The Essential Homebirth Guide: For Families Planning or Considering Birthing at Home

Two midwives present the What to Expect When You're Expecting for homebirths—with a foreword by Dr. Christiane Northrup.

Birthing is a miraculous time when you and your baby will work together to bring about life. As you finally cradle your precious newborn in your arms, you should know deep in your soul that every decision that brought the two of you to this special moment was yours.

More families than ever are choosing to birth at home. Midwives Jane E. Drichta and Jodilyn Owen answer questions about the kind of care, support, and information you need as you investigate whether this option is right for you. Birth can be an empowering and positive experience, and this book provides gentle guidance, with high regard for your wisdom and ability to successfully navigate your prenatal care, birth, and early mothering.

Enriched with real birth stories from new mothers, The Essential Homebirth Guide offers thoughtful, compassionate advice on a wealth of birthing topics, including:

- Building a supportive homebirth community.
- Caring for yourself and your baby from your pregnancy through the postpartum period.
- Communicating about your birthing plans with your midwife, your partner, and your family and friends.
- Deciding whether homebirth is safe for you.
- Educating yourself about common pregnancy-related issues.
- Preparing your home and your family for the big day.

Jane E. Drichta, together with Jodilyn Owen, has attended a combined total of more than one thousand births in more than eleven years as a doula, midwife, and birth educator. Based in Seattle, she is a passionate birth advocate and educator both internationally and in the United States. Her writing has appeared in a number of publications, including the trade journals Midwifery Today and Squat, as well as numerous non-birth related publications.

Jodilyn Owen, together with Jane E. Drichta, has attended a combined total of more than one thousand births in more than eleven years as a doula, midwife, and birth educator. Based in Seattle, she is a passionate birth advocate and educator both internationally and in the United States. Her writing has appeared in a number of publications, including the trade journals Midwifery Today and Squat, as well as numerous non-birth related publications.