Synopses & Reviews
FAMILY / CHILDBIRTH
”Should I give birth at home, in a birth center, or in a hospital? Should I see a midwife or an obstetrician for prenatal care? What approach to pain relief should I use during labor? How does a waterbirth work?”
Expectant parents are faced with a daunting array of choices to make about prenatal care, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth ChoicesBarbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, midwife, and mother of three, explains all the available choices and shows how to plan a truly meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels the medical myths that so often shift control of birth away from women and reimagines birth without fear or violence and with minimal pain. Harper reveals the abundant range of gentle birth approaches, including:
•giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room
•finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth
•deciding how to best use current technologies
She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore options such as hiring a doula or laboring in water to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.
“Exactly the sort of guide that pregnant women have been needing to help them sort through the myriad choices and options that confront them today.”
ROBBIE DAVIS-FLOYD, author of Birth As an American Rite of Passage
“Gentle Birth Choicesprovides a new model of maternity care that reduces the need for high-tech crisis intervention and focuses instead on preparation and health.”
HEALTHWORLD
“A must-have for expectant mothers and their loved ones. . . . Gentle Birth Choicesis an intelligent and sympathetic guide to birthing options that explores nontraditional ways that put women and their babies first.”
NEW AGE RETAILER
The author’s accompanying 60-minute Gentle Birth ChoicesDVD blends interviews of midwives and physicians with footage of six different birth experiences--including a home birth, waterbirths, vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section, and birth with other children present. The DVD vividly demonstrates the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a moving and powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.
“Brace yourself for a powerful experience. This remarkable production combines art, education, and politics. Highly recommended.”
MOTHERING MAGAZINE
BARBARA HARPER’s passion for natural birth led to the founding in 1988 of Global Maternal/Child Health Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and research about natural childbirth. She lectures worldwide on maternity care reform and waterbirth. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon.
Review
andquot;Exactly the sort of guide that pregnant women have been needing to help them sort through the myriad choices and options that confront them today.andquot;
Review
andquot;One of the Top ten recommended books for pregnant women and their families.andquot;
Review
"Gentle Birth Choices is the best film on childbirth available today."
Review
andquot;Harper is among the most active, enthusiastic, and effective writers and advocates in the field of childbirth education today.andquot;
Review
andquot;Brace yourself for a powerful experience. This remarkable production combines art, education, and politics. Highly recommended.andquot;
Review
and#8220;andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt; provides a new model of maternity care that reduces the need for high-tech crisis intervention and focuses instead on preparation and health.and#8221;
Review
andldquo;A must-have for expectant mothers and their loved ones. . . . andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt; is an intelligent and sympathetic guide to birthing options that explores nontraditional ways that put women and their babies first.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;. . . [Harper] dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. . . . The DVD vividly demonstrates the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices.andquot;
Review
"From a yogic perspective, pursuing the gentlest approach to a natural process like childbirth involves trusting in the capacity of one's own body. Harper provides the information necessary to do so, not only during labor, but throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond."
Review
andquot;Exactly the sort of guide that pregnant women have been needing to help them sort through the myriad choices.andquot;
Review
andquot;andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt; provides everything you need to join the gentle revolution.andquot;
Review
" [Harper] guides expectant mothers through a maze of opinions and unquestioned 'best practices' while offering a host of information on both the physical and emotional aspects of holistic prenatal preparation."
Review
"One of the Top ten recommended books for pregnant women and their families." < i=""> Lamaze International <> , Fall/Winter 2001
Review
"Exactly the sort of guide that pregnant women have been needing to help them sort through the myriad choices." < b=""> Robbie Davis-Floyd, <> author < i=""> <> of < i=""> Birth As an American Rite of Passage <>
Review
"Brace yourself for a powerful experience. This remarkable production combines art, education, and politics. Highly recommended." < i=""> Mothering Magazine <>
Review
"Harper is among the most active, enthusiastic, and effective writers and advocates in the field of childbirth education today." < b=""> Michel Odent <> , M.D., author of < i=""> Birth Reborn <>
Review
andquot;andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt; is the best film on childbirth available today.andquot;
Synopsis
Birth as every woman would like it to be andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Recommended by Lamaze International as one of the top ten books for pregnant women and their familiesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Includes a 45-minute DVD of six live gentle birthsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; More than 32,000 copies sold of the original editionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt; Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt; DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.
Synopsis
andquot;One of the Top ten recommended books for pregnant women and their families.andquot;
<>p > <>em > Lamaze International <>/em > , Fall/Winter 2001 <>/p > andquot;Exactly the sort of guide that pregnant women have been needing to help them sort through the myriad choices.andquot;
<>strong > Robbie Davis-Floyd, <>/strong > author <>em > " <>/em > of <>em > Birth As an American Rite of Passage <>/em > Barbara Harper's passion for natural birth led to the founding in 1988 of Global Maternal/Child Health Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and research about natural childbirth. She lectures worldwide on maternity care reform and water birth." She lives outside of Portland, Oregon. andquot;Brace yourself for a powerful experience. This remarkable production combines art, education, and politics. Highly recommended.andquot;"
<>em > "Mothering Magazine <>/em > andquot;Harper is among the most active, enthusiastic, and effective writers and advocates in the field of childbirth education today.andquot;
<>strong > Michel Odent <>/strong > , M.D., author of <>i > Birth Reborn <>/i > In Gentle Birth ChoicesBarbara Harper, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps parents to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. The DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and shows six actual births, including water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth. A powerful instructional tool for expectant parents, midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.andquot;Exactly the sort of guide that pregnant women have been needing to help them sort through the myriad choices and options that confront them today.andquot;
<>strong > Robbie Davis-Floyd <>/strong > , author of <>em > Birth As an American Rite of Passage <>/em > In Gentle Birth ChoicesBarbara Harper, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps parents to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. Harper explains numerous choices, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. The Gentle Birth ChoicesDVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and shows six actual births, including water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of exercising gentle birth choices. A powerful instructional tool for expectant parents, midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.
