Mindful Birthing

MINDFUL BIRTHING is the first book to apply the power of mindfulness -- the universal capacity of the human mind to pay attention, on purpose and non-judgmentally, to whatever thoughts, emotions or body sensations arise in the present moment -- to what can be one of the most challenging times in the adult life cycle and a woman's life: pregnancy and childbirth. Using the same methodology as is taught in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program pioneered by John Kabat-Zinn, PhD, MINDFUL BIRTHING introduces parents-to-be to mindfulness practice, a tool to access their inner resources of well-being during this life-transforming and often stressful time and beyond.
This is a groundbreaking book, unique among the childbirth literature. Bardacke doesn't dictate a "right" way to birth, nor does she take sides among the dueling camps of hospital vs. home births, medical vs. natural births. Rather, she offers a middle path, a non-dogmatic program for childbirth preparation that provides the inner skills to help parents of any persuasion prepare for any possible birth experience. As one new father put it, "The only way to prepare for childbirth is to prepare for the unpreparable. Mindfulness practice does that, for sure!"
In MINDFUL BIRTHING Bardacke has gathered the information, insights, and step-by-step program she offers in her pioneering mindful-based childbirth preparation classes and has taught to thousands of expectant families, as well as dramatic birth stories that show mindfulness skills in action. Readers of MINDFUL BIRTHING will learn mindfulness meditation, yoga practices, and how to bring mindful awareness into daily life. The practice will help alleviate the fear of pain many expectant moms feel and give families the strength to cope with unexpected complications such as a premature labour or emergency c-section. Mindfulness training will prepare parents for anything. They'll find practical instructions on how to train the mind to be in the present moment, become aware of preconceived notions of the way they wish things to be, and discover inner knowledge and strength to be with things as they are, moment-by-moment.