--- product_id: 1304976 title: "Spiritual Midwifery" price: "β‚Ή 3879" currency: INR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/1304976-spiritual-midwifery store_origin: IN region: India --- # Home birth & natural childbirth focus 540,000+ copies sold, proven impact Classic 4th edition, timeless wisdom Spiritual Midwifery **Price:** β‚Ή 3879 **Availability:** βœ… In Stock ## Summary > 🌿 Birth Boldly: The Original Guide to Natural, Empowered Childbirth ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Spiritual Midwifery - **How much does it cost?** β‚Ή 3879 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/1304976-spiritual-midwifery) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **Inclusive Birth Stories:** Gain inspiration from diverse real-life experiences, including fathers’ voices and Amish midwifery culture. - β€’ **Holistic Health Guidance:** Learn natural remedies and emotional support strategies for pregnancy and postpartum wellness. - β€’ **Trusted Midwifery Wisdom:** Benefit from decades of updated insights, including VBAC safety and breech birth techniques. - β€’ **Cultivate Birth Confidence:** Join a community of over half a million readers embracing empowered, informed birth choices. - β€’ **Empower Your Birth Journey:** Discover holistic, positive perspectives on natural childbirth that redefine your expectations. ## Overview Spiritual Midwifery is a groundbreaking classic book, now in its 4th edition, that revitalized home birth and midwifery since 1976. With over 540,000 copies sold, it offers updated, evidence-based guidance on natural childbirth, VBAC, and breech births, enriched by diverse birth stories and holistic health advice. This book empowers expectant parents with positive, inclusive perspectives and practical wisdom for confident, natural birthing experiences. ## Description The original Spiritual Midwifery, published in 1976, introduced an entire generation of young women to the possibility of home birth and breast feeding. It also breathed new life into the all-but-vanished field of midwifery. This classic book on home birth is now in its fourth edition, with updated information on the safety of natural childbirth, new birthing stories, and the most recent statistics on births managed by The Farm Midwives. Ina May also provides new information about potentially dangerous techniques routinely used in hospitals during and after birth, as well as the latest findings about VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). Improved instructions for handling breech births are also given. Included are stories of working with Amish women, showing a different culture with a similar appreciation for natural childbirth. Photos, illustrations Over 540,000 copies sold! Review: Mind Broadening - I rate this book a 10. I would and have encouraged others to read it. I personally thought I was open-minded to the alternative choices of the process of birth yet this book expanded my vision and thought-process of the event of pregnancy and birth even broader. Anyone considering the art of midwifery or doulaship usually is holistic in nature. These people are the ones I would most consider suggestion of the book. It most broadens the mind in the area of holistic treatment as well as catches the reader off guard from our current stylistic approach to birth as well as everyday living both socially and intimately. I learned many things from this book about birthing, about living, about thought process, about God's provision, about intimacy with one's mate and their involvement in birth and much more. The one thing that stands out is loose lips on your mouth means loose lips between your legs. That may be a vulgar way of putting it but when speaking of birth it is not. Technically it is not the vaginal lips that will be loose but rather the cervix but it gives the correct implication; looser = easier delivery. Another lesson is no complaining! This was a hard concept to swallow in that I am a) pessimist and b) knowledgeable first hand on the pain of childbirth. Ina May gives details of birth experiences on the precision of the birth changing in correlation to complaining verses positive attitude/environment. There is much more detail that I learned and intrigued me to learn and some of them are: the detailed anatomy of the pelvis, holistic treatment of many common conditions such as thrush, yeast infection, low iron, cramps, swelling, the encouraged participation of the husband, and most importantly that it is NATURAL and OKAY to want to have a birth the way one wants! I only disagreed with the supernatural spiritual aspect of the book. The spirituality of emotions and perceived surroundings and actions were all very informative and educational. The spirituality of beliefs from beyond that effect us here I looked over or replaced them with my own beliefs using discernment where needed. Review: Positive perspective on birth! - As a first-time mom without any other pregnant friends, it is difficult to develop realistic expectations for birth -- particularly if you intend to have a "natural" birth in a hospital setting. I have received a huge range of unsolicited birth stories from well-intended friends and family, but most of them are either 1) funny or 2) scary anecdotes that don't help me prepare in any way to give birth. Although we can't control what people say to us in a grocery store line or at a family function, we can seek out stories (like this book) that will give us POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES on the