According to Laura Kaplan Shanley, a renowned leader in the natural-birth movement, childbirth is inherently safe and relatively painless - provided we refrain from physical or psychological interference. The problems often associated with birth can be traced to three main factors: poverty, unnecessary medical intervention, and fear. When these causes are eliminated, most women can give birth either alone or with the help of a partner, friends, or family.This third edition of Unassisted Childbirth leads with a history of childbirth and then describes how most deliveries occur today, detailing why these processes don't serve mothers or babies. The information in this ground-breaking book gives women yet another legitimate choice in childbirth that doesn't rely on doctors and technology, and allows parents, birth professionals, and general readers to reexamine their most basic ideas about birth and learn to think in new ways.About the Author: Laura Kaplan Shanley is an author, freelance writer, speaker and childbirth consultant widely recognized as one of the leading voices in the natural birth movement. Her expertise is frequently sought out by television and movie production companies around the globe. She has been featured in media outlets such as ABC News, 20/20, The Doctors, BBC, Discovery Channel, Disney, the New York Times, Reuters, and the Washington Post, among many others. In addition, she works with women one-on-one providing them with childbirth education and emotional support before and during pregnancy. She is a frequent speaker at childbirth conferences, providing her unique perspective and inspiring insight. Laura maintains a website dedicated to natural childbirth, www.unassistedchildbirth.com, and is also active on Facebook, www.facebook.com/laurashanley.