SynopsisNatural childbirth means different things to different people, but to most it means that no pain medications are used during the delivery. For some women, a natural childbirth means that the mother experiences labor without a doctor or medical assistance other than a midwife or doula. For others, medical assistance short of pain medications (for example, giving oxytocin or IV fluids or using a fetal monitor) is close enough to be considered natural. In The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Natural Childbirth , midwife Jenny West helps women decide how far they want to go, what birthing methods are available and which are best for them, and who they want to assist in the delivery of their baby. A natural childbirth, by any definition, requires careful preparation and thoughtful planning so that women and their support team are ready when the baby is! The book helps women Weigh the risks and rewards of natural birthing. Discover the ways you and your team will master the inevitable pain of childbirth. Prepare mentally and physically for as easy a delivery as possible. Make important decisions - doctor or midwife? Hospital, birthing center, or home birth? Lamaze or Bradley, water birth or hypno? Doula or birthing partner? Plan ahead for all eventualities on the day of the delivery. Lay the groundwork for a successful natural postpartum experience, including breastfeeding. Jenny West, LM, CPM, HBCE is a licensed midwife in the state of New Mexico as well as a certified professional midwife registered with the Midwives Association of North America. She is also a certified hypnobirthing childbirth educator. Jenny has been a practicing midwife since 1989 and has attended over 850 births. She is the owner of Albuquerque Homebirth, a midwifery practice that specializes in water birth and hypnobirthing. She has taught traditional childbirth classes at local hospitals and continues to teach private childbirth preparation classes. Jenny is the Peer Review Coordinator for all New Mexico licensed midwives, is currently a preceptor for the National College of Midwifery in Taos, NM, and is a member of the New Mexico State Midwifery Advisory Board. Deborah S. Romaine is a health writer and senior writer of the four-volume Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine, as well as co-author of dozens of books including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Raising Girls and The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Changing Bad Habits for Good. She lives with her husband, daughter, son, and four cats in the Puget Sound area of the Pacific Northwest., Thoughtful planning so mom and her supporters are ready when the baby is... A midwife helps expecting mothers decide how natural they want their labor to be, what birthing methods are available, and the type of professional they want present. It helps women weigh factors, prepare mentally, make important decisions, and plan ahead for successful delivery and beyond. Only book covering the spectrum of natural birthing methods, and has a medical authority's vetting Expert author is a certified professional midwife and certified hypno-birthing childbirth educator Covers all aspects of natural birthing, from planning before women become pregnant through breastfeeding