Buy new:
$15.41
FREE delivery Saturday, May 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: Book the Store
$15.41
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.41 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.41
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
Book the Store
Sold by
Book the Store
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$13.68
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Monday, May 20 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.41 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.41
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ina May Gaskin
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Paperback – August 7, 2008

by Ina May Gaskin (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,423 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.41","priceAmount":15.41,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"41","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5ofPLVwBGswXQYXgzXBetdv9fy6lIzuZdyVvqVRTB5KQ6Kp6BIsS3GxL2LNVeYRNBTKxwhjfWJQ%2BipRMbELVyby3nPW7JxZiwMxkap5I%2FKbrBp80PLJeGghZDRARMvZTG2Pfpy3t2wGnocu3Ibsz39VrpQnbwkiiWTXcyuNYmUJum%2FObZD36wT4%2BYcX0VMCg","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.68","priceAmount":13.68,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"68","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"5ofPLVwBGswXQYXgzXBetdv9fy6lIzuZq5IA%2FC9lQKnPpBdJwQI%2FdDbmJZOLHCQG%2F3cY%2F9P8Rji5LRgZs063pwQxZaOtETTnUZTaU97DGnpZ1iHGncKyAeGJ5AmHOAzx%2FfHsUVyJtO5kfOuLm71pRsOhb8Lyy4qWNmSi1chLa%2B3iLniSyI%2B97YrNHylDBV%2F0","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Ina May Gaskin, America's leading midwife, shares her exceptional birthing wisdom in this intuitive guide to childbirth. By sharing a wealth of knowledge generated by three decades of experience she explains why the natural birthing process, when left to its own devices, can proceed so beautifully on its own.

In this invaluable book Ina May teaches you:
- What really happens during labour
- How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting
- Tips for maximising your chances of an unmedicated labour and birth
- The risks of anaesthesia and caesareans - what your doctor doesn't necessarily tell you

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is an inspiring read and gives women the opportunity to take back the fear of childbirth by regaining confidence in their bodies. It tells you everything you need to know to have the best birth experience for you - whether in a hospital, birthing centre or the comfort of home.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vermilion
  4. Publication date
    August 7, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.98 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780091924157
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0091924157
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
$15.41
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by Book the Store and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The Birth Partner 5th Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Partners, Doulas, and Other Labor Companions
$11.60
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide
$18.58
Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0091924154
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vermilion (August 7, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780091924157
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0091924157
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.98 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,423 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ina May Gaskin

Ina May Gaskin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ina May Gaskin is founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center, located near Summertown, Tennessee. She has lectured all over the world at midwifery conferences and at medical schools, both to students and to faculty. The Farm is noted for its low rates of intervention, morbidity and mortality. Recently selected as a Visiting Fellow at Morse College of Yale University, Ina May also teaches midwifery, writes books and articles for medical journals and edits her quarterly journal, The Birth Gazette.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,423 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book especially for moms doing home birth
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
I absolutely love this book and recommend it to all moms but especially those who are preparing for a home birth. The stories in the beginning of this book are very reasssuring.
Helpful
 Report
foxysdchic
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must read by pregnant women and those that serve them. Real life stories and stats to make informed decisions.
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is a must read by pregnant women and those that serve them. Gives information through real life stories from birthing mothers and midwives for successful natural birth. Almost all attempted in-home births were successful (all but 2), even for those with multiples, VBAC, and with "large" or breech babies. Well higher than average success rates of delivery without any intervention needed. In fact over 96% were in home births with no complications arising!!!

In hospitals today, they try to control all aspects of birth for a speedier and more lucrative ($$$$) for the doctors and hospitals at the expense of the baby and mother. They use scare tactics to get families to comply, but this book tells how natural birth really is. I have birthed 6 babies, had 4 c-sections, and pregnant with #7 & will have my home birth with a midwife while incorporating these techniques. Natural childbirth is what a woman and baby's body was designed for. It is a truly life changing experience and amazing! It is not scary or overly painful as portrayed in movies, but natural and gradually progressive & the body knows what to do.

