I appreciate and agree with the message of making sure women prepare for and recover fully during postpartum/the fourth trimester, but this unfortunatI appreciate and agree with the message of making sure women prepare for and recover fully during postpartum/the fourth trimester, but this unfortunately reads more like a mish-mash of surface level new-age stuff.
You can definitely just skim through the book....more
I started this book a week before baby’s due date, so I did not read the parts about the first and second trimester pregnancy.
The book gave me good iI started this book a week before baby’s due date, so I did not read the parts about the first and second trimester pregnancy.
The book gave me good insight on what to expect transitioning from pregnancy to motherhood/becoming a parent. The book does not impose certain methodology or way of doing things, and had a no-judging tone. Rather, it continues to remind readers that there are diverse ways of approaching motherhood, and the important thing is to ensure mother’s well-being as she navigates the new chapter in her life.
The topics I appreciated reading about: post-partum anxiety/depression in new moms but also our partners, breastfeeding, recovery after birth, self-identity, parenting choices. At the end of each chapter, there were snippets from different people sharing their experiences as new moms on the topic. It was helpful and relieving to see how different every one experiences and approaches the topic at hand.
Definitely recommend reading this book for new moms-to-be....more
This book is the most informative resource I’ve read about the birthing process, written in a rather positive tone - no fear-mongering about hospitalsThis book is the most informative resource I’ve read about the birthing process, written in a rather positive tone - no fear-mongering about hospitals or obstetricians, no sugar-coating the long and painful process of natural birth, just stating things as is while providing insight on how to prepare for possible scenarios of natural birth (in a hospital).
This has been the book that (for me) clearly describes the whole process of childbirth from early labor, active labor, transition, pushing, until the few days postpartum. After reading this book, I feel prepared to have a meaningful conversation with my hospital midwive about the day I’ll go into labor.
At the end of the book, the author states the importance of being prepared for birth along four aspects: emotional, physical, intellectual, and social. And I think she had actually provided information on how to prepare along these four aspects throughout the book.
On the emotional aspect, the book emphasizes the importance of having faith in one’s own body, gives insight on how to eliminate fear during labor, etc.
On the physical aspect, it describes different birth positions, what physical activities to do to naturally induce labor, how contractions would feel like, etc.
On the intellectual aspect, it informs on the hormones and body parts that work at labor time, scenarios that could slow down labor and cause hospital staff to suggest intervention, different interventions and their pros and cons, etc.
On the social aspect, it suggests ways to build a supportive team around you for birth time, how to communicate with hospital staff that might not be on board with your choices, etc.
Overall, a very solid book to read to prepare for birth. I’d say you should ideally read this book before making and discussing your birth plan with a midwife or your doctor....more
I’m surprised this book is highly rated as it clearly is biased, even though it tries to present itself as objective by listing pros and cons, backingI’m surprised this book is highly rated as it clearly is biased, even though it tries to present itself as objective by listing pros and cons, backing up claims with literature, etc.
This book is good to get an overview of what birth intervention procedures are there, what the motivation for each procedure is, and criticizes how obstetricians tend to go for these interventions even when they can be avoided. The overall message is well-intended, but the delivery of the message is pretty harsh, borderlining fear-mongering, in my opinion. Also, it’s worth noting that this book is very American-centered and written in 1999. Some countries in Europe (as far as I know) are midwife-centered already when it comes to birth procedures, even in hospitals.
I did learn a few tips on how to prepare myself so as to minimize the need for intervention at birth, and at least got a picture of what intervention options are out there and why someone may or may not need them. I will say, if you ever read this book, do complement it with other resources on childbirth to balance your view on the topic....more
Ernestasia
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Books:
maternity
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