Homebirth—Safe & Sacred

You're pregnant. You're hoping for a natural birth. You're hoping for a magically natural birth. A crazy part of you is even curious about homebirth. But homebirth is crazy, isn't it? Homebirth—Safe & Sacred is written by Kim Osterholzer, a homebirth midwife who's welcomed nearly 700 babies into life since she started attending births in 1993. Kim's been a Certified Professional Midwife since 2002, and is also mother to two homeborn children and grandmother to six homeborn children. Homebirth—Safe & Sacred is a carefully researched foray into the many misconceptions surrounding the safety of American birth—the safety of both American homebirth and American hospital birth. In it, Kim describes homebirth and homebirth midwifery with an in-depth look at statistics, training, and the quality of care midwives are able to provide their clients. Kim then leads readers through an examination of our national maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rates—sadly, the worst in the developed world—and how they appear to relate to the philosophy and policies of our current medical system. Homebirth—Safe & Sacred promises to be an enlightening read for anyone concerned and curious about American birth, but Kim crafted it especially for families who'd consider giving birth at home if they thought it was safe.