Knowledge is power, and birth is power. In this groundbreaking collection of essays, internationally acclaimed birth expert Sarah J. Buckley, MD, empowers parents-to-be with enlightening explorations of what both ancient wisdom and current medical research tell us about birth and early parenting. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the physiology of normal birth (what Buckley calls "undisturbed birth"), and of what is lost when the birth process is treated as a mere medical event. In the first part of the book, in-depth examinations of medicalized pregnancy and birth choices (including ultrasounds, epidurals, inductions, and cesareans) and gentler options (including unmedicated birth, homebirth, and unmanaged third-stage labor) are interwoven with the pregnancy and birth stories of Buckley's own four children-all born at home. The second part of the book explores the science behind attachment, breastfeeding, and baby sleep, while encouraging readers to remain attentive and compassionate in their early parenting choices. Meticulously researched, deeply humane, and beautifully written, Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering helps thoughtful mothers and fathers build their knowledge of and trust in themselves, their babies, and the glorious dances of childbirth and parenting. Book jacket.