But somehow, even knowing this- the book does leave you feeling somewhat positive, and there are some good ideas in there.

It has really changed my outlook on labour and birth, and I can honestly say I feel excited rather than terrified.A positive birth, which is something we all strive for, is a birth experience that leaves a woman feeling empowered rather than traumatised, where the mother's wishes are respected, she is listened to and feels calm, confident, and informed.

Really good information not just about hypnobirthing but also about how a pregnancy works, how your body and muskle work. However, it was a bit too ‘zen’ for my liking, and not portraying a good light on all medical staff that have years of experience and know what they’re doing.The book is such an easy read with lots of useful information about all aspects of birth and I think it should be recommended to pregnant women by any midwife or even the NHS. That negative feeling can make a difficult birth more likely, causing a vicious cycle of tension that increases pain, that increases fear, that increases tension, etc. I'm due in 3 weeks and already feeling confident, happy and informed so I'm simply not the target audience for this.

I have so much more confidence and feel empowered and equipped to advocate for myself and baby after reading this book. Yes, of course, women who don't know any better are convinced that they need inductions sooner than they are comfortable with, and sure, many might agree to interventions they don't understand, but for the love of god, let's not get on our Western high horse and convince moms-to-be that the absence of white coats will inherently make their births connect them to the divine feminine.In this review, I'd like to share the contents of this book to give an idea to those who are interested in reading it as well. I watched one of Siobhan's one hour webinars (free) and that was a useful sunmary of most of the things which are in the book. Siobhan Miller very convincingly argues that this view of childbirth, which we all (men included) soak in from an early age through TV shows and films, gives us a warped idea of childbirth.