|
Gentle Birth Choices: A Guide to Making Informed Decisions about Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, and Hospital Birth |  | Author: Barbara Harper
Creators: Suzanne Arms, Robbie Davis-Floyd
Publisher: Healing Arts Press
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy Used: $0.27
as of 9/9/2010 04:32 MDT details
You Save: $16.68 (98%)
New (5) Used (57) Collectible (1) from $0.27
Seller: gr8lakesbooks1
Rating:  57 reviews
Sales Rank: 649148
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Pages: 268
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8 x 7.8 x 0.8
ISBN: 0892814802
Dewey Decimal Number: 618.45
EAN: 9780892814800
ASIN: 0892814802
Publication Date: June 1, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Barbara Harper outlines the elements of gentle birthing: support from loved ones, a reassuring and quiet environment with soft lighting, and minimal medical intervention. She shows you how to plan a meaningful, family-centered birth experience and discusses the alternatives available, providing a new model of maternity care that reduces the need for high-tech crisis intervention and focuses instead on preparation and good health for mother and child. With Cesarean section rates in some hospitals at more than 50%, women are acknowledging that childbirth reform is an essential aspect of reclaiming responsibility for our bodies and our lives. Includes information on: -Giving birth in a freestanding birthing center, at home, or in a hospital birthing room. -Finding a primary care-giver who shares your philosophy of birth, whether midwife, doctor, or both. -Deciding how to best use current technologies. -Practical advice for couples wishing to explore the option of waterbirth, a choice that maximizes the attributes of water as a natural, pain-relieving relaxant and an alternative to drugs and their unwanted side effects.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 57
 beautiful book January 26, 2001
Evelyn A. Garing (Gainesville, FL)
30 out of 31 found this review helpful
Reading negative comments of writer who had positive hosp. birth experience in Austin, TX, i wish to point out that Texas has one of the most active midwifery associations in our country - they have been instrumental in advancing natural birth practices in Texas. You were fortunate to have the options you shared - they are still not the norm for hospital births in much of our country. I live in Virginia Beach, VA, am a nurse, mom and grandmom. Hosp. births here still leave a lot to be desired. Episotomies are standard, induction and c-section rate are very high. When I went to nursing school in the 1980's, I was not taught anything about natural childbirth, I was taught that women needed interventions and taught about the interventions. It wasn't until I became natural childbirth educator that I found out how our bodies really work during birthing and how to work with the body's natural birth capabilities. Many women live in localities where they need to be aware that they have other options than what is traditionally offered in their communities- they may have to fight for their right to have the birth of their choice. This book does an excellent job at empowering women to look for healthy birth choices- I look forward to the day when your experience of forward thinking and practices in a hospital setting is the norm, rather than the exception.
I went from being terrified to feeling empowered July 10, 2003
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
I have always been really scared of the birthing process. After reading this book, I felt much more empowered and confident about the whole process. Now I am really looking forward to it and feel like I understand so much more about how our bodies naturally can help us through birthing. This book sparked my interest and now I have learned a lot more about natural, drug-free birthing options. I am excited instead of scared. As with anything, we still need to make our own personal decisions about how we want to do things, but I really feel like reading this book opened me up to many options that I wasn't aware of or hadn't considered. It amazes me how many people go through being pregnant and birthing with a very limited view of how it "should be done". When I was reading the book, there were so many times where I thought, "yeah, that makes a lot of sense", even though I had never thought about it myself.
I highly recommend this book!
In 2000 not all hospitals have left the dark ages October 8, 2000
31 out of 33 found this review helpful
Harper has good points and empowers women to make wise choices and take responsiblity for their own labor, deliver, births. Unlike the reader who found it to be information not pertinent to today (I wish I had her hospital & doctor in my town), my birth experience with my first (& so far only child) was very much taken out of my control. My child was never in danger, I was never in danger. And despite my "birth plan" and my constantly telling my doctor that I was okay with however long my labor took as long as baby & me were fine,she intervened and eventually I ended up with a c-section. Hospital protocol dictated that I be put in hospital gown, hooked up to iv and fetal monitor despite the fact that it slowed my labor and made the pains more intense. A nurse came in every hour and offered me some sort of pain releif despite the fact that I had expressed that I didn't want it. She'd tell me I didn't have to be martyr. That was agrivating. As a result, I've been looking for hope to avoid this the next time around. Had I read this book before I believe I would NOT have the physical or emotional scars of the cesearean. I know some women are okay with their c-sections and I probably would be too if I knew that my life or my baby's life had been saved. But neither of us were ever in jeporady.
Most OB/GYNs won't recommend this book... September 17, 2000
lisam5305@yahoo.com
24 out of 27 found this review helpful
because it focuses on the mother-to-be naturally reclaiming the birth process. This book was one of my tried-and-true resources during my pregnancy while I was thoughtfully trying to decide what birth experience I wanted. I ended up making an informed decision to have a midwife-assisted natural homebirth, and it was the most exhilarating experience of my life. There is no other way I would want to bring a child into this world. I challenge any mother-to-be to think for herself, inform herself of all the options, and make the choice SHE (not just her OB/GYN) feels is right. Thank God a medically-controlled hospital birth is not the only option. Blessed are the babies who receive such a warm welcome into the world. And, my heart breaks for every innocent little soul who is yanked from his mother's womb by a pair of cold, latex-gloved hands in a cold, bright, sterilized hospital. Trust me, women...there IS a better way! You have all the resources and strength within you to have exactly the kind of birth you want.
awesome. November 25, 2005
andromedarl (canada)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I picked this book up at the urging of my midwife and I am so glad I did. It basically describes my entire birth plan.. it make so much sense to choose to have a birth that is calm and natural instead of the usual hospital nightmare (like my first delivery)
It goes into detail about WHY women are scared of birth and what we can do to combat that. It also gives you reasons why a "conventional" hospital birth is not all it's cracked up to be.
I recommend this book to any friends of mine that are pregnant, I think it's important to be able to make detailed choices regarding the birth of your baby.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 57
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. | |
