What you need to know to have the best birth experience for you. Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation's leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention. Filled with inspiring birth stories and practical advice, this invaluable resource includes: - Reducing the pain of labor without drugs--and the miraculous roles touch and massage play- What really happens during labor - Orgasmic birth--making birth pleasurable - Episiotomy--is it really necessary? - Common methods of inducing labor--and which to avoid at all costs - Tips for maximizing your chances of an unmedicated labor and birth - How to avoid postpartum bleeding--and depression - The risks of anesthesia and cesareans--what your doctor doesn't necessarily tell you - The best ways to work with doctors and/or birth care providers - How to create a safe, comfortable environment for birth in any setting, including a hospital - And much more Ina May's Guide to Childbirth takes the fear out of childbirth by restoring women's faith in their own natural power to give birth with more ease, less pain, and less medical intervention.