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The Gift Of Giving Life: Rediscovering The Divine Nature Of Pregnancy And Birth (2012)

by Felice Austin(Favorite Author)

4.64 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0615622526 (ISBN13: 9780615622521)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Madison & West Publishing

review 1: I actually read this two years ago, but forgot to review it at the time. When I first read it, I was pregnant with my 4th child and desperately trying to figure out how to finally get the birth I wanted. I'd had an emergency c-section, an accidental home birth (assisted by EMTs), and a natural hospital birth, but most had left me feeling bullied (and occasionally assaulted) by the doctors and nurses involved, and I was dreading having to go through that again.The entire book is full of worthwhile essays, but at the time, it was the essay "Unity with Your Care Provider" that really hit home to me and made me realize how important it was that I have a doctor who listened to me and respected my wishes and worked WITH me instead of against me. Since with my current health c... moreare that was impossible (23 doctors rotate at the hospital, so the odds of having one deliver my baby who I'd even met were slim to none), I chose to find a midwife and have a (planned!) home birth instead. And it was by FAR my best birthing experience yet.Now I'm getting ready to have Baby #5, and I decided it would be worthwhile to read this book again. This time around, I'm really struck by the wonderful variety of topics they cover-- this is not a book with an agenda. They aren't pushing home birth or hospital birth or any particular medical procedure. They are pushing for women to find the spiritual within the birthing process and to figure out how to make it work best of them. And I love that. Because I think that's exactly how it should be. In the same way that I would never tell a friend who needed glasses that because I have 20/20 vision, she should "trust her body" and not use her glasses, I think it can sometimes be ridiculous how often women expect their friends to labor and give birth in the same way that worked for her. I feel like this book allows its readers to figure out the path that works best for them without judging, but instead tries to give as many options as possible so that each woman can fully consider them all.And THAT is empowering.
review 2: Amazing, inspiring book! I highly recommend it for anyone needing spiritual inspiration during their pregnancy. I loved reading all the different women's experiences about pregnancy and childbirth, and the strong faith they had. There were also some really great, informative stories about midwifery and birth in our LDS history. Overall, I couldn't put the book down, and found myself reading it every night before bed with a big smile on my face. I did skip the chapter called FEAR, however, because being pregnant myself, I didn't want to read any stories about child-loss. After reading the first two stories in tha chapter I started freaking out and crying myself to sleep. No good!. Otherwise the book is really good and perfect for us LDS mothers looking for a deeper, more meanigful birth experience. less

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