Calm Birth: New Method for Conscious Childbirth

by Robert Newman, David Chamberlain (Foreword)

The “trauma of childbirth” is a commonly heard phrase, but one that Calm Birth authoritatively counters. Beginning with a history of the repression of women as midwives and healers and a look at the lingering legacy of that time, the book shows how to restore childbirth to its sacred status. Calm Birth combines three proven practices that together create a powerful new approach. These practices—relaxation, meditation, and healing—combine with current scientific knowledge to nurture the expectant mother’s natural ability to give birth in true harmony with her body and with her infant. The book contextualizes the multilayered Calm Birth method within the existing literature of mind/body medicine and meditation science, as well as the meditation traditions from which two of the methods originate. The author complements the thoughts of renowned experts including Carlos Castaneda and Carolyn Myss with eight inspiring case studies of women who have experienced calm births.

Genres: Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published November 21, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert Newman has taught at the City University of New York & the University of Colorado. A long time practitioner of Buddhist meditation techniques, he is currently president of the world Health Foundation, which has researched & developed programs for the medical uses of meditation now offered in various hospitals & medical centers. Segments of the present work was featured in LOKA, a journal from the Naropa Institute, (Anchor Press/Doubleday) 1975.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 40 pages reads like a report or an intro, very distant and pseudo-academic. I kept wondering when it would feel like the book was going to finally start.
It was woo-woo after that, especially when he quoted monks who supposedly crossed from death to rebirth with complete awareness... yeah no. I skimmed after that point, and had been wanting to for a while. The parts that weren't as woo-woo were either described using that terminology, described in overly "scholarly" ways, or a mix of both, which I didn't care for.
The "practice of opening" meditation script was nice. I found a YouTube recording I'll probably listen to more.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was super boring. It gave some good tips but the delivery was just way too boring. Plus the CD was not included in the book. Why not? The parent stories were kind of boring and I found more interesting parent stories in other books. The mantras were just okay for me.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

WOW, is this book boring. I like the sound of the basic practices (opening, womb breathing, and giving and receiving) but the way the information is delivered is a bit repetitive and so very dry. The interviews with parents sounded like a sales pitch. The author kept repeating the features of the program instead of actually interviewing the parents. Also, it's a little annoying that the script for the meditations is written in the book, but there is no CD included. What am I supposed to do? Record myself reading it and play it back? I know the CD is for sale separately, but all of my books that include meditations (whether they are for childbirth, stress relief, whatever) include the CD with the book. I'm not sure if I like the meditations enough to buy the CD separately. Overall, I think there are some good ideas contained in this book, but I can't force myself to read any more because it is not interesting enough.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay, so technically i didn't finish reading it before i gave birth, but what i read, i mostly like. if you've already got a good handle on focused meditation, drawing energy/power/light from around you into your center, then you pretty much don't need this book, because that's the gist of it. it also wastes your time trying to justify meditation as a method for child birth and all about the tragic way our patriarchal society has taken the mysteries of childbirth away from the women-folk (yawn).

did i use what i learned? most certainly...right up until i said "i've had enough of this natural sh*t, give me my epidural" :)

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great meditations included in this book that I'm going to try starting today. I'm not sure how well they will actually work during labor. Some readers commented that this book is boring. It is not an exciting read but it does contain interesting and helpful information.

[Stasia Bliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for all to-be-mom's looking to have a natural birth. Gives great meditations, support to know you can do it without pain!

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good information but reads like a journal article. Boring.

[Christine Durant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great message backed up with research, but without the accompanying CD it's not worth much. The book also spends a lot of time selling itself and I think they overdid that.