“Katrina’s book came as a breath of fresh air. The birth of my daughter was traumatic and heavily medicalised, so when I became pregnant with my son, I was petrified. My fabulous doula handed me Katrina’s book A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Natural Empowering Birth. As I read through the stories of several other woman from different walks of life, I began to feel a sense of ease.
It was refreshing to hear great birth stories, and not feel so bogged down from all the ‘horror’ stories that are so often told to you through your pregnancy. My husband even mentioned how much calmer and at ease I became.
I had heard so many stories, and from my last birth experience, that when I fell pregnant, I felt sure that I was going to have a C- section. What your book helped me to realise is that I had more control through the birthing experience.
I was 42 weeks, due to be induced, and went into spontaneous labour on our way down to Adelaide. So I did all my labouring in the hospital. My baby was posterior, so it was a bit sore on my back. Because I felt that I was in control more so than my last birth, I felt more at ease saying NO.
I also felt more connected to the birth – sounds strange. But with more knowledge of other births,and the bodies/babies journey I didn’t feel as though I was doing it alone.
There’s a sense of underlying camaraderie that we are doing this together – its strangely bizarre that you felt connected to women that you had never met.
The most alignment I felt was when I read, “even though you may be in love with the idea of home birth – if you feel most comfortable in a hospital then that’s the place to be.” I felt a connection with that. Maybe it was my fear, I am unsure. I love home births, I think they are truly amazing, but I was not at the point where it would have been right for me, and reading that in your book, gave me some comfort. I watched so many films, and the home births looked so relaxing and amazing. But I knew deep down that it wasn’t right for me, in that time of my life.
I shared the experiences of ladies in this book with my husband, he too was terrified after hearing all the negative tales that are bestowed on you. For him, knowing that we were in control together, that we had choice, it gave him a sense of empowerment. I am so lucky to have had the support of my husband and my doula – they encouraged me to know that the choices we were making were OK, spoke for me in times in which I found it difficult . Which is exactly what I needed.
Feeling unsupported and helpless in my first birth, without knowledge, or confidence, or trust in myself, I had a some healing to be done. Gaining knowledge through others’ positive experiences allowed me to trust in myself, to know that “I can do this” – Although my birth did not go to plan in the way in which I had imagined it, it did in fact go to plan, I was at peace with the process, my body, and my babies journey. I had a great support team. So the experience itself was just as it was supposed to be.
As I started reading the book mid- pregnancy, I only wish that I would have found this book in the beginning of my pregnancy. My note to all expectant mothers is to learn to trust in yourself, surround yourself with as much positivity as you can, and to make sure you have the right support team, and of course, be ok when things don’t go as you may have wanted them.
Thank you for your book. Many hours spent reading, whilst rocking on the fit ball.
I still feel a bit of a high when I think back to my pregnancy/birthing experience.
~ Lauren Roffe (mother, South Australia)
A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Natural Empowering Birth by Katrina Zaslavsky (Afterword by Dr Sarah Buckley MD) is now available internationally as a paperback edition from the Birth Goddess online store or in all major bookstores Australia-wide and selected stockists or direct in the UK & Europe via Gazelle Books or on Amazon as a kindle e-book (where it has a 5 star rating!)
Read the first preview chapter free here
Learn more about the book + meet the author on TV and see what others are saying here
