I short, I LOVED this book! Some people have complained that the book portrays the healthcare system unfairly or is overly biased. I merely found it to be incredibly informative and supportive of all women giving birth, no matter where or how they choose to do so. Although the authors are of course openly in favor of natural birth, I think their main objective is to make sure that women are correctly educated so that they can make choices for themselves and their babies according to the facts of nature and not merely according to tradition or what their doctors may routinely suggest.
This book supported choices that I was already pretty sure I’d like to consider for myself and GREATLY increased my confidence in the process of birth and the natural ability of a woman’s body to give birth without many of the routine interventions given in obstetrics. I will definitely be buying this book and reading it again someday when I’m pregnant. It was exciting to learn so much about birth and mothering that I’d never known before. The personal stories shared throughout the book were some of my favorite parts. The book recounted in beautiful terms the special joys of birthing a baby, while at the same time revealing the effort and commitment needed for the job. This made me really look forward to becoming a parent, but also helped to keep any unwarranted baby fever under control… 😉 As the first book I read concerning natural birth, The Official Lamaze Guide does however deserve a lot of the credit for my recent natural birth obsession. I thought maybe I’d be done after reading one book, but I was so wrong…
You can find information for buying this book at the Lamaze International website. There’s a new edition that’s out now which contains the most recent statistics. I read the older edition, which I found at my local library. If you’re actually pregnant though or are planning to be soon, I’d recommend adding this book to your personal library!
Natural Birth and Parenting 