Transformed by Birth: Cultivating Openness, Resilience, and Strength for the Life-Changing Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood Paperback – January 28, 2020

I began reading this book because I had heard Dr. Britta Bushnell speak on a few different podcast episodes and appreciated her take on birth and parenthood. I thought this book would give me great, more in depth insight about the transition into parenthood that I could share with my birth doula clients. This books absolutely delivered on that front. I learned some awesome ways to talk about and help parents prepare for birth. Britta weaves story and practical insight together seamlessly! What I didn’t know I’d come away with from this book, was healing for my own parenting journey. Even though I was 9 years past having babies, there were aspects of this book that I found myself weeping about because she formed thoughts into words that I didn’t even know I needed to hear. This book was insightful, relatable, practical and crafted beautifully! I now recommend this book to every expectant, new and seasoned parent I meet! Everyone should read this incredible book!!

I have worked with expectant families teaching classes for over 20 years. This book is my #1 recommendation for expectant and newly postpartum families. Britta masterfully uses story telling and myth, woven together with insights into our cultural context, as well as facts and statistics about birth and common procedures, to help people face the whole picture of what the transition into parenthood involves. My favorite parts of the book are:*in the opening chapters she presents 8 themes that are present in our culture and deeply impact our thoughts, feelings and behaviors around birth - many times without our even realizing it. Pointing these out and inviting the reader to look for them in their own experience, is in my opinion one of the most impactful parts of the book, and in fact, though I am well past the years of new parenthood myself, I still am often oriented by recognizing when one of these themes is at play in my life or decision making.*The other part of this book that I deeply appreciate is the depth, practicality & compassion with which she addresses the postpartum experience. It is common for new parents to focus so much on the birth itself that they feel lost and overwhelmed in the early days of parenting when their relationships with their own selves and each other has really shifted. Britta offers insight for reconnecting, with yourself as a new parent and with your partner, that are insightful, practical, and most importantly...doable.This book is not an overwhelming list of "must do's to have the guaranteed perfect birth", it is a visit with a wise mentor who gently offers practical care & insight for those moving through a major life transition.

I took Britta’s birthing class. I was planning to have my first daughter in a home birth but ended up welcoming her into the world in a hospital birth. As a preparation for both the class and birth itself, I bought and read “Transformed by Birth”. The power, honesty, empathy, love and reassurance I got from Britta’s book allowed me to have a magical experience and to walk the path towards birth and postpartum feeling I was doing it on my own terms and empowered and confident in my choices.She is a unique, wholesome, loving, passionate human being and so is this book. Her ability to help us remember our capabilities, strength, vulnerability, trust and power, helped me understand that the way we bring our children into the world matters and makes a difference.I am forever grateful to have met her and her work, and for allowing myself to walk this path that is filled with uncertainty with curiosity and intention.My wish is that every woman (and partner) who is planning to have a baby, gifts herself the opportunity to read this life-changing book.

I can’t put this book down! 🙂First time mom and I’m nervous as heck BUT this has been a wonderful to read!

Although still in my TTC journey, I read Britta’s book with the idea that it would give me an early preparation for my possible pregnancy and birthing experience. I knew that it was early for me to read this book, but something attracted me to it. Now, I know that I needed it. Her advice about resilience and flexibility for birthing and parenting also applies to TTC. Her ideas have been instrumental in how I have approached the challenges of TTC with my husband. This book transformed my views about the capacity of my body in so many ways. It provided me with a different mindset about how I decide to respond to the rollercoaster that it is to TTC. This book has nurtured my agency in my process, and I’m sure it will be of great help when/if I give birth. If you think it’s too early to read this book, it’s not! Everything will be explained clearly and through Britta’s unique storytelling talent. Also, it makes a wonderful present for pregnant friends. I have my copy and gifted one!

I’m a doula and childbirth educator who just gave birth to my own first baby this year. I recommend this book to all my clients, and it was the most powerful text in helping me prepare emotionally for my own birth experience. The author does the crucial work of helping you see beyond all the planning around preparing for birth and your baby, reminding us of how little control we actually have over this most profound and indeed transformational rite of passage. I see it in my clients, I hear it in our culture, and I felt it for myself: there is so much pressure to give birth a certain way. There can be so much shame around cesarean birth, or even getting pain relief during labor. Having a certain idea about how your birth should go sets us up for struggle in a moment that demands of us to surrender to all the mystery it holds. I will be forever grateful for Britta Bushnell for giving this book to the world. It whispered to me throughout my labor, helping me surrender to the sensations of my body and the unexpected demands the journey held. It helped me view my home birth turned cesarean birth for the utterly beautiful and sacred experience it was.