Spiritual Midwifery vs. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

[RedOakMomma]

Who here has both of them?

I have the Guide to Childbirth and really loved it, and now I'm wondering what Spiritual Midwifery would add. Is it a very different book? What are its features and advantages? Would you suggest getting both?

Thanks!

[Carhootel]

I have read both and I think they are both great! Spiritual Midwifery is older and feels more vintage-y in reading it, the birth stories are great and I loved reading it. Spiritual Midwifery is not quite as concise I believe and has more info about The Farm and how it got started, etc... Guide To Childbirth is more like other pregnancy books and has a little bit more direct info about labor and sphincter's law and stuff like that in the second half of the book

I would recommend them both but if I needed to pick one it would definitely be Guide to Childbirth.

[katelove]

I have both. They both have the birth stories to start. After that I think Spiritual Midwifery is more geared towards midwives and Guide to Childbirth is more geared towards pregnant women. That said, I think a non-midwife could still get a lot out of SM and as PP said there is lots of interesting history about The Farm if you want that sort of thing.

[EricaDoula]

I have both and LOVE both. I reccommend both! They have amazing stories and are very hard to put down!

[gorgorita]

Have both but would recommend Guide to Childbirth. The Spiritual Midwifery is not so loaded on the info a pregnant woman should need. I mean it's more for midwives, how they should treat a pregnant woman, some complications but I wouldn't say it's so informational.It's a good read but I would rather buy a Henci Goer book instead.

[2sweetboysmom]

Originally Posted by EricaDoula

I have both and LOVE both. I reccommend both! They have amazing stories and are very hard to put down!

Me too. My thoughts exactly.

[rootzdawta]

Moved from I'm Pregnant.

[umsami]

I have them both. I don't know if it's because I read "Spiritual Midwifery" first or what not... but that book, to me, did so much to change my whole mindset towards giving birth. It was lots of birth stories...and I just felt so empowered after reading it. I think "Ina May's Guide..." came out after I had already read "Spiritual Midwifery" so I purchased it... and loved it... but for me, "Spiritual Midwifery" was the life-changing book.

[Cetan Luta]

Originally Posted by umsami

I have them both. I don't know if it's because I read "Spiritual Midwifery" first or what not... but that book, to me, did so much to change my whole mindset towards giving birth. It was lots of birth stories...and I just felt so empowered after reading it. I think "Ina May's Guide..." came out after I had already read "Spiritual Midwifery" so I purchased it... and loved it... but for me, "Spiritual Midwifery" was the life-changing book.

Ditto!

[sunnylady303]

Originally Posted by gorgorita

Have both but would recommend Guide to Childbirth. The Spiritual Midwifery is not so loaded on the info a pregnant woman should need. I mean it's more for midwives, how they should treat a pregnant woman, some complications but I wouldn't say it's so informational.It's a good read but I would rather buy a Henci Goer book instead.

This. I also found Spiritual Midwifery a little...groovy, maybe?, for me. I'm glad I read it and would recommend it, but I got SO much more out of Guide to Childbirth.

[annethcz]

I agree that Spiritual Midwifery can be a little out there in places, depending on which edition you're reading. There are differences between the editions- there are different birth stories, and in the newer editions the tone is a bit different. Also in the newer editions, Gaskin talks about how her practices changed over the years- it becomes less conventional/ less medical as she gains skill and experience.

[hopefulfaith]

Originally Posted by umsami

I have them both. I don't know if it's because I read "Spiritual Midwifery" first or what not... but that book, to me, did so much to change my whole mindset towards giving birth. It was lots of birth stories...and I just felt so empowered after reading it. I think "Ina May's Guide..." came out after I had already read "Spiritual Midwifery" so I purchased it... and loved it... but for me, "Spiritual Midwifery" was the life-changing book.

Me, too!!

I read SM and my whole belief system about birth was blown wide open. Reading those birth stories over and over and over before my first birth really empowered me and helped me to visualize ME having such a great birth as well. I really feel like my births would have been worse without it.

[Salihah]

I have and love them both. Both have fabulous birth stories which just along, IMO, are worth getting the books for. Guide to Childbirth then spends the second part of the book explaining how the birth stories are possible...like why women can birth with so few interventions, the mechanics of birth and the birth process, and hard facts and statistics about the conventional birth industry, its flaws, and not just that inappropriate interventions are bad but why they are. The global comparisons of birth in US vs Europe, etc are also interesting, and some of the stories of early midwifery here in the US. I love both books!