birth process. PROS: - This book is really positive and life-affirming. Expecting moms and dads need all the emotional support we can get! - The variety of birth scenarios and perspectives was fantastic. Lots of different parent personalities and labor/delivery approaches were reviewed in a non-judgmental style. - Most of the "natural births" detailed in this book were in home environments, but could have easily been supervised by cooperative physicians and nurses. Ina May and the other midwives acknowledge the role medical professionals played in the few necessary interventions. They obviously have a good working relationship and rapport with nearby hospitals. - It talks honestly about the complex emotions, sensations, apprehensions and relationships of the parents going through the birth process. - While most of the stories are from mothers, some are also written by the fathers. As a person who is married to a strong, capable, loving man who plans to be my "birth partner" in labor and delivery, I was happy to see this perspective. Dads need to be educated and empowered, too! - This is a text meant to enrich and empower your understanding of birth, not explain the medical/biological processes. We all need an escape from the clinical birth guides. CONS: - Starting with stories as far back as the 1970s, the lingo in the book was sometimes distracting ("feeling Holy", "telepathic", "psychadelic" etc.). - Each story is 1-2 pages long, and many were written years (or decades) after the birth happened. This means some of the stories seem glossed over and a bit too easy to be realistic. I appreciate that the storytellers are doing their best to recount what was meaningful to them, but it seems like important factual details are missing from about 25% of the stories. CONCLUSION (4.5 STARS): - Great perspective on the emotions associated with birth. - Empowering stories of mothers and fathers working together to bring their little ones into the world. - I feel more mentally prepared and more confident as my due date approaches. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #44,349 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #4 in Women's Health Nursing (Books) #15 in Medical Encyclopedias #48 in Medical Reference (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,171 Reviews | ## Images ![Spiritual Midwifery - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81SqQssML5L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mind Broadening *by W***O on November 24, 2012* I rate this book a 10. I would and have encouraged others to read it. I personally thought I was open-minded to the alternative choices of the process of birth yet this book expanded my vision and thought-process of the event of pregnancy and birth even broader. Anyone considering the art of midwifery or doulaship usually is holistic in nature. These people are the ones I would most consider suggestion of the book. It most broadens the mind in the area of holistic treatment as well as catches the reader off guard from our current stylistic approach to birth as well as everyday living both socially and intimately. I learned many things from this book about birthing, about living, about thought process, about God's provision, about intimacy with one's mate and their involvement in birth and much more. The one thing that stands out is loose lips on your mouth means loose lips between your legs. That may be a vulgar way of putting it but when speaking of birth it is not. Technically it is not the vaginal lips that will be loose but rather the cervix but it gives the correct implication; looser = easier delivery. Another lesson is no complaining! This was a hard concept to swallow in that I am a) pessimist and b) knowledgeable first hand on the pain of childbirth. Ina May gives details of birth experiences on the precision of the birth changing in correlation to complaining verses positive attitude/environment. There is much more detail that I learned and intrigued me to learn and some of them are: the detailed anatomy of the pelvis, holistic treatment of many common conditions such as thrush, yeast infection, low iron, cramps, swelling, the encouraged participation of the husband, and most importantly that it is NATURAL and OKAY to want to have a birth the way one wants! I only disagreed with the supernatural spiritual aspect of the book. The spirituality of emotions and perceived surroundings and actions were all very informative and educational. The spirituality of beliefs from beyond that effect us here I looked over or replaced them with my own beliefs using discernment where needed. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Positive perspective on birth! *by P***E on September 12, 2016* As a first-time mom without any other pregnant friends, it is difficult to develop realistic expectations for birth -- particularly if you intend to have a "natural" birth in a hospital setting. I have received a huge range of unsolicited birth stories from well-intended friends and family, but most of them are either 1) funny or 2) scary anecdotes that don't help me prepare in any way to give birth. Although we can't control what people say to us in a grocery store line or at a family function, we can seek out stories (like this book) that will give us POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES on the birth process. PROS: - This book is really positive and life-affirming. Expecting moms and dads need all the emotional support we can get! - The variety of birth scenarios and perspectives