For a long time after the birth of my third child, I considered writing a work on the philosophical/spiritual aspects of childbirth. Eventually this led me and my close friend Cyndi to put together a class that would emphasize natural childbirth (whether in or out of the hospital), be solidly grounded in Scripture, and be accessible to anyone who wished to attend. Neither of us are certified under any particular CBE association, but after much prayer we decided not to pursue this option, to avoid the strictures often placed by individual organizations upon those who teach classes under their banner. We wished to be led purely of the Spirit of God, under the covering of our own husbands, in what we taught other women, and not dependent on medical politics and fashion. Both of us spent years reading and researching the topics of childbirth and breastfeeding (in addition, she was a retired La Leche League leader) and were greatly influenced by the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth, which we both attended during previous pregnancies.

During the following six months or so, Cyndi and I compiled and wrote, she handing me a rough draft and I editing (she would argue, adding to it J ) until we came up with the original class outline, which was intended to be for both hospital and home birth couples. (As a supplement to our own outline, we leaned heavily on the now out-of-print Spirit-Led Childbirth class outlines, written by Dave and Kathy Arns of Colorado.) Later, after the birth of my fourth baby and Cyndi's third, we were forced to part ways when it came to our personal walk in regards to childbirth and other medical matters (we still remain close friends, but would inevitably teach the class from different viewpoints). I felt led then to revise the outline with a new slant for home birth couples, especially those planning an unassisted birth. What you see here is the result. 

I am not a medical expert. Nothing I say is to be construed as medical advice, per se. Much of it is from my own experience and research from almost thirteen years of interest in this area, though I owe a large debt to Cyndi for a great deal of legwork in compiling sources. Please read with discernment and make your decisions about birthing only after much consideration and prayer.

Still, I feel I have much to offer in the way of experience and perspective (3 hospital births, 5 at home, unassisted; all seven living children completely breastfed into at least their second year) and would be happy to answer any questions or help you find resources for your needs.

Books and other sources I have found useful:

Husband-Coached Childbirth, Dr. Robert Bradley

Natural Childbirth, The Bradley Way, Rosegg-McCutcheon

Silent Knife, Nancy Wainer Cohen

A Good Birth, A Safe Birth, Scaer/Korte

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, Sheila Kitzinger

Birth Reborn, Michel Odent

Happy Birth Days, Marilyn Moran

Birth and the Dialogue of Love, Marilyn Moran

Born In Zion, Carol Balizet

Healing In Zion, Carol Balizet

MalePractice, Dr. Robert Mendelssohn

In addition, I am trying to compile some good online sources for bibliographical backup to each section of the outline, so if you know of any good sites on related topics, or written material elsewhere, please email me!

This project, as many others related to my website, is always

*HOME* *CHILDBIRTH* *FIRST OUTLINE*