Book Review~Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth
By Ina May Gaskin
I think as you get to know me, you will find that education is important to me. It is important to understand what is happening in our bodies as we grow and birth our children. Books are a great way to learn. For that reason, this is the very first book review on the blog. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth was a book I read for my doula training. Certainly, I think it would be a great read for many moms. Here are some of my thoughts on the book.
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin is set up in two sections. The first half of the book is a series of birth stories. In the second half of the book, Ina May gives a pretty in depth look at how a woman’s body progresses through labor and birth. The Guide to Childbirth focuses on natural, un-medicated, non-intervention types of birth, and most of the birth stories are home or birth center births.
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What I Liked About the Book
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth was generally an easy read. In fact, the first half was especially compelling. I just wanted to devour all the birth stories. Most of the stories were beautiful demonstrations of a woman’s power and strength in childbirth. It was incredibly encouraging to read these stories.
The second half of the book is filled with information on a woman’s body in a natural labor. It gives details on how labor progresses without intervention. While it is very in depth, the chapters and sections are organized and labeled for easy reference. You could just go to one section to learn about a specific part of labor or if you wanted to refer back to a section later.
What I Did Not Like About the Book
There wasn’t much that I did not like about this book. However, one thing I should mention is that there are pretty graphic pictures of birth (beautiful if you are birth obsessed, like me). Depending on your viewpoint and who lives in your home, you may not want to keep this book just lying around.
You Should Read This Book If You…
…Love reading birth stories. You should also read this book if you are pregnant and want to know how labor progresses without interventions. Even if you plan on an induction or having an epidural, it is good to know the natural progression of labor. There is so much strength, power, and beauty in birth, and it is important to know how our bodies work!
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth is one of the books that is available in my ever growing lending library for my clients. If you are one of my clients, you are welcome to borrow it at any time! Or you can buy your own copy here.
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Jenn Mandura is a Birth and Postpartum Doula in Central and Northeast Indiana. She strives to educate and empower her clients to have the birth and postpartum experience that they desire. Jenn enjoys yoga, donuts, and hiking with her husband and four kiddos. You can find out more about the services Jenn offers here. She would love to connect with you on facebook here. Or feel free to contact her.