An obstetrical nurse who spent nearly a decade working on labor and delivery wards, a childbirth instructor, a mother of two, and now a registered doula (a type of birth attendant), Susan L. Diamond has an unmatched perspective on the impact of modern medicine on the process of birth. Hard Labor reveals the triumphs and tragedies that fill labor and delivery wards.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In prose that is frequently riveting and always interesting, Diamond, a childbirth instructor and obstetrical nurse, details the 10 years she spent as a labor and delivery nurse. According to the author, the joyful experience of having a baby that should be the right of parents and families is frequently destroyed by a medical system that brutalizes mothers giving birth. In both military and civilian hospitals where Diamond worked, it was routine to invade a normal expectant mother's body with unnecessary IVs, fetal monitors, oxygen masks and catheters, and to perform painful episiotomies. Although these procedures are rationalized by doctors as preventative medicine, Diamond believes they are done for the convenience of physicians rather than for the well-being of delivering mothers. After struggling for years to provide pregnant women with humane prenatal nursing care, Diamond finally left the hospital system and now lobbies for home births. Doubleday Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Readers expecting yet another condemnation of American obstetrical practices will instead find that Diamond provides an emotional account of the ups-and-down of life as a labor and delivery nurse. This is a vivid portrait of nurse burnout, an all-too-frequent occurrence in a profession where difficult life-and-death decisions are part of the job. Diamond does show faults in the system, but because most of the cases she describes involve high-risk patients, she is also showing much that is very right. Her biggest complaint seems to be insensitivity on the part of her co-workers, yet her inability to cope offers clues to the reasons for that insensitivity. Diamond tells a moving story that leaves us hoping that should we find ourselves in the hospital we would have a nurse with Diamond's compassion. For academic and public libraries.?KellyJo Houtz Griffin, Auburn, Wash.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling read for anyone interested in L & D,
By M. Lopez (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hard Labor: Reflections of an Obstetrical Nurse (Paperback)
As an aspiring doula, I was captivated by Hard Labor. I especially enjoyed reading about the events that led her to become an obstetrical nurse. As I am facing a similar journey, I was fascinated by her description of the duties and demands facing ob nurses today.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Resource-Language Concerns,
By A Customer
This review is from: Hard Labor (Hardcover)
As I read the first sentence of the third paragraph of the preface, I almost didn't read the book. My intentions on pursuing a career as a L&D Nurse were "out of a naive enthusiasm over the process of birth after I delivered my own two children." I thought I didn't need to read anymore. But I did and I am very grateful. I have some guidance now and information that has been extremely helpful. I would encourage anyone desiring to pursue this field to read this book. It has given me tremendous insight as a mother for my next delivery and some alternatives as well. My concerns are for the language of the book. I felt as though the swearing and crude descriptions were completely inappropriate. There was no need to use such expletives so often. Other than that, it was an excellent book. Due to the language, which was my ONLY complaint, this book was awesome (thus, only 4 stars)! A must read for every aspiring L&D Nurse and Mothers everywhere looking to become more educated!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!,
This review is from: Hard Labor: Reflections of an Obstetrical Nurse (Paperback)
This is the first book in a long time that I've read cover to cover. Very engaging and exactly what I was looking for as I am 7 months pregnant and expecting a hospital birth this time. I was feeling quite adversarial toward the medical establishment and this book put it all in perspective, I now have much sympathy for the nurses and doctors. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to have a nurse as involved as Susan.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
