing as they should”, “don’t worry, there is lots of room to stretch down there”. “Don’t think of it as pain, think of it as an interesting sensation that requires your complete attention.” I loved this book. I found it informative and inspiring in its illustrations of how wonderful an experience natural childbirth can be. ***This review is an excerpt from a project that I completed for my doula course***

A fantastique point of view which gives women the power and control over your birth and the choices associated with it

My whole pregnancy have changed thanks to Ina Mays expertise. Even if you are drawn to the modern medical interventions I highly suggest you to give it a go. Obviously you have to situate yourself in the year where the stories where happening. Very clear and easy to read. I recommended to every single parent !