was fantastic. Lots of different parent personalities and labor/delivery approaches were reviewed in a non-judgmental style. - Most of the "natural births" detailed in this book were in home environments, but could have easily been supervised by cooperative physicians and nurses. Ina May and the other midwives acknowledge the role medical professionals played in the few necessary interventions. They obviously have a good working relationship and rapport with nearby hospitals. - It talks honestly about the complex emotions, sensations, apprehensions and relationships of the parents going through the birth process. - While most of the stories are from mothers, some are also written by the fathers. As a person who is married to a strong, capable, loving man who plans to be my "birth partner" in labor and delivery, I was happy to see this perspective. Dads need to be educated and empowered, too! - This is a text meant to enrich and empower your understanding of birth, not explain the medical/biological processes. We all need an escape from the clinical birth guides. CONS: - Starting with stories as far back as the 1970s, the lingo in the book was sometimes distracting ("feeling Holy", "telepathic", "psychadelic" etc.). - Each story is 1-2 pages long, and many were written years (or decades) after the birth happened. This means some of the stories seem glossed over and a bit too easy to be realistic. I appreciate that the storytellers are doing their best to recount what was meaningful to them, but it seems like important factual details are missing from about 25% of the stories. CONCLUSION (4.5 STARS): - Great perspective on the emotions associated with birth. - Empowering stories of mothers and fathers working together to bring their little ones into the world. - I feel more mentally prepared and more confident as my due date approaches. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good news: vibes are real *by J***N on January 19, 2003* I think I'm the first _man_ to review this book. In a way that's kind of sad, but hey, I don't mind going first, fellas. Besides, I've reviewed just about everything of Stephen Gaskin's I could find, and it's about time I reviewed Ina May's book. And here in Ohio we've got a Mennonite midwife named Freida Miller who's doing time in prison. Why? Because she saved the life of a birthing mother by giving her prescription medication without a license. Worse, she's not even in prison for dispensing the meds; she's in prison because she refuses to reveal the name of the doctor who _gave_ her the meds in the first place. This displeases me and causes me to question the legal and pharmaceutical establishments even more than I already did, which is a lot. So consider this review my little blow for the revolution. Ina May Gaskin wrote the book on midwifery -- four times, in fact, as the fourth edition of the book was published in 2002 and it gets longer every time. The new edition is updated with the usual stuff, including yet more stories from the parents and midwives at the Farm (including some stories from the babies, now all grown up, who were the subjects of the _original_ stories) and a new preface by Ina May. And if you're reading this page, you don't need me to tell you that it's the bible of practical midwifery. What you may _not_ already know is what a spiritual book it is. Of course the title is _Spiritual Midwifery_, but some readers may be inclined to write that off as hippie jargon. As other reviewers have noted, there is some hippie jargon in the book, but I don't think you should read "around" it or "past" it. You should read _through_ it; it's part of the point. The medium really is sometimes the message, and this is the appropriate language for the concepts Ina May wants to lay on you. What Ina May wants you to know, what she and the midwives at the Farm have successfully shown for thirty years and counting, is that birthing really is (or can be) a sacrament and that _how we be_ has a profound effect on _how we birth_. As Stephen remarks somewhere, the Farm midwives have successfully demonstrated that _vibes are real_. This is good news and it's important to more than birthing mothers -- even to more than women. I don't mean to minimize the importance of the practical midwifing aspects of the book, either; it's just that I didn't read the book for that reason myself. (I was present at the births of both of my children, but they were born in the hospital as my wife preferred.) The thing is, Ina May and Stephen are good people. In fact they manage to be both kind _and_ competent -- a difficult trick and one that I certainly haven't mastered myself. And there are lots of other good people represented in this book, in the stories and in the pictures. (The folks in the photos look like folks you'd want to meet. If you look at them right, you can actually see their souls.) So this review is partly to help spread the word about midwifery and partly to help spread the word about these good people. Vibes _are_ real, it _does_ matter how we be, and don't let anybody tell you any different. ## Frequently Bought Together - Spiritual Midwifery - Ina May's Guide to Childbirth "Updated With New Material" - Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding: From the Nation's Leading Midwife --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.in/products/1304976-spiritual-midwifery](https://www.desertcart.in/products/1304976-spiritual-midwifery) --- *Product available on Desertcart India* *Store origin: IN* *Last updated: 2026-07-06*