Spiritual Midwifery/Ina May Gaskin

I know you think you have probably read all of the baby books (especially for all you 1st time Momma's) but this book is the absolute best at calming nerves and looking at the birthing experience as a completely natural experience. The book touches on the erotic-ness of being pregnant, the connection with ones partner, and the spiritual of bringing a child into the world. I suggest it. It also covers the wonderful world of breastfeeding. Completely hippie. Completely still relevant in the 21st Century. My favorite quote is : "The first language we speak is touch".

Ina May Gaskin: Spiritual Midwifery
google both terms
http://inamay.com/archive/
Plenty of VIDEOS, just simply google

Thanks, girl. I'm going to check it out ...

You know what I think would be great? A maternity shirt that for those "hippies" among us ... that says "Flower Child" .... I dunno, I think it would be cute!

cute thanks...

I absolutely agree. It's actually the first book I read after getting pregnant. My MIL had 3 of her 5 children on "the farm". She has one of the first publications of the book, but she bought me a new revised copy when she found out we were expecting. I ended up reading it twice before I could put it down. I still occasionally pick it up and read random stories throughout. Also the 2nd half of the book where she gets into the medical aspect of pregnancy has actually answered way more questions than What To Expect When You're Expecting. I highly recommend Spiritual Midwifery to anyone who is pregnant.

Cool..!!! this is awesome..I will definitely check it out!! thanks for posting the bulletin!!

She has another book out called Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (at least I'm pretty sure that's the title....it's Ina May's Guide to something.....) Fantastic book! I loved it so much that I'm ashamed to say I haven't read Spiritual Midwifery yet. I really love her natural approach to childbirth and her comparisons that make so much sense. I also liked this book because it had a bunch of birth stories by women who gave birth on the Farm. Good, good reading! I couldn't put it down and stayed up late late late for like 3 nights reading it all!  

Yes, I *love* Ina May...it was in fact her "Gaskin Manuvere" (that my midwife performed) that saved the life of my 3rd born child so even though I've never met Ina May, I've read 2 of her books and because of her way of saftly dislodging a child with shoulder dystocia I am forever grateful and she holds a special place in my heart.  

Alright, so I'm reading the link that was posted and some of the articles there.

I'm seriously freakd out.
The maternal mortality rate is way lower in Canada compared to the US, but still. And I'm planning a homebirth with a midwife, which should also help.

I'm pretty sure the more I read, the more freaked out I get about hospitals and the more sure I am that I'm making the right choice with midwife-led care but how is it that there isn't a major uproar about the standard of care offered to women who are pregnant/ giving birth/ just gave birth? Should we be more upset or something?

Also, the third leading cause of death in North America is medical malpractice or error. I forget the first, but I think the second was cancer.

Quoting Astraia:“ Alright, so I'm reading the link that was posted and some of the articles there. I'm seriously freakd ... [snip!] ... the standard of care offered to women who are pregnant/ giving birth/ just gave birth? Should we be more upset or something?”

I am upset,but since its "the norm" and drs are very into scare tactics to induce, perform CYA c-sections and what not yes, more people are not upset. Theyalso have "standard procedures" that they do in the hospital setting which I find un-needed in most cases (obviously there are true emergancy cases where c-sections and what not save lives, I'm not doubting that)that lead to the need of*more* procedures and they just snowball from there.....Thus, we stop trusting our bodies and how many generations of women have relied on drs to "tell themwhat to do" and "tell them what I need to have" in order to give birth. I mean, how many womenthink unmedicated childbirth is unthinkable? Again, our cultures fault....For instance, whenI had my first I was told I "needed" to have constant monitoring and pit etc....I highly recommend the movie "The Business of Being Born" they have a lot to say about what you just wrote.

I am also doing a homebirth for this baby with a midwife so rock on there, my last was born at home with a midwife and my first 2 hospital births.

Quoting JEM79:“ I am upset,but since its "the norm" and drs are very into scare tactics to induce, perform CYA c-sections ... [snip!] ... for this baby with a midwife so rock on there, my last was born at home with a midwife and my first 2 hospital births.”

Yeah, I've seen business of being born.
I think seeing numbers printed and the governments complete lack of interest in making things better and reducing the rates is really bothering me.

I also think that with all my research to date, I would be a dr's worst nightmare. He'd recommend a pitocin drip, I'd tell him to bugger off and leave me alone. He'd suggest he check me again cuz it's been an hour, I'd tell him to keep his grubby hands out of my vajj. He'd want me to push in lithotamy, I'd call him names and go hands and knees. I just can't see it going well at all I'd turn into a raving madwoman who would be insistant that no one come near me.

Maybe when I'm actually in labour it'll all go out the window, but I'm weird and have been interested in and reading up on this stuff since I was 19 (I'm 24 now) so part of me thinks I know more about good practices in childbirth, natural delivery methods, and risk factors of certain interventions than the dr does.

so what do you ladies think about the whole vaccination epidemic...hahaha...ive been reading a lot of books on the bad side effect of vaccinations and my mom thinks im a lunatic!

oh damn, that's an entirely different topic. My best friend will not "poison" her child and objects to vaccinations. I just don't have an opinion. At the very least, it seems our society is hell bent on scaring the populace..terrorism, war, biomedics, the PLAGUE..outbreaks..I suppose it's all a part of the Medical-Industrial Complex! I've got a lot of friends that speak of chem-trails, toxins & pesticides in our foods--going completely natural...it's all a bit too much for me.
I do my best!

Quoting Astraia:“ Yeah, I've seen business of being born. I think seeing numbers printed and the governments complete ... [snip!] ... more about good practices in childbirth, natural delivery methods, and risk factors of certain interventions than the dr does.”

Playing with yer' nipples would have the same affect as a pitocin drip or having sex or foreplay..Ina mentions that in her book. I had hoped the next time I had a baby I could have a man to play with before delivery...looks like mine will be in Iraq.

Quoting Jennie from the block:“ Thanks, girl. I'm going to check it out ... You know what I think would be great? A maternity shirt ... [snip!] ... great? A maternity shirt that for those "hippies" among us ... that says "Flower Child" .... I dunno, I think it would be cute!”

oh, yea..I love being the hippie Mom, as a Matter of Fact me and the little one spent the weekend protesting at Bush's Ranch in Crawford..I'll have to update the photos!