Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: Updated With New Material

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I have Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan by Rebecca Schiller, which is great if you want something that won't panic you and tells you what your rights are in pregnancy, what you're entitled to, etc. It also has some lovely real-life stories from women with both negative and extremely positive experiences, which I found reassuring."(Recommended by Mumsnet user Miller2021) Some reviewers found the jovial writing style a little patronising, as it does assume very minimal knowledge about pregnancy Not only was I ill prepared for the way my birth happened, but I was also ill prepared for the aftermath. I completely believed that giving birth vaginally was the absolute best and safest way to go. Well again, not so much in my case. I've spent the last six months in physical therapy trying to undo the damage done to my pelvic floor by all the prolonged pushing and use of forceps. I hope to avoid surgery, but I've since come to learn that depending on the study, eleven to nineteen percent of women will undergo pelvic floor surgery at some point in their life. Two of the major risk factors are prolonged second stage of labor and the use of forceps. Just another possible pitfall I had no awareness of before giving birth. According to Carol Lorente (1995), the work of Gaskin and the midwives might not have had the impact it did, if it hadn't been for the publication of her book Spiritual Midwifery (1977):

Our list wouldn't be complete without the book that offers advice from those at the frontline of parenting – Mumsnet users themselves. Ina May's birthing experiences are invaluable. Her writing style is down to earth, humorous and accessable. I urge everyone to look into this book. I've laughed so hard sharing stories with my husband, I almost wet myself.With so many pregnancy books to choose from it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s some things to take into account when making your choice: I think the point is absolutely right: be nice to pregnant women. Support them. Empower them. Don't pathologize pregnancy. Right on. The book is written with the kind of conviction that can feel, I don't know, maybe condescending? A little like "I have found truth and if this doesn't work for you, it's probably because you're repressed and have been brainwashed by patriarchy and big pharma."

The Right Livelihood Award, Tennessee Perinatal Association Recognition Award, ASPO/Lamaze Irwin Chabon Award Durand, Mark A. (1992). The Safety of Home Birth: The Farm Study, American Journal of Public Health, 82:450-452. Mum-of-three Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy care and child play content.It suggests a privilege while simultaneously passing judgement on those that may need to (for whatever reason) seek assistance at one point or another in their life. Automatically creating a division of people. It's an interesting read but I enjoyed Ina May's other book and Penny Simkin's "The Birth Partner" book more. I'd recommend this if you were more interested in learning about the midwifery movement or wanted to be involved in childbirth care. I found the beginning of the second section of the book by far the most helpful. I was able to write down many techniques that I want to try in my next birth. There was a of useful advice and if the whole book would have been like that, it would have easily been a five star book! When I've confessed to other moms that birth was SPECTACULAR, they're incredulous. How can something so painful, so medical, so dangerous be anything somebody could enjoy, especially without any drugs?