The Many Faces of Home Birth: 25 Honest, Firsthand Accounts from Parents around the World

by Shantel Silbernagel

With limited resources for hopeful home birth parents, the unknowns can feel overwhelming. The Many Faces of Home Birth fills that void for knowledge by providing a rare glimpse into the private moments of twenty-five unique and modern home births from around the world. With honesty, humor, and confidence, these personal narratives and shared experiences leave readers with the understanding that home birth isn’t just for one type of woman.

Through this exciting collection of personal narratives, The Many Faces of Home Birth sheds light on the varied and fascinating experiences of women choosing home birth. Anyone even remotely interested in home birth will want to pull up a chair and witness one of the most intimate moments in each family’s life. From the Redwoods of California to a converted cowshed in Ireland, readers will be not only entertained but also exposed to how home birth really looks, feels, and sounds. Expectant parents will come away with a deep understanding and sense of security that if others have done this, they can too.

188 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2017

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading birth stories so I enjoyed reading this. I am not brave enough to have ever considered home birth because I like the security of an MD who went to school for 16 years to do what he or she does. I am also certainly not against homeopathic methods as long as a person has the wisdom to move on to medicine if needed. Hospitals do save lives. I can see home birth really is for some people and I am happy for them. Very bonding. Less expensive, I was surprised how many days they were let go after their water broke. And most of these stories the babies were overdue and weighing 9-10 lbs! I also didn’t appreciate the criticism of hospitals who bring babies safely into the world and have caring healthcare workers. But I enjoyed understanding the world of home birth which is probably on the rise .

[Kim Osterholzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book demonstrating how very many people choose to birth at home and for so many reasons! I loved that the stories were written by the families themselves ♥

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the different stories. very transparent.

[Faith Elizabeth Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the many positive and beautiful birth stories, but the editing (or lack thereof) was very frustrating. Spelling errors and basic grammar errors abounded.

[Rachael W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book. I’m grateful the author went through the trouble of compiling the stories

[Amanda Matwie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mom of four, who has had three homebirths and is preparing for a fourth, this book was so nice to read. I love reading about other people's experiences and how they ended up choosing homebirths. I wince at the moments I recognize and cry at the memories.