Unassisted Childbirth (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780313397158)

This book reveals how giving birth is an inherently safe, relatively painless process that is best performed without the assistance of doctors or midwives, and how confidence and a positive attitude reduces fear--and therefore the pain--of labor.

According to Laura Kaplan Shanley, a renowned leader in the natural-birth movement, human birth is inherently safe and relatively painless--provided we refrain from physical or psychological interference. The problems often associated with birth can be traced to three main factors: poverty, unnecessary medical intervention, and fear. When these causes are eliminated, most women can give birth either alone or with the help of a partner, friends, or family.

This second edition of Unassisted Childbirth leads with a history of childbirth and then describes how most deliveries occur today, detailing why these processes don't serve mothers or babies. The information in this unique book gives women yet another legitimate choice in childbirth that doesn't rely on doctors and technology, and allows parents, birth professionals, and general readers to reexamine their most basic ideas about birth and learn to think in new ways.

Author: Laura Kaplan Shanley
ISBN-10: 0313397155
ISBN-13: 9780313397158
Publisher: Praeger
Language: English
Published: 02/22/2012
Pages: 184
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.10w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 04/01/2012 pg. 242