Guest blogger Sarah Buchanan reviews ‘Natural Birth’ by Kristina Turner.
Using her personal knowledge of motherhood and esoteric teachings, Kristina’s book effortlessly blends contemporary information about the physical elements of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding with the importance of the mental attitude of the mother. She explores the harmonious relationships between the physical and mental states which challenge the reader to question their conditioned ideas about childbirth. Perhaps most importantly, emphasis is placed on parent and child bonding and how natural methods and beliefs can greatly enhance and cement these critical foundations.
Here and there, as so often in pregnancy literature, references are made to expected and inevitable pain. I do not believe that pain has to be inevitable in all cases. Women who are able to enter into a deep relaxation, enhancing the production of birth hormones can experience strong uterine sensations but these feelings are not necessarily translated in the mind as being painful. I believe this is an important point and one I have experienced myself with my two labours.
This book will help those who are passionate about natural birth and those who like the concept but for whatever reason remain sceptical. ‘Natural Birth’ can genuinely help mothers and their birthing companions realise that calm, gentle, maybe even exhilarating births will, can and do happen.