Secrets of Childbirth: Ancient Knowledge in a Modern world

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 39 ratings

Price: 3.99

Last update: 08-30-2024


About this item

How does the ancient traditional knowledge of femininity, pregnancy, and birth fit into the modern contemporary world?

No matter where – in a small village in the mountains, a large coastal city, or a remote tribe – birth is the center of humanity, and without it we have no future.

Secrets Of Childbirth describes a ten-year anthropological journey to the farthest corners of the earth and offers the modern Western world ancient and traditional knowledge concerning femininity, pregnancy, and birth.

Tsippy Monat, an anthropologist and experienced doula, has sat by old and seasoned midwives in Madagascar, India, the Native American tribes in South Dakota, Alaska, the Tafilah region in Jordan, and many other places in the world, to imbibe their wisdom firsthand. In her fascinating book, she reveals what she has learned:
  • The essence of “the woman who knows”, the traditional midwife of various cultures
  • Unique traditional techniques and rituals for caring for pregnant women and the process of childbirth itself
  • Social-cultural perceptions of women in the “old” world, accompanied by revelations of spiritual and practical knowledge

Top reviews from the United States

Sofia Petrovna
5.0 out of 5 stars Midwives around the world
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2021
During the increased lack of trust in hospitals and health systems, especially nowadays when everything is turning about Covid, I found this book immensely interesting. Usually, I'm the last one to trust conspiracy theories, but the one about women needing to have labored in their own homes for their own safety struck me hard and got me thinking.
How can someone give birth at home? Without doctors and modern medicine? Sounds impossible, yet our grandmothers used to do that more than once and everything was ok. Even now, some are, due to unchecked reason bound to have a baby outside of a hospital. It would be nice to have someone nearby to say that everything will be ok. To give comfort, to share knowledge, and to help.
I really like this book and would recommend it to everyone. Whether you want to have children or not, it's still interesting to see how people did it a long time ago (some of them still do).
Dana
5.0 out of 5 stars After it helped me get the best childbirth, this book is my go to present for expecting mothers
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2022
This book had made my childbirth better than I could have ever imagined.
I envisioned the mothers presented in the book; the grandmothers and all of our ancestors, and just felt I know what to do. With this confidence and inner knowledge, and yes, some luck, I had a natural birth (with a team support of a midwife, a doula and my husband). And I just knew what to do. I pose like I read in the book. I moved and I breathed and I was just THERE.

This book is vivid, beautifully written and takes the reader to a journey of childbirth around the world. It is inspiring, exciting, and outstandingly important for every woman to read, especially if she's about to have a baby.

As a side note, some of the chapters and the deeper ideas in the book, especially the chapter on pain, is important not only for expecting mothers. The knowledge and wisdom the author brings is relevant to so many aspects in life. Highly recommend.
Michelle Feldman
4.0 out of 5 stars Women in control of their bodies
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2021
For the first time I understand how the body works to help deliver a baby. I am a fan of both western and ancient medicine together and this book promotes that thinking. I wish I read this 30 years ago.
Abbigail Holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning And Amazing Collection of Birthchild Rites, Procedures, and Experiences
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2021
The topic, even it would barely interest me as someone who has no children, caught my eye, simply because I was always interested in the way women of the past survived childbirth without hospitals. Knowing how many problems friends of mine had during their deliveries in modern times, I was curious to know how did women did it before.
It is stunning and amazing at the same time to read about practices as much as to know how other cultures treat their pregnant women and childbirth. And this book is a golden well of information. We can learn about so many different practices connected to childbirt and since the author allows us to have an insight into very private experiences, we can testify for those rites to be useful and for the benefit of both, the woman and the child.
Piaras
5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2021
Anthropology is an interesting area of study that covers all the various aspects of human life including cultural, biological, and economical. While the different subjects such as economics and biology focus on precise facets of human life, anthropology is the only field that deals with all the aspects of human existence. In this book, Secrets of Childbirth by Tsippy Monat the author ‘describes a ten-year anthropological journey to the farthest corners of the earth and offers the modern Western world ancient and traditional knowledge concerning femininity, pregnancy, and birth.’ This was a very interesting and fascinating read that comes highly recommended. A well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Gustave Hakushu
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is amazing
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2021
Wow. Even before I started reading this book, I was incredibly excited to have it, as it promised such a spectacular plot involving one of the most beautiful topics ever to address. Long story short, it did not disappoint. At times, because of the author’s approach, the good writing, the stories presented, I would get emotional and just stop to appreciate the beauty of life. The scope of this novel is not small, nor is it easy to accomplish, but somehow it blew away my expectations, and I guess this is how great authors stand out. This is one of the books I’d recommend to read at least once a year.
chanan ben shabat
5.0 out of 5 stars A rare and enjoyable experience
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2021
A fun experience to read this book, I thought it was going to be an informative book only but it is written lightly and with a healthy sense of humor so reading it is a pleasure in addition to the fascinating knowledge brought in that is always relevant. The book about a fascinating and courageous journey that this brave woman alone made in the world, is an inspiring experience.The writer is the Marco Polo of the Doulas
Kimchi Cakes
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2021
This is quite an interesting book about childbirth. It explains different midwifes of various cultures. The different techniques and rituals for caring for pregnant women and the process of childbirth.

Very interesting book to read!

I highly recommend it!

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