Where the Heart Is: Stories of home birth in New Zealand

In the medicalised world of birth that we currently face, many women (and maternity caregivers) seem to have lost touch with the reality that, for the majority of women, giving birth is a natural and healthy part of life that does not require medical interference. Instead, they fear what will go wrong, they lose trust in their birthing bodies, and they become reliant on technology and medicine to guide their journey. A select few of the birthing and midwifery population, however, believe in and trust the natural birthing process. This book is a compilation of the birth stories of these enlightened women. Their positive experiences are shared as a means of informing and inspiring others who are pregnant or contemplating motherhood. 'Where the Heart Is' contains the stories of over 30 women (and a couple of home birth dads). It is divided into five chapters, headed: ‘Home Birth From the Start’, ‘Healing Birth’, ‘Facing the Unexpected’, ‘Birth and Death’, and ‘Maori Birth’. The end of each chapter gives a summary of the key ideas expressed in the stories that enabled the women to achieve the positive and empowering births that they did. Also included are a number of photographs, including two professionally produced photographic stories. The readers for whom the book is intended are: pregnant women (especially those who are pregnant with their first baby, or who had a previous traumatic birth experience), their partners and/or other birth support people, and any women contemplating pregnancy. My hope is that they will be encouraged and inspired to achieve a positive and gentle birth, and will feel empowered with the knowledge they need to make their dream birth become their reality. 'Where the Heart Is' also contains valuable information for midwives about how their practice influences the experiences of the women they support. Read more