The Complete Idiot's Guide to Natural Childbirth

Pros- It's a great starting point as you explore natural birthing.. unbiased and a pretty comprehensive overview (almost like a dictionary of the methods and options), unlike most other books on the topic. Like many of the Idiot's books, this one is well organized in an outline fashion, so it's easy to navigate and read the parts you want without having to devote yourself cover to cover at one sitting. Cons- You only get a paragraph or two about any given topic, so if it sparks your interest in a certain birthing method, perineal massage, birth centers, etc, you need to seeks out a different book or source to get specifics on how to go about DOING them. It's really just a brief overview so you get the basic concept of what they are.

I teach natural Childbirth Education classes and have found that this is the most comprehensive book on Natural Childbirth ever! I recommend this book as a 'must-read' to all my pregnant couples and even supply them with the book because I feel that it is THAT important! And Jennifer West has such a witty way of making this book SO enjoyable to read!

What a magnificent book! I have been a childbirth educator for 9 years and bought many childbirth books over that time but I have never come across one so informative and in such common sense language. It is so easy to read and understand and it contains thorough discussion on every subject a mum-to-be needs for preparation to birth her baby naturally. It also covers postpartum and breastfeeding with great sensitivity. I can highly recommend this book.

I received the "Idiots Guide to Natural Childbirth" and it's fabulous. I just got it this morning and I've been reading it ever since. This is such an amazing guide and this will go mainstream. I'm thrilled about it and the possible impact that it will have on birth experiences, families and their babies. Gentler, calmer births for babies....what a way to start a person's life. Thank you for writing this book.

I received this book in the morning and had completely devoured it by mid-afternoon on the same day. It is a MUST HAVE for every woman considering Natural Childbirth and an even more MUST HAVE for every Childbirth Educator. It is humorous, speaking with truth and tons of information to convey to every woman about trusting their bodies and knowing that they are truly designed to give birth naturally. Care providers should have this on their book lists as well. Babies can be born in a calm, relaxing way and women need to really understand that having babies is not a medical emergency but the most natural part of every human being. Thank you for your wonderful insight Jenny.