Birth Models That Work [Paperback]

Robbie E. Davis-Floyd (Editor), Lesley Barclay (Editor), Jan Tritten (Editor), Betty-Anne Daviss (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520258916 | ISBN-13: 978-0520258914 | Publication Date: April 6, 2009 | Edition: 1

This groundbreaking book takes us around the world in search of birth models that work in order to improve the standard of care for mothers and families everywhere. The contributors describe examples of maternity services from both developing countries and wealthy industrialized societies that apply the latest scientific evidence to support and facilitate normal physiological birth; deal appropriately with complications; and generate excellent birth outcomes--including psychological satisfaction for the mother. The book concludes with a description of the ideology that underlies all these working models--known internationally as the midwifery model of care.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Recommended."--Choice

From the Inside Flap

"This book is a major contribution to the global struggle for control of women's bodies and their giving birth and should be read by all obstetricians, midwives, obstetric nurses, pregnant women and anyone else with interest in maternity care. It documents the worldwide success of programs for pregnancy and birth which honor the women and put them in control of their own reproductive lives."--Marsden Wagner, MD, author of Born In The USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (April 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520258916
• ISBN-13: 978-0520258914
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Global Celebration of Birth!, May 18, 2010

By 

Jordan C. Levinson (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Birth Models That Work (Paperback)

At first glance, Birth Models That Work looks like a hefty academic volume, but don't let the charts and endnotes throw you: this is an inspiring, highly readable collection of cutting-edge research. Published in 2009 by editors Robbie Davis-Floyd, Lesley Barclay, Betty-Anne Davis, and Jan Tritten, Birth Models is a holistic take on what mother-baby wellness can look like in a variety of settings, from an advanced Dutch midwifery practice to a tiny Samoan birth center.
Here in the U.S., laboring women suffer as they are subordinated to technology. In the developing world, laboring women suffer because they cannot access this technology. Women and babies become casualties of broken systems. But these authors have proved it: there are systems that work, all over the world. This is why Birth Models is a crucial book, right now.
The authors, all highly accomplished academics and clinicians, spanned the globe researching and interviewing a panoply of sources. Because of their attention--obviously a labor of love, so to speak--each chapter is rich with a variety of voices: midwives, doctors, policymakers, and, of course, mothers and families themselves. Some of the stories come from wealthy countries, some from the poorest corners of the globe, but all are impeccably studied and vividly told.
There is the maternity home in Japan where women get exams, give birth, and come back for cooking classes - and the midwife lives upstairs. There is the freestanding birthing center in Lichfield, U.K., where the atmosphere is so warm that midwives themselves liken their work environment to "their favorite chocolate bar," because they just can't get enough. Then there is the unstoppable team in Porto Alegre, Brazil: a midwife, doula, and "awakened" obstetrician, attending births wherever women choose. With this type of innovation happening all over the world, none of us can dismiss the situation as impossible.
Birth Models that Work is a celebration of successes, but also a plea for change. The idea behind the book is simple: show us small worlds where women come first, where real science and compassion to take the place of fear, and we can start to ask for more. We can replicate these systems, adapt them to new contexts, and begin to right the wrongs that birthing women bear.
Overwhelmingly, upon reading each chapter, this goal just seems so attainable. Women all over the world can have safe, healthy, and positive births, today. The editors of Birth Models that Work realize that airtight research can be a powerful tool of protest, and these authors did theirs mindfully and with great heart. But you don't need to be an academic or an activist to appreciate this work; you just need to share a reverence for birth, a passion for other cultures, and an inkling that things could be better for women in this world.

--Jordan Levinson