A Passion for Birth
Sheila Kitzinger
2015
This engaging and visually rich book offers a sweeping look at the journey of birth around the world. Through photographs, personal stories, cultural commentary, and evidence-based insight, renowned social anthropologist and birth advocate Sheila Kitzinger celebrates the diversity and power of childbirth. It is part celebration, part critique of modern obstetrics, and entirely dedicated to honouring women's voices.
Why It’s Included:
Sheila Kitzinger’s work has long championed the rights of women to birth with autonomy, dignity, and informed choice. A Passion for Birth encapsulates her lifelong commitment to re-humanising birth and challenging medicalisation. It offers inspiration and context for birth as both a biological and cultural experience.
Who It’s For:
Ideal for expectant parents, doulas, midwives, and childbirth educators who seek a global, feminist, and respectful perspective on birth. Also valuable for those reflecting on their own birth experiences or working to support birth advocacy.
“I first came across the works of Sheila Kitzenger when birthing my own babies in the 80s and 90s. Already, this powerful feminist birth advocate had changed the way women experienced childbirth. By the time I met Sheila in 2003, she had blazed a trail a generation long. This book tells her story. When Sheila passed in 2015 at the age of 86, I had been able to share the news of my first grandchild’s arrival. Yet so many of the barriers to woman-led childbirth were still present. This book tells her story.”
Further Reading:
The Politics of Birth – Sheila Kitzinger
Birth and Breastfeeding – Michel Odent
