Barbara Harper outlines the elements of gentle birthing: support from loved ones, a reassuring and quiet environment with soft lighting, and minimal medical intervention. She shows you how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience and discusses the many alternatives available, providing a new model of maternity care that reduces the need for high-tech crisis intervention and focuses instead on preparation and good health for mother and child. With Cesarean section rates in some hospitals at more than 50%, women are acknowledging that childbirth reform is an essential aspect of reclaiming responsibility for our bodies and our lives. Includes information on: -Giving birth in a freestanding birthing center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room. -Finding a primary care-giver who shares your philosophy of birth, whether midwife, doctor, or both. -Deciding how to best use current technologies. -Practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of waterbirth, a choice that maximizes the attributes of water as a natural, pain-relieving relaxant and an alternative to drugs and their unwanted side effects.