Birthing a Better Way: 12 Secrets for Natural Childbirth Book

Foreword Christiane Northrup, M.D. xiii

Preface Margaret Christensen, M.D. xv

Introduction Kalena Cook xvii

Secret 1 Read Positive Stories 1

Why Women Choose Natural Birth

Sheila Kitzinger, Anthropologist and Author

A Birth Quest: Choosing a Whole Birth Approach

A Physician Transforms Birth Despite Repercussions

Express Delivery at the Hampton Inn

Whoosh!

A VBAC Waterbirth at Home

Secret 2 Get Informed and Shop Around 33

Having a Baby? 10 Questions to Ask

Build Your Birth Team

A Doula's View of Birth

Take Childbirth Classes

Due Dates

Sutter Davis Hospital

Chief Residents at Vanderbilt Choose Midwife Ina May Gaskin at The Farm

Unplanned Home Birth

Routine Fetal Photos May Be Unsound

Secret 3 Turn Scared into Sacred 73

Psychological Dystocia in Birth

Is There a Heartbeat? Yes.

Release of Fear

Envision Your Birth Day Worksheet

Secret 4 Don't Take Labor Lying Down Gravity Is Your Friend 93

Hospital Cynic

Labor and Birth Positions Illustrated

The Intimacy of Home Birth

Comfort Measures

Secret 5 Know There's a Reason for the Squeezin' 111

Agony and Ecstacy: Understanding the Paradox of Pain

A Brief Historical Overview of the Management of Labor Pain

Understanding Epidurals: Informing Your Choice

Waterbirths: The Midwife's Epidural

Birth of a Midwife: After Being a High-Risk LDR Nurse

Dolphin Spirit

Nitrous Oxide for Comforting Labor

Secret 6 Learn Hospital Strategies Buy Time and Let Go 147

Stretching Time

Choosing a Midwife in a Hospital

Last Chance

Evergreen Hospital

Faith in Experience

Storms Trigger Labor for Self-Confessed "Wus"

A Fender-bender on the Way to Have a Baby

Inductions

Secret 7 Find Out How Birth Centers Bridge the Choice 177

Family-Centered Maternity Care

Lovers Lane Birth Center

Overcoming Body Image and Family Opposition

Northern New Mexico Women's Health and Birth Center

Midwife's Approach Suits No-nonsense Corporate Mom

Secret 8 Meet True Stay-at-Home Moms 203

A Doctor's View of Home Births

From Traumatic First Birth to Divine Deliverance

A Dad's Perspective

Yoga Helps Mom for Second Birth at Home

Dealing with Posterior Labor

Secret 9 Make a Mind-Body-Spirit Commitment 221

Despite Physical Challenges, Obstetrician Chose a Birth Center

Hypnobirthing

Don't Mess with Mother Nature

Native American Births

Using Mantras for Lotus Birth

Secret 10 Transform Life's Challenges 245

Twins Born Naturally

Teacher Learns from First Birth and then Delivers Twins Vaginally

Unexpected Twins

Breech Birth

Moxibustion Used for Breech Presentations

Breech Babies

Two Vaginal Births After Cesarean (VBAC)

Her Gut and the Doctor's Cut

Sam and Her Sisters

When Natural Birth Doesn't Work Out

Unexpected Down Syndrome

Secret 11 Go Confidently with Expert Encouragement 297

Ina May Gaskin, Founding Midwife and Author

Penny Simkin, Founder of DONA and Author

Susan Akins, CPM "Pain Management for LDR Nurses"

Bette Epstein, Hypnotherapist and Trainer

Aviva Romm, Herbalist, Midwife and Author

Doula Becomes a Midwife

Secret 12 Prepare for Baby's Arrival Beyond the Name and Nursery 317

Breastfeeding

The Case Against Circumcision

Postpartum Depression

Baby Care and Safety Checklist

Acknowledgments 327

Appendix: 329

Nutrition

Exercise

Epidurals Ingredients and Side Effects

Birth Plan Sample

Bereavement

Resources

Stations of the Baby

Glossary 344

Notes 349

Bibliography 353

Index 357