This books tells all the scenarios you can think of in childbirth. 1st half is real women's detailed birth stories, and the 2nd half is full of the secrets to their success rates and outcomes.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
D. Walshe
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not the birth bible
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2012
Verified Purchase
I was prepared for this to be a very hippy dippy book and it is a bit but not too bad. I think it is very much worth reading if you are having a baby and espeically if you are interested in having a normal, low medical intervention labour. It gives plenty of guidance on what a normal labour will be like when little or no modern medical techniques and drugs are used and thus gives you a clearer idea of what's involved and what to expect. And give you confidence that you can do it, that your body is designed to do it.
It does seem quite biased to home birthing and birth centres (citing img's own birth centre 'the farm' frequently), but it does say that occasionally when certain birthing problems present, they have moved women to hospital for medically assisted births and c- sections, just that their % are much lower than hospital, as they do not default to these interventions after a certain average timeframe. As such they treat each labour individually rather than having standardized policies ie if not this much dilated after certain time then intervene etc.
Also, I am not American, but she certainly does paint a picture of American hospitals being very procedural and with tight time management (also a lot of the book seems to date from 70's& 80's), which doesn't seem to be the case so much where I live. So she seems to want to inform readers of the benefits of natural birth and boost their confidence that it is a good option rather than just doing what the hospital suggests without question. She is quite critical of hospitals and does give the possible cons of all the medical interventions and that can be quite scary and comes across as overbearing at times. I could see how if you were suspicious of hospitals this might drive you over the edge and thats not good. Then again all health services benefit from some stone throwers IMO.
For me, I'm planning to have a low intervention normal vaginal delivery, but I will be doing it in a hospital setting and if my OB advises certain procedures are necessary,at some point, for the babies health, she will have my immediate approval to cut. However, I do know already that she favours vaginal over c- section and doesn't do routine episiotomys etc so I'm comfortable with her philosophy and the hospitals.
There is a lot of talk of empowerment from having a vaginal delivery in this book and while I don't doubt that's true, the most important and empowering thing is a live, healthy baby after delivery. I also think its important to have the choice to deliver how you want (assuming no particular problems obviously) and I do think this book is fundamentally about that.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
LondonMom16
5.0 out of 5 stars A really good read for all expectant mothers, and maybe fathers too
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
I found so much reassurance and knowledge in these pages and highly recommend it. My own fears and misconceptions about labor are melting and the benefits of a natural birth are so clear. My favorite birth story was the obstetrician and her obstetrician husband. Very powerful to have her professional and personal perspective included. I will even recommend to friends aren't so interested. The birth stories alone are very powerful. The later chapters do get a bit preachy and are us focused but I will recommend it all mothers to be in any cause!
Helpful
 Report
Mama buying too much
5.0 out of 5 stars A healthy perspective
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2014
Verified Purchase
I had the typical idea that it was normal to give birth lying on your back and in hospital.

However, after reading a few good books, including this one, I feel ready and am looking forward to giving birth. Hopefully in two weeks!

What I got most out of this book is that the process of giving birth is a natural occurrence and should be treated that way. Also, the wholistic nature of giving birth. For example, of you have a problem with your partner, clear the air before baby comes.

I highly recommend this book, especially for American women.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, Many Thanks, Ina
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
Just as good as the recommendations, and particularly interesting to read and learn so much about birth norms in the US from the perspective of a New Zealand woman planning a home birth. The stats and research are excellent, and references thorough and diverse. Also beautifully written.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Niki
5.0 out of 5 stars illuminating
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am expecting my first child. I havent given birth yet, but this book has made me undestand the logic behind a lot of things I read about natural childbirth. It is true that movies and the general media culture give us the message that childbirth is painful and always happens in a hospital under stressful conditions. Ina May explains why this does not have to be the case and she shows the importance of the psychological aspect of childbirth, wich is often overlooked.
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and reassuring
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book. As a first time mom, 7 mo pregnant, there's so much great info in this book that I will definitely be able to use a few months from now! I would absolutely recommend this book to other women, whether they're pregnant for the first time, trying to conceive, or even if they're moms already and pregnant again. Ina May's writing is to the point, no nonsense, and practical without being condescending or textbook-y.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Neelima
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for expecting mother to read during pregnancy
Reviewed in India on December 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
Every pregnant woman should read this book during her pregnancy to be free from many fears and wrong information feed to us by various people
Report
Vicky
5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, positive about birth, useful tips & tricks
Reviewed in Spain on March 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
Muy recomendable. He dejado las clases de preparación al parto porque este libro le da mil vueltas a la matrona de mi pueblo: más actualizado y no mete miedo. Con fotos de mujeres que no sufren durante el parto, consejos para prepararse y todo desde un punto de vista natural. Se lo recomiendo a todas las embarazadas que conozco (también en español)
Highly recommended, i have stopped attending labor classes in my village cause this book is far more updated and gives a view positive (and not scary or bloody) about having a baby. I recommend it to all pregnant women: it has beautiful images of women in labor not suffering, and Lots of tips & tricks to prepare for it without fear. Life changer!
One person found this helpful
 Report
Tayla
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in Australia on March 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
A bit hippyish (less so than spiritual midwifery) - but great to get you in a positive birth mindset (especially the birth stories). Love Ina Mays books.
Report
Sam O
4.0 out of 5 stars good reading
Reviewed in Italy on January 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
if you are an older mom to be as well as younger this is a good starting point on your journey to motherhood. i also recommend reading other books as well. i found this book helpful because it can direct you without pushing. it can help you prevent the pitfalls you find with modern birthing practices at hospitals and reassures you that you are a woman that was made to give birth and your body knows how to do it.
One person found this helpful
 Report
lydiapurple
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for every pregnant woman
Reviewed in Germany on September 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
even though this book refers a lot to birth practices in the US, i consider it a must read for every pregnant woman, even in Europe, where unfortunately there seems to be a backwards trend going on through clever marketing of cesareans, inductions and pain meds, that make woman believe that these should be free choices for any birth because they are completely safe (which of course is not true)... ina may gives a good explanation of risks that are based on real research and if research not available she analyses the benefit and risks of a certain practice very well based on real cases. she honestly calls these "educated guess" which i find very honest and trust worthy. you don't get the feeling that she is trying to sell you something by twisting research results or calling marketing phrases 'scientific evidence'... i found especially helpful that she includes side effects and problems that can occur even long after birth that you may not think of when choosing pain relief meds during labor. something a pregnant woman should be informed about before having to make a decision during labor. her heart is truly to provide best possible care for mothers and babies, without money being the driving force!
2 people found this helpful
 Report