"A Labour of Love is one of my favourite pregnancy books which I believe should be in every womans pregnancy essentials kit.
Gaby uses easy to understand terms so that every woman can understand what she is talking about and not have to look up each word.
It is full to the brim with well written information and beautiful positive birth stories told with excitement and passion.
Gaby writes with such passion, you can't put the book down and I feel myself becoming more empowered and positive with each new page.
This book has helped inspire me to become a better doula and put myself out there further."

This book has helped me during my entire pregnancy journey.
Gabby is an amazing and knowledgeable professional with real and positive birth experiences to empower any women. It is very easy to read, follow and understand. A Labour of Love opened my mind to believe in myself, in my body and pursue a natural birth.
It is a MUST read.

This was the best pregnancy book I read. It empowered me to trust my body and natural hormones with the birthing process. Very inspiring, and I pleased to have a natural birth. I have purchased it for friends that are pregnant, I feel it is the best gift you can give. Trust the birthing process and enjoy your labour.
Easy to read, informative and inspiring.

I was told by my friend who is a midwife to read this book. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I could just feel the empowering vibes getting stronger and stronger with each chapter and by the end of it I just knew what I had to do. I had a very clear picture on what I wanted for my first birthing experience. This kind of information is not something they teach you in hospital birthing classes (if only!). I had the most amazing birth and I really feel this book and the hypnosis CDs played a big role in my preparation. I'm still recommending to every pregnant woman I come across in hope that it helps them the way it helped my partner and I.

I had read a multitude of books to help me get into a good head space for my second birth - and this was by far my favourite! My first birth had been traumatic for me so I was determined to have a positive experience the second time round! I listened to Gaby's hypno-audio most night's (also the American hypno-birthing one's but preferred Targett's) and then I read her book. I'd gotten used to Gabrielle's voice on the audio - it was as though she was my friend! So when I learned she had a book I was excited! And it didn't dissapoint.

I recommend this book to everyone. Its accessible, easy to digest, entertaining, informative and soooo empowering. A friend who read it said she hates reading, but couldn't put this book down!

I had a bloody awesome second birth - and seriously - this book and the audio definitely was a mjor contributor to that. I was confident, I knew what was happening every step of the way, I was never ever fearful - it was so empowering, and so different to the first time. And as it happened, no drugs. Unlike the first time (seriously, if drugs were the key to having a great birth, I'd take them - unfortunately, like most things inlife, they're not - they take your power away.)

So if you're considering reading this book - get it! And the audio - and you'll be well on your way to a great, empowering birth!

Easy readin, informative, grounded in research, entertaining, Australian, author also has hypno audio available.
Nothing other than can be difficult to find in library's etc.

Whilst I was pregnant I found myself worrying and dreaming about the birth. After reading this book it put my mind at ease and the bad birthing dreams stopped! :)
A fantastic and very empowering book!! It put my mind at ease about giving birth and made me feel like I was in control of the birth. Would recommend to any expecting mother.

We live in a world full of choices and important decisions that aren't taken lightly, so why is birth?

Why do we fear birth?

Is it the unknown or are we programmed to do so?

In the book, A Labour of Love: Childbirth Without Fear by Gabrielle Targett we are able to explore this all whilst preparing ourselves to become more educated on the big mystery to help take fear out of the birthing process and help women actually enjoy our “BIRTH-day”.

This book provides a good and easy read for any expecting parents or birth workers. Whilst it covers a wide range of topics, which give a great overview of pregnancy and what can be expected, it is very to the point,  factual and evidenced based. This gives you the confidence in what she is saying. Below I have outlined the key points that stood out to me and drew me into the book and why I would highly recommend it.

The opening few chapters of this book focus on Gabrielle’s birth experience with her children. In doing so you are able to gain a connection and understanding about the woman who is writing this book and her purpose behind doing so.

Gabrielle sets out with a very clear mission in this novel and that is to help women achieve the birth that they desire and the ways in which they can achieve this. The first major point that Gabrielle brings up is that we as women have a choice in who is delivering our babies and that it isn’t just an obstetrician which is the societal norm to do so, and that by going down this route we may be limiting our future choices.

This is then linked into the fact that knowledge is key, and that the more informed a woman is going into her birth the more she will be relaxed and empowered during her birth. Gabrielle states that birth is 90% knowledge and 10% physical.

Gabrielle provides a great explanation into how fear and the hormones that are associated with fear can have an impact on labour. At the same time as this she has a very in depth section of choice and what choices are available to women when it comes to their birthing options, but she also has very good information on what are the different pain relief options including both analgesic pain relief and natural pain relief techniques.

With a combination of the two she explains how the hospital system currently is set up with only the hospital protection in mind. This is then how the hospital come up with the ‘policy and procedures’ which is then used to condition women when they go to the hospital antenatal classes and so she encourages woman to also seek alternative antenatal classes to help them be fully informed on all of their birthing options and allow them to birth the way the want to birth and limit the need of any unnecessary medical intervention.

Gabrielle has created a very usefully book that is very relatable and allows you to have a laugh through some of the serious sides of things and providing quite a useful information for any parents to be, support person and even for birth workers. Gabrielle has references and facts to back up her information as well, so it fills you with confidence that she has actually written it with a true knowledge and understanding around the whole birth processes. It is also very clear to see just how devote she is to the birthing process but also to the pregnancy journey of the mother and helping them find support networks and you find yourself feeling the same as you are reading along.

I feel that this book would be an extremely beneficial read for anyone who is planning their birth as well as their support person as it allows them a little insight into the birth process. For Birth workers this book can be helpfully as it has great explanation into how the different hormones realised through the different stages of labour can play different roles and the importance of each hormone. I was able to relate to a lot of the different aspect of her book when reflecting on my own birthing experience

“There’s a reason they call childbirth ‘labour’ – and not, say, ‘sport and recreation’. Giving birth is the hardest and most humbling work a woman will ever do. It is also, par excellence, the most loving. Gabrielle Targett’s wonderful book approaches the challenge of childbirth from both ends (as it were) – coupling practical advice with an inspiring and joyful vision. For any woman who aspires to be present at her own childbirth – in body, mind and spirit – I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

“Gabrielle, I just had to say a massive thank you for your support you have given me and especially my wife Hayley. On Saturday 5th of February we gave birth to our first child, a gorgeous baby girl Elora. With the help of your book and CDs, Elora came into our would without the need of any drugs or interventions — the good ol’ fashioned way. Hayley has said that there was no way she could have gotten through the labour without the help of your book. I read it too and loved everything about it – so thank you so much. Our dream to have a natural birth had come true. So once again, thank you so very much.”

Absolutely, every pregnant woman should read it! It answered so many questions re my first hospital birth and inspired me and gave me the strength to educate myself as best I could and resulted in choosing a CMP cared for home waterbirth with my son…best thing ever. I also did Gaby’s birth hypnosis and found it invaluable!