Sheila Kitzinger's understanding of the complex emotions surrounding birth has led to her being thought of as a personal friend by many of her readers, but she also has a formidable reputation among those in the medical profession who are challenged by her writing. For many years she has maintained that when birth is reduced to a medical process the experience is diminished and the mother degraded, and that even when the birth is complicated, human relationships are vitally important.

In this revised edition of Rediscovering Birth, Kitzinger explores the universal experience of pregnancy and childbirth and looks closely at feelings and behaviour in pregnancy, the physical and spiritual experience of giving birth, the role of the midwife, the bonds that are traditionally formed between mother and midwife and ideas about birth in many different cultures, and she asks how we can learn from them.