Book Review: The Down to Earth Birth Book

 I truly, truly love this book with little ripples of love that perforate all of my being.

From the author's website: "The Down to Earth Birth Book is a practical guide to natural birth in any setting, promoting self-nurturing, responsibility and awareness to help create a conscious birth and parenting experience. This is a ‘grass roots’ book that celebrates the innate intelligence of mind, body and spirit in relation to birth."

This is a thoroughly useful book for those with a passion and intention for natural birth. One of the teachings I have received from gestating and birthing my three little creatures is learning to sit in the space between accountability for our decisions as birthing women (something we are at risk of being disengaged from in mainstream birthing systems) and being responsive and open to the path that the pregnancy and birth journey takes.

This book fully supports a woman to be in that paradoxical space: to make decisions from a holistic, informed place, and to equip her and her support people to nourish and care for mama and baby in gentle and wise ways.

The book's scope is wide, from addressing birth settings, to body connection and image, to birthing practices, to post natal information such as breastfeeding nutrition and elimination communication.

The Down to Earth Birth Book was written by Jenny Blyth, a birth worker with many many years of experience, from Queensland (again, the Australian context of the book is very useful). Jenny has inspired me with her other works, the book Birthwork, and with Alieta Bell, the incredible birth movies The Big Stretch and the Big Stretch Sequel.

This is a most nourishing and useful book for pregnant women, post natally and birthworkers.