Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Rev.)

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I just don't understand all these reviews that says that Ms. Kitzinger hates men and doctors! I found nothing in her book hateful! She may be a tad pro-natural birth, but probably only because she had natural births herself. Honestly, I thought she was VERY unbiased. She presents all of your different options for location of birth, pain medication versus natural methods, waterbirth, etc., in a pretty neutral manner. And some of the things that she says about doctor's visits is VERY TRUE, such as the woman feeling like she's on the birth mill. I feel that way at regular doctor's appointments sometimes when I sit for 45 minutes and the doctor sees me for a hasty five minutes. Who doesn't feel like they are on a medical assembly line when this happens?

She also talks to you like you are a competent adult capable of making informed decisions instead of a drooling idiot, unlike SOME pregnancy and birth books (What to Expect When You're Expecting comes to mind.)

Oh, and by the way, for that reviewer down there who thinks that waterbirth is backwards and New-Agey and uncommon; I think you would be surprised to learn how many women from all walks of life are now choosing this method of birth. It's not just for hippies in tye-dyed clothing, like you seem to think it is. And it is very safe.

First-time mothers, if you want to know all your options and weigh the pros and cons of each choice you will have to make regarding pregnancy and birth, GET THIS BOOK. Also try Dr. Sears "The Birth Book". Pregnancy and birth are not diseases, and you ARE competent enough to make your own choices regarding them.

Enjoy your pregnancy and the birth of your baby!

Seven years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I came upon The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth with no particular expectations - I read it because I planned to read every pregnancy book I could get my hands on. Eventually I read twenty some pregnancy books, and I came to the realization that Ms Kitzinger's book is the best one.

I liked every book I read; they were all well written and informative, including What to Expect When You're Expecting, which some people don't seem to like. However, Ms Kitzinger's book stood out because her attitude came through the tone of the book. It is an attitude of respect, encouragement, and assurance. It made me feel good about being a woman, about being pregnant, and about giving birth. The entire tone of the book makes me think that childbirth is an awe-inspiring process to be enjoyed, not a painful ordeal to be dreaded.

I read the book 3 times during my first pregnancy; it felt like going to the best pregnancy counselor in the world. I was so comfortable reading it, it was like listening to a best friend, or a beloved grandmother who is full of wisdom and experience, but still thinks you are an intelligent young woman capable of making your own choice. (For this reason, I always think of Ms Kitzinger as "Sheila", but I don't call her that here out of respect.)

All the encouragement is done between the lines. Ms Kitzinger never throws trite lines around: "Birth is wonderful! You can do it!" And yet, she gets her message across beautifully. Ms Kitzinger is one of the few people I've encountered who is gifted at confidence-instilling. When I first realized the quality of this book, I read it carefully again, not only to solidify my pregnancy knowledge, but also to imitate this method of encouragement. I am a math teacher, and I wanted to use her method in my field - propaganda such as "Algebra is fun! You can do it!" hasn't been very effective. I've been somewhat successful, because one person said to me, "You are so warm and encouraging!" I never told her where I got it.

Another reviewer here said Ms Kitzinger is so much against hospital birth that it made her feel bad being a pregnant diabetic. There is a gross misunderstanding here; neither Ms Kitzinger, nor any other birth book I've ever read, make anybody feel bad about going to the hospital to have a baby, especially not when the pregnancy is high risk. Ms Kitzinger's exact statement is, "It is wise to consider hospital care if you have diabetes or a heart or kidney condition." (p.38) If you are in the high risk group, you need this book even more because you are facing far worse worries and fears than average.

In her book, Ms Kitzinger makes everybody feels good: if you are married, single, lesbian, or surrogate, she has a passage covering your needs, both physical and psychological. She goes in detail how to have a good relationship with your OB and an enjoyable hospital birth, or to use a birth center, or a midwife at home. She describes the various benefits and risks of different approaches, always making you feel that she is on your side and supportive of your choice, whatever it might be.

Besides her wonderfully warm approach, Ms Kitzinger's book has more important information and research results than any other birth book I've seen. That alone makes her book the best. She talks about things that can go wrong, such as miscarriages or baby deaths, with such compassion that I was never made to be excessively worried.

I felt so good about childbirth after reading her book that I decided to have my first baby at home, without a midwife. (Ms Kitzinger does NOT advocate or mention this option; it's all my idea.) I was in labor for 4 hours, my plumber husband caught the baby, and I needed no stitches afterwards. I had my second baby similarly after a one hour labor. Compare that to my mother, who labored 16 hours in the hospital and recited the painful details to me the whole time I was growing up.

