Ebook The Birth Book Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth Sears Parenting Library William Sears Martha Sears 9780316779074 Books

Product details Series Sears Parenting Library Paperback 280 pages Publisher Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (February 1, 1994) Language English ISBN-10 9780316779074 ISBN-13 978-0316779074 ASIN 0316779075

The Birth Book Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth Sears Parenting Library William Sears Martha Sears 9780316779074 Books Reviews

• UPDATE 24 days after I wrote this review, I had a healthy 7 pound, 9 ounce baby boy via VBAC with my husband, doula, and midwives by my side at a respected local hospital. I credit this book along with several others for informing me about healthy options that could help me have the birth I wanted, and how to adapt when things weren't going my way. We did it!!
  
  I checked this book out of my local library along with about a dozen others, and it was one of a few that I chose to purchase for myself after reading it so I could make notes and highlight my own favorite parts.
  
  The book first tells of Dr. Sears' wife and co-author, Martha, and her birth experiences beginning in (I believe) the 50s. If you know anything about the history of childbirth, her experiences aren't really out of the norm for each year that she describes. The book then clearly lays out its goals and what it will discuss. This is where I get confused at negative reviews that contend that the book is pushy or too preachy about home or birth center births. Within the first chapter, the book immediately begins to handle sensitive readers with kid gloves, reiterating time and time again that some women need medical interventions, and that every woman should make choices that are best for herself, her baby, her family, and her individual situation. I don't know how much more the author could coddle a fragile reader who doesn't want to hear that her expectation of an epidural at first contraction could lead to more medical procedures. I've come to think that women who are touchy and overly sensitive about books that suggest a natural birth are ones who are insecure about their own experiences or decisions, and perhaps the ones to hear this information the most. A healthy woman with a healthy pregnancy and baby are likely to have little need for medical interventions. That's not Dr. Sears' (or any author's) opinion, friends.
  
  The book is broken up into 3 sections Preparing for birth, Easing pain in labor, and Experiencing birth. My personal favorite chapters have been VBAC and Best Birthing Positions. I've long known that lying on your back is a stupid and ill-advised position in which to give birth (umm, hi gravity?), so I love that this book gives illustrations of some great positions that can be switched up to make mom more comfortable. I also enjoy the diagrams of exactly how the [average] baby comes out of the birth canal. The ways in which a fetus turns to make his or her grand entrance into the world are really remarkable!
  
  I will agree with the obvious fact that some of the research presented in the book is "old", as it was written in 1994. I would love to see a revised edition that just changes those few things - however I wouldn't expect a totally different book. Guess why? Because women have been having babies for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. The way we deal with childbirth has changed through the decades, but y'all, for gosh sakes, your body does the same basic functions as a woman's body did in 1750! And we have the luxury now of avoiding polio and rickets and other scary diseases that can wreak havoc on a childbearing body. We are so lucky to know so much about our bodies and how they perform - the function of birthing a child hasn't changed since 1994.
  
  After an emergency C-section two years before, I was anxious to study up on birth (I had done NO research, reading, or classes for my first) to see if I could have a better birth experience this time. As I suspected, there were choices that I made in my care that really set me on a path to the outcome that I got, and this time I am making different plans so that I can have a better birth experience. Personally I'm just not the "home birth" type, so I am going to the hospital for my birth; since I am a previous recent cesarean patient, home birth is not really the safest option for me anyway. This book has really helped me grasp what I'm going to go through and instead of just being a patient at a hospital, I can go into the birth experience knowing each stage, what my body is trying to do, and how I can feel like I am a part of the experience - understanding options and making my own choices instead of just lying on a hospital bed, waiting for my baby to pop out.
  
  If you are a woman who wants to go to a hospital at 9 am on the day of your choice, receive your pain medication, and have a C-section at the hour of your choosing, then no, this book is not for you. If you are a woman who believes that your doctor knows all and the hospital is the best place for you to give birth and you are going to demand an epidural asap and lie on your back to give birth, then no, this book is not for you. And if you're expecting an internationally-renowned, respected, educated, reputable, experienced doctor to tell you that these are the best choices for a woman's body, you're probably going to have to look REALLY hard.
  But if you're looking for a book that will present you with your options, give examples, talk about the specific ways in which your body is working during labor and ways you can help, not hinder, it from doing its job, if you had a negative birth experience in the past and you're wondering if there was anything you could have changed or anything you could have researched or read about beforehand, then this book IS for you.
• This book has a lot of good information, but is heavily biased. Any drugs including epidurals are 'bad' for you and baby- avoid drugs and you avoid a 'drugged' baby. Episiotomies are 'largely unnecessary' (I don't truly disagree with this but it's strong). Only 5% of cesareans are necessary, are an epidemic, and make doctors rich. Forceps are always unnecessary. You definitely can VBAC! Vaginal birth is a 'rite of passage' and will make you a better more 'dedicated' parent! Choosing pain medication shows the woman places little value on experiencing 'the process.' Use your imagination (and potpurri?) to get through the pain. They suggest that epidurals aren't really safe for babies, and it changes your birth experience. They literally list a 'pro' column of 7 points and a 'con' list of 15 negatives, many of which are just suppositions.
  
  I'll say if you want a book that reinforces the idea that only natural birth is the right choice, you'll like this book. If you're open to things like epidurals or a c-section if your doctors think it's necessary... this book will likely push you off a little. It also hasn't been updated since the 90's, and it shows its age.
• This very easy-to-read book provides well-researched information to pregnant women and their birth partners. After reading this book, I was informed about all my options, though the authors lean more toward less-medicated or unmedicated births. This book, unlike some, is not condescending and gives the reader the historical influences and the research behind the information presented. I used the techniques in this book during my (completely unmedicated) labor. Yes, labor is, well, labor, but it is also the most empowering, amazing, beautiful experience you might ever have in your life. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
• Great book and very detailed! I was determined to have an all natural birth. Unfortunately for me, my labor was extremely slow. I got through about 12 hours with no meds trying to use recommendations from his book. It had pictures and explanations of ways to help you during labor. Although I didn’t have the natural birth I wanted, I got through my 25 hour labor and delivery with no regrets of my choice of epidural. Honestly this book helped me soooo much with my fears of labor and delivery. Before I read it... I was extremely nervous and really scared since I was having my first child. I went into the hospital knowing what to expect and also knew what was going on with my body. I was able to make more knowledgeable decisions. I am very happy I bought this book and would totally recommend to any new expecting Mom and is scared and nervous just like I was.