<i>In the Spirit of Homebirth</i> collects stories that celebrate the beauty and power of giving birth. Here are women from indigenous communities, of diverse socioeconomic classes and religions, in urban and rural settings, and the stories as well of family members and friends who witness and share the experience of homebirth with them. Partners describe the awe of watching a loved one bring new life into the world, children write sweetly about getting a baby brother or sister, and midwives and doulas tell us what it is like to aid women on their journeys.<br> <br><i>In the Spirit of Homebirth</i> presents birth as a physical action as well as a sacred act, an expression of deep love and of belief in the power of the human spirit. Homebirth is a choice, and <i>In the Spirit of Homebirth</i> tells us why women from all walks of life and their families make this choice today when they have the right to give birth as they wish. <i>In the Spirit of Homebirth </i>presents homebirth, not as an archaic practice but as a remarkably contemporary expression of a long tradition and a profoundly empowering and joyous event.