Honoring the Spirituality of Birth- "The Gift of Giving Life"

This book review is a stop on the Virtual Book Tour for The Gift of Giving Life.  

 Confession time- 

I am a closet Mormon.  (Well, not closet, but since this blog is mostly about birth, this detail about my faith mostly goes unsaid around here.)  You know, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but people call us Mormons.  Mitt Romney, polygamy, no coffee- that one.  

(We don't do the polygamy thing any more and I don't have to vote for Mitt, by the way.)

A few weeks ago an author of a new book called "The Gift of Giving Life" asked me if I would be willing to read a copy and do a review here on the blog.  I don't usually do book reviews- in fact this is my first one ever.  BUT, I wanted to do this one.  

I knew that some of my favorite bloggers had written in it- Lani over at Birth Faith is one of the authors.  Rixa from Stand and Deliver and C. Jane over at C. Jane Kendrick also contributed to the book.  

It wasn't just the wonderful women that I knew had helped write this book that made me interested.  I wanted to see what they had to say about motherhood and birth as it pertains to all women in general, and especially to my beliefs as a Latter Day Saint woman.  

You know what I found?  

I found a beautiful book.  And I am not just saying that because they gave me a free copy- it really is an amazing piece of work.  I have read lots of birth books but never anything like this.  It is full of personal experiences, birth stories, intimate and personal understanding, scripture and practical information and knowledge.  The most striking thing about "The Gift of Giving Life" though was that they managed to be informative AND kind and non-judgmental.  That alone is a feat in itself.  

If you read this blog frequently you probably know that I am pretty hard nosed in my ideas about natural birth.  In short, I think it is awesome and even preferable.  

This book expresses those feelings I have about the divinity, the spirituality, the magnificence of birth- but far better than I ever could have.  "The Gift of Giving Life" literally puts its finger on the divinity of birth and the power of women in a way that I knew, deep down, but was never able to express so well.  

But here is the truly amazing thing about this book.  It spoke to me as a natural birth advocate- it resonated with me.  Then it went farther- this isn't just a book for women who home birth or women who skipped the epidural- it is a book for all women.  It honors all women in all the ways they give (or don't) birth.  

There are stories within about adoption, infertility, c-section, induction, unassisted birth, and everything within the spectrum of birth and motherhood.  "The Gift of Giving Life" covers all the bases.  It honors and embraces and respects all women as mothers no matter how they choose or must give birth.  

"The Gift of Giving Life" really isn't just for women who call themselves Mormon though.  I think anybody who is interested in the spirituality and the divinity of motherhood and birth would enjoy this book.  It fills in gaps left by the current natural childbirth literature and does so completely and with love and respect for all women.   

On the other side of the spectrum, I think this book is fascinating from a purely academic standpoint too.  My college studies centered around Anthropology- the study of humans.  Never before have I seen such in depth study and discussion of the driving forces behind one of the central strengths of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- it's WOMEN.  So, even for those who never plan on having children, if you are interested in understanding this faith better and WHY women in this church feel motherhood is so important, then I think you would find much to enjoy in this book.  

Anyway- I guess you can tell that I LIKED IT!  And I honestly think that you would too.  

I am so grateful to be a woman and to be able to have children and then spend years of my life mothering them.  I am grateful for books like this that inspire and invigorate and help me to find the divinity, love and beauty that CAN be a part of motherhood, if we just take the time to notice them.  

In short- it made me think and it made me appreciate and it made me feel more confident about what I am spending the rest of my life doing- mothering and giving life. I wish that I and all women could see the true beauty of motherhood in the way this book portrays it.  How much happier we would be and how much more peace we would enjoy.  

Peace mamas-

Visit The Gift of Giving Life site to sign up for their newsletter and to receive a free Meditation MP3 as well as tips to help increase spirituality in your pregnancy and birth.

For my readers here is a coupon code for 10% off a copy of The Gift of Giving Life.   Click here and after you add the book to your cart use this coupon code.  GWFWXR3F  This code is good until Father’s Day 2012.  This code is good until Father’s Day 2012.