You might think that I was just lucky. I was. I was lucky that Ms Kitzinger decided to write this book and I happened to bump into it. It enabled me to enjoy the most wonderful and glorious experience of my life. Get Ms Kitzinger's book and read it; you have the right, you have the privilege.

(Note: email me if you want to know the details of my unassisted births. But order Ms Kitzinger's book first!)

There are two kind of women out there: Those who want a traditional doctor who will "take care of everything for them" along with a traditional hospital birth with lots of medication options and an episiotomy, and those who want something more personal--who want their own body to do the work, who want help from experienced women and who want an intimate, memorable experience they can share with their partner. This is a book for the second type of woman. Those who are a little more, ahem, "traditional" should get "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (a book that I happen to think treats women like morons). "The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth" is an amazing, amazing book. It is so pro-family--talking about the importance of including husbands and even other family members if you should so choose. I am baffled by the anti-man comments in another review...this book is so incredibly pro-husband! In fact, it is my own husband's favorite pregnancy book. I'm also baffled by the criticism of waterbirth. Yes, the book does touch on waterbirth, which may sound strange to a middle-American, but is a very popular option in New York, San Francisco, Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle and other modern American cities--as well as a popular option in England, Canada, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, etc. That said, the book also objectively--Kintzinger does no bashing--discusses hospital-style procedures such as forcep deliver, episiotomy, epidurals, etc. Kitzinger is a big believer in having supportive, experienced, compassionate people around you, which is why she is such a fan of midwives, but she also discusses how to find such support in the hopsital among nurses and doctors.She even has pictures of a woman giving birth in a hospital using physical positions other than the flat-on-the-back position we all associate with hopsitals. As for the alcohol criticism, it's true. Kitzinger does say alcohol is okay in very small amounts. Before you get all hot and bothered, it's important to remember that Kitzinger is a European, a Brit. Having had personal, direct experience with French midwives, I know that not every country shares America's belief that women need completely abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Most European midwives and doctors do say small amounts of alcohol are safe once you're past the first trimester. (In fact, I was told by a French doctor to have one two three glasses of red wine each week to "strengthen my blood" and "raise my iron levels." So go figure.) As for alcohol units, an earlier reviewer's translation isn't quite correct: In Britain a unit isn't an entire glass of wine, bottle of beer, etc. It's more akin to a half-filled small wine glass...what would only be a few ounces. Something to think about before everyone starts witch hunting! It's important to remember that not everyone wants the kind of hopsital births their American mothers had--and to appreciate that there are terrific options out there for us all. This book is a godsend for those of us who prefer options!

I've read a lot of books about childbirth while preparing to give birth, and I got this one because my midwife specifically recommended I read "anything" by Sheila Kitzinger. Of all the books I've read, this one ranks as one of my two favorites.

I like the author's attitude about birth: it is a natural, normal physiological process in the overwhelming majority of cases, and should be treated as such.

The pros and cons of drugs and other interventions are also presented, and while Ms. Kitzinger is undoubtedly pro-natural, I really would not say she is anti-doctor (as some have claimed). She is anti-routine-intervention, and anti-unecessary-intervention, but otherwise I feel that she's simply presenting facts for readers to consider.

As the only way to make an intelligent, informed decision about your body and your experience of birth is to be informed, I feel this book goes a very long way toward providing necessary and helpful information to women and their partners.

I recntly attended a baby shower with three generations of woman who each have had several children. After talking with them and many elderly women in my community about pregnancy and childbirth, I feel incredibly luck to have this book available to me and other women in my generation. It was only a short itme ago when these women had no books to read about this subject and if they were lucky they had a pamflet giving the most juvenile and conservative information. During my own pregancy just one year ago I found this book to be the most helpful and validating to my own opinions.

I have read many books regarding getting pregnant like Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I have read books about being pregnant such as What to Expect When You are Expcting, The Complete Book to Pregnancy and Childbirth, and Your Pregnancy Week by Week.I of course have also read many books about parenting ranging from Dr.Sears Baby Book, Penelope Leach's Your Baby and Child to the Baby wise series and What to Expect the First Year and Toddler Years. All these books have valid points and intersting ideas. To be educated and well informed you need to read all sides, views and ideas!

Shelia does a wonderful job giving a well rounded scope of information pulling from all resources available. As an anthropologist or even if she were a doctor she gave us a knowledgable and well designed book reagring such a wonderful experience as preganacy and childbirth! I found it to always be my favorite general information book during my pregnancy.

