Pregnancy and childbirth are not to be feared; they are divinely appointed processes that can be joyful, spiritual, and bring families closer to God. The Gift of Giving Life: Rediscovering the Divine Nature of Pregnancy and Birth offers something that no other pregnancy book has before–a spiritual look at pregnancy and birth by and for LDS women and other women of faith. Through moving stories women in the scriptures, women from early Latter-day Saint history, and dozens of modern mothers, The Gift of Giving Life assures readers that God cares deeply about the entire procreative process.
The Gift of Giving Life does not advocate for any one type of birth or approach to prenatal care, rather it intends to unify our families and communities in regard to the sacredness of birth. We also aim to provide you with resources, information, and inspiration that you may not have had access to all in one place before.
Topics covered include: constant nourishment, meditation, fear, pain, healing from loss, the physical and spiritual ties between the Atonement and childbirth, the role of the Relief Society in postpartum recovery and more. Birthing women, birth attendants, childbirth educators, and interested readers of all faiths are invited to rediscover within these pages the divinity and gift of giving life.
Felice Austin is a mother, writer, Certified Hypnotherapist, Hypnobabies(R) Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor, prenatal yoga teacher, and spiritual childbirth educator. Felice’s passion for creativity and helping others create positive change drives her in her daily life and in motherhood. She has planted her tree of life in the rich, beautiful soil of Los Angeles, where they can be found with her daughter inhaling and exhaling deeply. Lani Axman finished her studies in English and editing at Brigham Young University in 2003. Following the birth of her second daughter, Lani put her pen to work for her new-found passion— childbirth advocacy. In 2007, Lani created her blog, BirthFaith.org where she continues to share her thoughts and research and is followed by thousands of readers each week. Lani became trained as a birth doula through DONA International in 2009 and in neonatal resuscitation in 2011. Lani now resides near Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, four children. Heather Farrell is a certified birth doula (DONA International) and is addicted to seeing babies be born. She is a graduate from Brigham Young University and received her bachelors of science in Public Health and a minor in Women’s Studies. Heather is a self proclaimed scripture nerd and loves to study about the lives of the women in the scriptures. She authors the blog Women in the Scriptures (womeninthescriptures.blogspot.com) which is read weekly by thousands of people around the world. Heather and her husband live in Utah and are the parents of three beautiful children. Robyn Allgood is a doula and childbirth educator affiliated with the Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth. In addition, she leads a local ICAN chapter offering support to moms after cesarean birth, supporting vaginal birth after cesarean, and offering information to prevent unnecessary cesarean sections. Sheridan Ripley has always loved all things pregnancy, birth and babies. Her first son was born by emergency cesarean at 34 weeks. Her second son was born by VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) in the hospital with an epidural. Her third son was also born via VBAC in the hospital naturally using Hypnobabies(R). As a DONA certified doula, she assists women and their partners during their birthing time. She is also a Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor and loves to help expecting parents prepare for a positive birth.
