Early last fall a family expecting their seventh child contacted me per the possibility of a homebirth. Almost the first thing the dad said was, “Well, I know it’s riskier, but we live way out of the city, and we barely made it to the hospital last time, and my wife just really wants to do it at home, so…”
So…
So, I suggested we begin with that “riskier” part.
Six months later, though this man fainted while their first child was born and had to hang on by his fingernails through the births of the five children who followed, he himself received their seventh as his wife pressed the fresh baby into a pool of water beside their bed.
Through the weeks following their birth, this dad, ironically a man whose career centers around helping authors publish and promote their books, began to insist I create a resource clearly addressing the facts surrounding the risks and benefits of both home and hospital birth.
That remark, “I know it’s riskier,” coupled with our nation’s dismal childbearing outcomes, inspired me to take the project on.
Therefore, I present you with my newest book, Homebirth: Safe & Sacred.
I endeavored to make Homebirth: Safe & Sacred both attractive and to-the-point, with the bulk of citations coming from the medical system itself.
Homebirth: Safe & Sacred was written with three groups of people in mind:
• Women who’d birth at home if they realized it’s actually safe to do so.
• Birthworkers looking for a simple tool to aid them as they strive to shed light on the facts surrounding American birth.
• Medical personnel willing to have a conversation about our national birthing stats and our options for altering them.
I’ve decided to provide the book at cost to birthworkers who’d like it as a resource for their clientele. If you happen to be a birthworker so inclined, click here!
The book’s website address is safesacredbirth.com.
Homebirth: Safe & Sacred has a little friend named Homebirth: Commonly Asked Questions.
A print version of Homebirth: Commonly Asked Questions is available for sale on Amazon, but the e-book version is your gift for subscribing to safesacredbirth.
I invite you to hop on over and subscribe! This book is only the beginning of what I hope to accomplish, and what I really hope to accomplish will take a strong WE ♥
Love and many blessings!
Kim
Kim Woodard Osterholzer, Colorado Springs Homebirth Midwife and Author
Thank you to the Matheny family for sharing images from their gorgeous birth for both the cover of the book and for the website ♥
And thank you to Danica Donnelly of Danica Donnelly Photography for taking those lovely pictures.
Books by Kim:
A Midwife in Amish Country: Celebrating God’s Gift of Life
Nourish + Thrive: Happy, Healthy Childbearing
One Little Life at a Time: Recommendations + Record Keeping for Aspiring Homebirth Midwives