When I became pregnant with my son, my cousin loaned me this book to read on pregnancy and childbirth. I loved the information that I gleaned. This information allowed me to make decisions on the kind of birth that I wanted. Although Ms. Kitzinger mentioned obstetritions and midwives as caregivers without too much bias either way, I decided to switch to a nurse-midwife halfway through because my desires were more in harmony with her philosophies. Due to this book, I was able to approach birth and labor without any fear and although the twelve hours of labor were hard, my drug-free birth was extremely rewarding. I didn't have an episiotomy, experienced only a small surface tear, and I was able to function without any pain after about three days. My recovery time was very fast and I felt so good. Knowledge is empowering. As for those people who have reviewed this book as extremely biased, well I doubt they have read anything except "What to Expect When You are Expecting". I assure you there are books so much more biased that you can consider Ms. Kitzinger's book more akin to an encyclopedia on pregnancy and childbirth. In response to a reviewer above a drug-free labor for many hours will not make you too tired to push. The urge to push is completely instinctive and it would require more strength not to push. I promise that a 15 centimeter head can fit through an opening that does have the ability to open more than 10 centimeters. Just to emphasize the point, my sister-in-law just delivered a 9 lb 4 oz. baby boy with a surface tear that only required four stitches. Just as Ms. Kitzinger suggests, our bodies are capable of childbirth without intervention and allowing the natural processes to occur, will in most cases, create a safe and extremely rewarding birth.

Being pregnant with my second child after 11 years, I am starting all over again. I have read plenty of books to help me overcome my fears and anxieties. This book was AMAZING, it took me through every fear and anxiety that I was facing. It also gave me much insite as to what to expect and look forward to, my fears have diminished and I am looking forward to my delivery. To me, all the other books couldn't compare to this one. The graphic illustrations and exceptionally informative information this book provides is a must read for any expectant mother. I recommend it 100%. I hate that I had to find it and read it so late in my pregnancy.

I bought this book for two reasons - one because it's on a list of required reading for a doula certification I'm currently working on and two because of all the great reviews on here. I can't say I was very impressed with the book overall though. There are parts that are pretty good - I liked the information on water births and I do like that overall the book it very pro-birth and pro-natural pain relief, etc. etc. However it also comes across as very biased to me and anti-men. And the information on alcohol was just disturbing and wrong.

I was also very disturbed when I read the section on diapering where she compared cloth to disposables - she states that women who use cloth change their babies less often and that therefore using disposables is better for the baby. This is such an absurd statement and shows that the author not only has no experience in using cloth diapers but obviously didn't even bother to talk to anyone that does. It's impossible to leave a child in a cloth diaper as long as one can in a disposable!! Independent research studies have shown that cloth diapers get changed on average 2 to 3 times MORE often then disposables. That section was so off-base that it made me wonder about the rest of the content.

After reading these reviews here I bought and read this book during the last 3 months of my first pregnancy. It lived up to my expectations and then some. The bonus was that my husband also got a lot out of it and he said he wished he had read it cover to cover much earlier. Note: he decided to start reading it while I was in the early stages of labor at home, he said the "cramming" helped him tremendously to be a better birth partner and I have to agree with him.
If you find many of the birth books out there a bit patronizing or superficial ("what to expect...") and if you want to consider alternative or natural options for birthing without having them shoved down your throat then this book is definitely for you.

For me it offered the perfect combination of information (detailed) and anecdotes so that it was fairly easy to read. Having said that, if you are looking for cute baby pictures and a "sound bite" style of writing then this may not be the book for you. It is for those that are willing to invest some time reading and thinking about how they want to manage their own pregnancy and birth experience. Some may find a few of the photos of women giving birth rather direct, but hey that is what childbirth looks like and it certainly helped me to deal with my fears and expectations about the event.

In the end I had a natural childbirth(on a birthing stool) that I felt in control of and would not have changed anything about. I am sure that my positive mindset had much to do with the preparation I did reading this book. If I have a second child I will pull this book out first and put away the others.

There is nothing man-hating (my husband would have picked up on that in a heartbeat) or anti-Dr about this book. She just presents the facts and information as they are without bias. The fact is that the rest of the developed world (outside the US) has significantly lower C-section rates, medicated birth rates etc... and just as low infant mortality rates so maybe we should listen up and learn something from our European friends?!

I have found this book helpful, though somewhat biased towards a natural birth. However, for anyone who read anything about this book prior to purchasing it, that should come as no real surprise. What I was surprised by was women's reactions to it:

First, I see no reason to argue that those who want a natural birth are not living in reality. I have not chosen to go that route, but I don't feel the need to belittle those who have.

Second, the fact that someone is up in arms because a book used the inclusive language "partner" is ludicrous. In case you did not realize it, this does not leave your husband out, nor does it demean his position. Your husband IS your partner (at least my husband is my partner, perhaps I don't understand the mechanics of your relationship) and for anyone who has felt belittled by the repeated use of the word "husband" in other books, this is a refreshing change.