Into These Hands: Wisdom from Midwives, edited by Geradine Simkins

I read this book because I am quickly approaching the due date for my sixth child and realized that I had not yet done any 'birth' reading this time around. This book collects the autobiographies of 25 modern day midwives. These 25 women share some characteristics in common (most, if not all, seemed to have been influenced to become midwives by the revolution of the late 60's and early 70's), but they also followed different paths to becoming midwives. Some are certified nurse midwives (CNMs), some are licensed midwives or certified professional midwives (CPMs), some are lay midwives. Some have worked in hospitals, some both in the hospitals and homes, and others only at home.

Because the book was written by 25 different authors, many different views in many different voices are presented. The women represent the gamut of world religions (Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Hindu, Goddess worshippers, agnostic). Some wrote much better prose than the others wrote.

I have to say that I would only expect this book to be of interest to those who are already intensely interested in midwifery and alternatives to the 'normal' birth choices of modern-day America. I would not recommend this book for those who would like a first introduction to midwifery.