Customer Reviews
Truly wonderful- the BEST birthing book - By: Lucy H. Pearce, 04 Jan 2007 
I credit this book with my enormously positive birth experience. It led me from terrified first time pregnant girl to empowered birth giving woman. I picked it up first when 4 months pregnant & dumped it again thinking it was far too way out- it was the belly cast party that put me off! But picked it up again nearer to the birth & created some birth art that means so much to me & used it to prepare psychologicallly & emotionallly for the birth, something which we have so little help in doing in our medicalised birth culture. I give it to every friend I know who is pregnant- it is passionate, inspiring & real. I am so grateful that someone was capable of writing a book that truly acknowledges alll aspects of the birthing process & counteracts the fear which surrounds it.
The reassurance I was seeking - By: Bronwyn Durand, 12 Dec 2006 I've accumulated quite a library in trying to understand what I might expect in having my first child. I've read quite a range, but still felt like I wasn't clear on what actuallly happens - it alll felt very medicallly explained, but didn't tell me what I might feel emotionallly & physicallly, nor did I feel confident that I was getting to whole story. This book was easy to read, & is orientated from the point of view of how the mother giving birth (and her birth partner) may experience labour & birth. Hence, birthing from within. I feel that I have a realistic, but not fearful expectation of what is likely to happen, & importantly, the tips, preparation & information given in this book help you to understand how to build your own way of dealing with & having the best possible birth experience for you. Highly recommended.
A must for fans of natural birthing - By: , 04 May 2002 This book touches on the areas that expectant mothers are often to afraid to discuss, as well as light-hearted instruction on creative projects (e.g. making a pregnant belly cast!). It gives outstanding advice on dealing with empowerment, pain control, self expression & many others subjects that fans of natural birth will encounter. This book is worth it's weight in gold just for the chapter on pain-management alone.
Comprehensive and thoughtful - By: , 09 Nov 1998 I have been a CNM for twenty years & read every childbirth book ever published. In alll that time I never found a book that reflected my philosophy & encouraged women, although Kitzinger came close. Finallly, after alll this time, Pam England has done it.
If for no other reason than the chapter, Stand & Deliver, every birthing woman should read this book. England is realistic-no promises of virtuallly painless birth if you follow her directions-and positive about the formidable powers of birthing women.
Read, enjoy the feelings that this affirmation of powers envokes, & birth wisely.
Without a doubt, the BEST book on how to give birth! - By: , 24 Jul 1998 After reading this book in one sitting, I'm convinced that England & Horowitz will replace the outdated, male-created birth methods of Lamazze & Bradley. Written by a midwife & her husband, a psychologist, these two take you into a powerful new way giving birth. Through art therapy, creative visualization & a focus on Zen, these two give birthing back to women. Their method is not only inspiring, but empowering. I highly recommend this book to not only pregnant women, their partners, but also to OB/GYNs, midwives & doulas who want to connect in a deeer, more satisfying way with their pregnant patients. A thousand hurrahs to England & Horowitz for finallly alllowing women & their partners to experience childbirth preparation as an exciting, fascinating, thrilling & soul-searching experience.
