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Title: The Birth Book : Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth by Martha Sears, William Sears ISBN: 0-316-77907-5 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 01 February, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.31 (81 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Natural birth or not...
Comment: Natural birth or not, I found this book to be VERY informative and helpful. I was PETRIFIED to give birth before I read this. I had never broken a bone, had stitches... NOTHING. Needless to say, I was scared to death of the "PAIN". This book helped me relax. It helped my husband and I decide the type of birth we wanted to shoot for. And, guess what?! We did it! I had a totally natural birth (in the hospital).
...But, don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that everyone should have a natural birth - nor does this book. That just happened to be our choice. This book will help you make your own decision without making you feel badly about it. If you want to know the truth from a couple who had 7 children - nearly 7 different ways, this is the book for you to read. It gives you BOTH sides of the story: the Doctor's view AND the Mother's view. It will tell you about all your options in the hospital and at home. It explains all the different medical procedures as well as medicines that may be involved and their affect on you and your baby.
If you really want to be prepared for birth and comfortable with your choices, this is the book to read: BEFORE you go into labor! ...So, relax! Read any and ALL of Dr. Sears' books and have a great pregnancy, birth, and beyond!
Rating: 5
Summary: Beautifully Written, Informative Advocacy for Natural Birth
Comment: This book is SO much more accessible than the Bradley book which we used for our childbirth class. I wish I had had it before having two babies! I really enjoy the personal stories that the Sears use in all their books to illustrate their points... at the beginning of this book they describe the births of all 8 of their children. I found the section on prenatal tests particularly illuminating. Most books talk about amnios and such, but few talk about the consequences of fetal monitoring or ultrasounds in much detail. After reading this book I feel much more equipped to attempt a second natural birth... I have even had thoughts about home birth, but fear we are too far from the hospital.
The Sears' make a strong point that fear and tension during labor greatly contributes to pain. They see pain as a natural barometer and suggest that severe pain indicates a change is needed. This change could be as simple as changing positions and moving about, or it might indicate that some intervention is needed. Although they strongly advocate natural birth, the Sears' view medication during birth as one tool (not without possible complications) to help achieve a satisfying birth experience. Much emphasis is put on upright laboring and birthing positions, to increase mobility and to utilize gravity. Having found it a great help myself, I enjoyed reading about using the tub during labor and wished they had spent more time talking about birthing in water. I am strongly considering this possibility in my next birth. The final section of the book contains references and suggestions for further reading on particular topics. Overall a very useful book which does a wonderful job of balancing their advocacy for natural unmedciated birth with respect for what medicine has to offer!
Rating: 5
Summary: I changed my birth plans 6 months into my pregnancy!
Comment: If you are pregnant for the first time and don't know much about childbirth, READ THIS BOOK ... and don't be afraid to make changes to your birth plan (birth plan?!?) if some aspect of your care doesn't sit well with you. Do whatever you can to have a wonderful birth experience - it will live in your emotions and memory forever and may even affect how you bond with your child.
I was six months pregnant with our first child when I did the craziest thing ever. I changed my caregivers and I changed my hospital. Here's how it went: During my pregnancy, our kitchen was being remodeled. Attempting to escape the paint and glue fumes, I spent long days at our local library, reading books about pregnancy and childbirth. I stumbled upon "The Birth Book" and of course, in my swollen condition, I devoured it.
THIS BOOK ROCKED MY WORLD.
It opened my eyes to how insane birth really is in this country - how over-medicalized it is. It really put the fear of God into me, so to speak, with regard to "routine" procedures such as episiotomy, forceps/vacuum use, epidurals, C-sections, etc. I was set on a path for the typical "hospital-epidural-medical" birth, without much thought that it could be any other (better, more satifying) way, until I read this astounding book.
Thanks to this book, I scrupulously questioned my OB and ultimately switched from my OB to a Certified Nurse Midwife, I switched to a hospital with a very low C-section rate and a very pro-natural birth attitude and appropriate facilities, I hired a doula, and my husband & I took a Bradley class and cancelled our Lamaze class. BECAUSE OF THIS BOOK, I had a glorious, natural (drug- and intervention-free), waterbirth in the "Alternative Birthing Center" of a hospital. (Read our birth story in the upcoming book, Beautiful Births, due out in 2005! =)
Of course, my husband initially thought I was stark raving mad for wanting to make so many drastic changes so far into my pregnancy, but after reading this eye-opening book, it seemed even MORE stark raving mad not to! Even if you have no intention of making any changes (some women like having fetal monitors and epidurals, and that is their prerogative!), read it. Whether you desire to birth naturally or more "medically," or if you're not sure, it is very empowering to be well informed about everything that happens within the birthing community.
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