Table of Contents

1 Introduction; 2 1. The Science of Obstetrics; 3 2. Motherhood from Many Points of View; 4 3. A Philosophy of Childbirth; 5 4. Anatomy and Physiology; 6 5. The Pain of Labour; 7 6. Factors Predisposing to Low Threshold of Pain Interprestation; 8 7. Fear; 9 8. Imagery and the Conditioning of the Mind; 10 9. The Fear of Childbirth; 11 10. The Retreat of Fear; 12 11. Diet in Pregnancy; 13 12. The Phenomena of Labour; 14 13. The Relief of Pain in Labour; 15 14. Hypnosis in Childbirth as a Means of Pain Relief; 16 15. The Conduct of Labour; 17 16. Childbirth in Emergency; 18 17. Breast-feeding and Rooming-in; 19 18. The Husband and Childbirth; 20 19. Antenatal Education; 21 20. Preparation for Labour; 22 21. Antenatal Schools of Instruction and Their Organisation; 23 22. In Conclusion

About the Author

Grantly Dick-Read (1890-1959) studied at Cambridge and at the London Hospital. The publication of Childbirth without Fear caused widespread controversy but, encouraged by many women who had given birth using the 'Dick-Read method', he dedicated his life to promoting natural childbirth.