Birth Without Violence

PARENTING / CHILDBIRTH "One of the twenty books that changed the world." --Utne Reader "Birth without Violence is a work of art, and Frederick Leboyer is the artist who will have the greatest influence on the health and way of life of the next generations." --Michel Odent, M.D., author of Birth Reborn "Birth without Violence is a sensual experience, visually and verbally, as its poetic prose blends with the pictures like the unfolding of a happy dream. . . . The impact is strong, [Leboyer's] appeal inviting." --The Boston Globe Birth without Violence is the first book to express what mothers have always known: babies are born complete human beings with the ability to experience a full range of emotions. First published in 1974, it revolutionized the way we perceive the process of birth, urging us to consider birth from the infant's point of view. Why must a child emerge from the quiet darkness of the womb into a blaze of blinding light and loud voices? Why must an infant take its first breath in terror, hanging upside down as its vulnerable spine is jerked straight? Why must the infant be separated from its mother after spending nine months inside her nourishing body? Examining alternatives to technocentric approaches to childbirth, this new edition of the classic text shows us how we can ease the transition from womb to world without trauma or fear. Birth without Violence illustrates how to create an environment of tranquillity in which to welcome our children: a relaxed mother, gentle lighting, soothing atmosphere, and a warm bath that mirrors the child's prenatal surroundings. Dr. Leboyer's simple techniques demonstrate how a birth without violence has far-reaching implications for improving the quality of human life physically, emotionally, and spiritually. FReDeRICK LEBOYER, M.D., was the first physician to challenge society's beliefs about awareness in the newborn, revolutionizing the course of prenatal care and the way babies are introduced into the world. A retired obstetrician who attended more than 10,000 births, he is a graduate of the University of Paris School of Medicine where he served as Chef de Clinique. He lives in Switzerland.