Birth As a Healing Experience: The Emotional Journey of Pregnancy Through Postpartum [Paperback]

Lois Halzel Freedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 1999

Birth as a Healing Experience: The Emotional Journey of Pregnancy Through Postpartum emphasizes and examines the emotional aspects of pregnancy and postpartum, presenting these periods as important opportunities for a woman's growth and healing from previous traumatic births or pregnancy losses. Midwives, childbirth educators, pregnant and postpartum women, women of childbearing age, and men will find that this book is unlike most others on pregnancy because it focuses on the healing potential in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum rather than on medical aspects. Women's stories illustrate how individuals deal with past experiences of grief and loss during pregnancy in a therapeutic setting.

Through Birth as a Healing Experience, you will discover a new model of childbirth preparation that empowers women and their partners for a fulfilling childbirth experience. You will also find that this essential book contains important information on supporting women during the postpartum period so you can provide the best services to your clients throughout the childbearing experience.

Addressing the importance of a woman's emotional well-being during the pregnancy and postpartum periods, the detailed case studies in this informative book will help you understand and learn from each topic. Birth as a Healing Experience offers you insightful discussions about:

• the number of cesarean sections performed in the United States
• the medical as well as psychological consequences of cesarean sections
• the many benefits of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)
• guidelines for VBAC and for attaining a fulfilling childbirth experience
• the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on the psychological development of women
• the importance of healing from past birth traumas and/or the early death of a mother to have a satisfying pregnancy and motherhood experience
  
  From this vital guide, you will understand how such issues as a previous traumatic birth, miscarriage, or your own early mother loss can have an effect on your pregnancy and postpartum periods. Birth as a Healing Experience emphasizes honoring the childbirth experience and focuses on the power of women supporting women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. From this intelligent book, you will find unique stories that will enhance the childbearing experience for you and your clients.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ms. Freedman's book gives insight into the emotions involved with pregnancy and loss. Her sensitivity and unique ability to draw out emotional road blocks pertaining to birth and guide women to a place of healing is a gift." -- Mary E. Baker, BSN, CNM, CCE, Certified Nurse Midwife at Wellesley Women's Care, Wellesley, Massachusetts

"This book creates a tender network of words for today's vulnerable new mother. Each woman reading it will surely feel kinship with those whose stories are told and be quite aware of the deep compassion resonating from every page." (Cathy Romeo, co-author, Ended Beginnings: Healing Childbearing Losses, Regional Coordinator, Women's Health Network, (A Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Federal Centers for Disease Control Program), Massachusetts) -- Cathy Romeo, co-author, Ended Beginnings: Healing Childbearing Losses, Regional Coordinator, Women's Health Network

From the Publisher

Understand the important opportunity for growth and healing that the pregnancy and postpartum periods offer!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (September 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560239409
• ISBN-13: 978-1560239406
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Emotions about our past influence our birth experiences, October 3, 2007

By 

Jeanette Mesite Frem "Mother, Childbirth Educ... (Boylston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Birth As a Healing Experience: The Emotional Journey of Pregnancy Through Postpartum (Paperback)

The author has provided expectant women with a window into their own thoughts as well as suggestions for how to help them enjoy their birth experience and weave it into their emotions as a positive experience. By allowing such a momentous occasion such as birth to awaken our inner thoughts, dreams and intense emotions about our past (and sometimes our relationships with our own mothers!), we are taken to a level where we can be renewed, in a sense. This book is straight-forward and uses examples to inspire. Many women go into late pregnancy with fear...this book helps them wade through that fear to the cause and helps them experience birth as an empowering (and sometimes forgiving) experience.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy should read this book., January 1, 2008

By 

S. K. Rosenwasser "Suz" (Sharon, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Birth As a Healing Experience: The Emotional Journey of Pregnancy Through Postpartum (Paperback)

Lois Freedman's book talks about a subject that is often missing from the masses of books on pregnancy out there: the emotional aspects of this most important time in a woman's life. For so many woman, being pregnant brings up fear and pain and yet this is never fully discussed with her health care providers or even her closest friends. For me, the section on mother-loss was especially important because I had lost my mother in my teens. I found the time of pregnancy and new mothering difficult even though I had great support from my husband, relatives and friends. Lois' book truly helped me to understand what I was going through and gave me suggestions for coping with my feelings and improving my experience.

Additionally, in a society in which women are supposed to feel exclusively excited and thrilled about pregnancy whether the birth goes as planned or is a nightmare- as long as the baby is okay- it is refreshing to read a book that proposes that we honor birth as a healing experience for the mother. Lois gives concrete suggestions and guidelines to help women have an emotionally fulfilling birth experience- I would suggest that health professionals utilize this section with all their pregnant clients.

4.0 out of 5 stars well researched, well written, and moving..., January 10, 2008

By 

Elizabeth J. Dichiara "Liz D." (Sharon, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Birth As a Healing Experience: The Emotional Journey of Pregnancy Through Postpartum (Paperback)

This book made remember the stark contrast between my "medical intervention" birth and the healing I felt giving birth naturally. The first one made me feel raped, the second made me feel like I'd run a marathon, and won.

I recommend this book to everyone who is pregnant or supporting someone who is pregnant.