Book Testimonials
The most amazing birth book I have read. Empowering, emotional, truthful, and so real. It's a special book that should be read by every expecting mum, whether they plan to birth at home or not.
Jacqui
Carla, your book is amazing! On behalf of student midwives everywhere I just wanted to thank you. A true gift.
Kimba (2nd year midwifery student)
Books like yours help to inspire me, and other women, to keep believing in birth and in women even though we face what sometimes seem like insurmountable obstacles.
Bronwyn Fleet (midwife and CBE)
Thank you so much for the book. I kept picking it up and not having the guts to read it. Then I spring cleaned my house and lay outside today in the sun and read it cover to cover. It is absolutely perfect! (And made me cry a lot).
Kim (story author)
I was in my first trimester when I first started to delve in, and I wept over every story! It moved me deeply, the empowerment and grace of the women who bravely share their deeply personal journeys of bringing their loved ones into the world, into the safe love of home. A beautiful book to treasure, and I highly recommend these warm, heart melting stories to uplift and encourage women to choose home birth.
Tamma
I’m on the tail end of a new book and am contacting you to get permission to use some quotes from your great book of stories - ‘Where the Heart Is'.
Rhea Dempsey (author of Birth With Confidence and Beyond the Birth Plan)
I read the book almost in one sitting the same night I got it. You did an absolutely great job and the diversity of stories makes it very readable for anyone. I loved the photographic stories. This book is full of love, resilience, humility. It is an ode to love in the midst of pain. Life as it is. Absolutely beautiful.
Stephanie Ravier (story author and midwifery student)
This is how birth really is and how women should know it is! Thank you so much to all the wonderful women who contributed such a valuable resource! AND I love the fantastic photos of the breech birth, just amazing! It is a wonderful book I have truly fallen in love with it and am telling all my homebirth women about it!
Michelle Goodhew (midwife)
May this book come to be a common and treasured feature in our clinics and homes - normalising and celebrating physiology and the strong capabilities of women, babies and whanau. I was drawn to the birth and death chapter. Needless to say, the impact of these raw, highly personal experiences left my face stained - and I have sat with their powerful, honest and generous offerings since. These tales are inspiring and the depth of respect and empowerment is palpable.
Kate Wrightson (midwife and CBE)
I want to shout the home birth philosophy from the roof tops. I am awash with a fiery passion! Thank you so much for allowing my stories to be included. After we had Emerson I felt like a bit of a failure (madness in hindsight) and like I couldn't actually call myself a home birthing woman. Writing my stories and having them appreciated by people like you helped heal my spirit. Even if women can't or don't want to have a home birth, this book will provide hope that natural, positive birth experiences are possible.
Shellee (story author)
Hi Carla, I got your gorgeous book, great work! I love the sections on birth and death, and Maori birth as well. Thanks so much!
Sarah Buckley, MD (author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering)
What a lovely and inspiring collection of birth stories. Such a good read for those contemplating home birth and even those who are not. I loved how empowering all the stories were (even those that dealt with loss) - there were tears of joy as well as sadness while reading this book.