Book Review

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin
Review by Erin Pavlina

A dear friend of mine gifted me with a copy of this book when I was pregnant with my second child. Although I was planning a hospital birth, I wanted to go natural, avoid an epidural, and keep the doctors and nurses away from me as much as possible. Luckily, I had a great obstetrician who was a champion of natural and gentle birthing choices and he agreed that I could labor alone and call him when I was ready to push or needed help. All I needed were the tools and information to help me have a natural birth in the hospital. And that's where this book came in.

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Part one of the book contains birth stories from the Farm where Ina May practices midwifery. You can't help but feel totally empowered to have a natural childbirth after you read all of these stories. The stories provided incredible insight and clues that I knew would help me overcome my fear and anxiety.

The second part contains information about how to prepare for childbirth, what to expect, how to manage the discomforts of labor, the physical mechanics involved in giving birth, how to choose a care provider, and much more. I found myself making lists of ways I could manage the pain of contractions. Armed with the advice presented in this book, my husband and I prepared ourselves for a relaxed and gentle hospital birth.

I can't recommend this book enough. For expectant moms, it will set your mind at ease, and help you find your inner strength as you prepare for the most amazing experience of bringing life into this world. Get this book for yourself or give it to a friend. In either case, it's a gift!

Order Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Now!

Erin Pavlina is the author of Raising Vegan Children in a Non-Vegan World, and a new cookbook, Vegan Family Favorites. She lives in Las Vegas with her vegan husband and children, Emily and Kyle.

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