Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

By: Ina May Gaskin

Narrated by: Randye Kaye

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Drawing upon her 40-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation's leading midwife, shows the benefits and joys of physiological childbirth by showing women how to trust the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience.

Based upon the midwifery model of care that recognizes that spontaneous labor in healthy women cannot be improved upon, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention-as well as how to know when such intervention is necessary.

Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes:

• Reducing the pain of labor without drugs and the amazing role that touch and free movement play.
• What really happens during labor.
• Orgasmic birth-testimonies from those who experienced it.
• And much more...

©2003, 2019 Ina May Gaskin (P)2019 Tantor

Amazing book, terrible reading performance

Loved this book! Found it informative and encouraging, but almost stopped listening because the reading sounded like a computer program reading copy.

10/10 would recommend

This book is extremely informative and eye opening. I recommend all parents-to-be and already parents read it.

Great info. Reader sounds like a robot.

Enjoyed the info, but the flow wasn’t my favorite. I have a medical background and would have liked that part to be first and the birth stories after.

Great performance, not-so-great editing

I enjoyed this book immensely and found it highly informative, always with studies and statistics to back everything up. Some better editing – where were the pauses? – would have improved my listening experience even further. Great narration otherwise, though.

Thankful to have came across this book

I am about to be a first time mother. I learned so much about birthing, what is “normal”, what to talk to my doctor about, what my options are, and it gave me peace of mind. I want to birth naturally and everyone has been resistant to the idea and it was making me terrified of giving birth until I listened to this book. I feel at peace and empowered to birth how I see is fit for me and my baby. ♥️

If you’re pregnant, you need to hear this

This book provides important information about childbirth, specially for those women who believe and want a natural delivery. The first chapter was a little boring to me (mostly the narration, not the content), but Reading the book was really enlightening to me.

Overall great book with a few changes

Overall an excellent book. Lots of evidence based information. Section about ultrasound needs to be updated now that there is an abundance of literature over several decades to show its perfectly safe. These ultrasound comments written in the 90’s can border on dangerous misinformation if taken out of context. The first half with the stories was alright.. outdated hospital stories (1970’s) should be replaced with some more helpful current ones. There are just too many stories with the same formula / message / lessons learned. I had to skim through the rest after the 5th orgasm during birth story.

Second half of the book was great! Would highly recommend to anyone planning to give birth or support a partner / friend / relative giving birth.

Homebirth confidence builder!

This helped me prepare for childbirth with confidence and excitement in a world where the norm is to be scared of childbirth.

Audio Performance is Terrible - DO NOT BUY

I have read the book, but listening to this audio was impossible. It sounds like robotic AI - really disappointing.

Must read!

I highly encourage all expecting mothers and their husbands to read this eye opening book.