Synopsis
Birth as every woman would like it to be
• Recommended by Lamaze International as one of the top ten books for pregnant women and their families
• Includes a 45-minute DVD of six live gentle births
• More than 32,000 copies sold of the original edition
New parents are faced with a myriad of choices about pregnancy, labor, and birth. In Gentle Birth Choices Barbara Harper, renowned childbirth advocate, nurse, former midwife, and mother of three, helps to clarify these choices and shows how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience. She dispels medical myths and reimagines birth without fear, pain, or violence. Harper explains the numerous gentle birth choices available, including giving birth in an independent birth center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room; finding a primary caregiver who shares your philosophy of birth; and deciding how to best use current technologies. She also provides practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of using a doula or water during labor and birth to avoid the unwanted effects of drugs and epidurals.
The Gentle Birth Choices DVD blends interviews with midwives and physicians and six actual births that illustrate the options of water birth, home birth, and vaginal birth after a prior Cesarean section. The DVD clearly reveals the strength of women during childbirth and the healthy and happy outcome of women exercising gentle birth choices. It is a powerful instructional tool, not only for expectant parents, but also for midwives, hospitals, birth centers, and doctors.
About the Author
Barbara Harper's passion for natural birth led to the founding in 1988 of Global Maternal/Child Health Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and research about natural childbirth. She lectures worldwide on maternity care reform and water birth and is the author of andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt;. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon.Suzanne lives near Durango in SW Colorado and works with the help of volunteer interns from across North America.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Forewordandlt;/Bandgt; by Robbie Davis-Floydandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Acknowledgmentsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Introductionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 1 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Gentle Beginningsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Wonderfully Madeandlt;BRandgt;Ingredients for a Gentle Birthandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 2andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Medicalization of Childbirthandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Our Legacy of Birthandlt;BRandgt;From Midwife to Physicianandlt;BRandgt;The Promise of Scienceandlt;BRandgt;Pain Relief: The Era of and#8220;Twilight Sleepand#8221;andlt;BRandgt;Hospital Births for Everyone andlt;BRandgt;Unmasking Prenatal Testingandlt;BRandgt;Medical Legal Dilemmasandlt;BRandgt;The Results of Medical Interventionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 3 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Dispelling the Medical Mythsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Myth: The Hospital is the Safest Place to Have a Babyandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Maternity Care Should Be Managed Only by a Physicianandlt;BRandgt;Myth: The Electronic Fetal Monitor Will Save Babiesandlt;BRandgt;Myth: All Babies Should be Born On or Before Their Due Dateandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Drugs for Pain Relief Wonand#8217;t Hurt the Babyandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Once a Cesarean, Always a Cesareanandlt;BRandgt;Myth: An Episiotomy Heals Better Than a Tearandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Birth Needs to be Sterileandlt;BRandgt;Myth: The Older You Are the More Difficult Your Birth Will Beandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Itand#8217;s Better Not to Eat or Drink during Laborandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Family and Friends Interfere during Birthandlt;BRandgt;Myth: The Baby Needs to be Observed in a Newborn Nurseryandlt;BRandgt;Myth: Baby Boys Need to Be Circumcisedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 4 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;A Gentle Revolutionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Birth without Fearandlt;BRandgt;Birth without Painandlt;BRandgt;Birth without Violenceandlt;BRandgt;Birth Rebornandlt;BRandgt;Birth without Rulesandlt;BRandgt;Birth with Consciousnessandlt;BRandgt;Women Take Back Their Birthsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 5 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Midwifery In America: A Growing Traditionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Midwives Model of Maternity Careandlt;BRandgt;The Evolution of Midwiferyandlt;BRandgt;Midwifery Revolutionandlt;BRandgt;The Politics of Midwiferyandlt;BRandgt;A Midwife for Every Motherandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 6 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Waterbirthandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Why Waterbirth?andlt;BRandgt;Waterbirth Historyandlt;BRandgt;Beyond the Leboyer Bathandlt;BRandgt;Labor Pools in Franceandlt;BRandgt;Making Waves in the United Statesandlt;BRandgt;The United Kingdom Takes the Plungeandlt;BRandgt;Waterbirth around the Worldandlt;BRandgt;Questions Everyone Asks About Waterbirthandlt;BRandgt;Just For Providersandlt;BRandgt;The Future of Waterbirthandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 7 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Mind-Body Connectionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Womb Ecologyand#160;andlt;BRandgt;Mind-Body Responseandlt;BRandgt;Listening to Your Bodyandlt;BRandgt;Listening to the Babyandlt;BRandgt;Mind-Body Preparations for a Gentle Birthandlt;BRandgt;The Sexuality of Childbirthandlt;BRandgt;Holistic Prenatal Preparationandlt;BRandgt;Mind, Body, Spirit in Unityandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter 8 andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Creating Gentle Birth Choicesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Planning Your Birthandlt;BRandgt;What Women Wantandlt;BRandgt;Consumers Create Choicesandlt;BRandgt;Health Care For All Women and Children by 2015andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix A:andlt;/Bandgt; Questions to Ask a Doctorandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix B:andlt;/Bandgt; Questions to Ask a Midwifeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix C:andlt;/Bandgt; Sample Birth Planandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix D:andlt;/Bandgt; Sample Letter to Hospitalandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix E:andlt;/Bandgt; Resourcesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Notesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Bibliographyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;About the Photographs and the Photographersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Index andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;