The Home Birth Advantage [Paperback]

Mayer Eisenstein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0967044405 | ISBN-13: 978-0967044408 | Publication Date: February 1, 2000 | Edition: 2nd Rev

This book challanges America's traditional hospital based birth system, the system which has placed the United States at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations with regard to healthy babies and healthy mothers. Dr. Eisenstein explains that birth, for the majority of women, may even be safer without the routine hospital procedures: electronic fetal monitoring, episitomy, iv's, epidurals, etc.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

As I see it there is one major reason to choose home birth for your family. It will change so many other aspects for your life for the positive and affect so many decisions that you make. Childbirth at home is an event which strengthens all those who are privileged to experience it. It empowers the participants with knowledge that they can give birth and enjoy it!!

From the Back Cover

It is so exciting that any couple thinking of having a baby can read about Dr. Mayer Eisenstein's work as Director of the nation's largest home birth medical practice. Dr. Eisenstein has implemented a proven safe plan for home birth appropriate for all women who are pregnant and in good health, regardless of age or past childbirth experiences.

The Home Birth Advantage sets down a completely new birthing system for Americans - a complete system with a name, a philosophy, a structure and an implementation expressed in a winning spirit so appealing to Americans.

Our present birthing system has plunged America to last place among the top twenty industrial nations as a place where healthy mothers can give birth to healthy babies. Healthy women can no longer expect the safe birth of their children within this unsafe system. They need The Home Birth Advantage now!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Cmi; 2nd Rev edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967044405
• ISBN-13: 978-0967044408
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #941,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where are the midwives?, October 24, 2000

By 

"pamelabirthjunkie" (Salem, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Home Birth Advantage (Paperback)

I can wholeheartedly appreciate Dr. Eisenstein's account of how hospitals and most obstetricians in our country have caused more harm than good to mothers and babies during birth - however...

I did not see one account of homebirth midwives in his book. It is very rare to have physicians attending homebirths - I believe that Dr. Eisenstein's practice the only one of its kind - and most homebirths in the US today are attended by midwives - both Certified Nurse Midwives and direct-entry midwives. Why does he not mention them in this book? Did I miss this reference?

By reading this book, one would assume that homebirth is only safe with a physician in attendance. This is absolutely not true. I would have loved to see more references to midwives, specifically journal articles and statistics that show that homebirth with midwives (and quite possibly physicians) are as safe, if not safer, than hospital births.

Illinois is a very hostile state to homebirth midwives. I would hope that Dr. Eisenstein and his partners are helping homebirth midwives (edited to confirm that NO they are NOT). If not, I would strongly encourage them to remember that midwives are the main reason why homebirth is so nationally recognized and available for most American women. Support of their practices, efforts, and legalization is needed! We cannot continue to criminalize women who are skilled at helping women and providing a safe, reasonable alternative to insitutional childbirth!

Above all, the message that homebirth is safe is great, but it's erroneous to assume that homebirth is only safe with a physician in attendance. I would trust the loving, educated, and skillful care of a midwife for any homebirth.

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where is the bibliography?, September 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Home Birth Advantage (Paperback)

I became quite frustrated with this book after a few chapters. Dr. Eisenstein must have plenty of experience to draw on, and must know the homebirth medical literature, but his book reads like a series of assertions with no hard evidence to back it up - no references to specific studies, statistics, etc. Also, his practice is one in which medical doctors attend homebirths. That is not an option in my area, though highly qualified Certified Nurse Midwives are. I did not find it very helpful to me in considering a homebirth with a CNM - not to mention in helping me prove to my near and dear that there is scientific evidence that homebirth is safe! Back to the medical journals and midwife websites...

28 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Worst Homebirth Book Ever, November 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Home Birth Advantage (Paperback)

This book and the Chicago based homebirth practice are insane! Yes, it does give great insights to the advantages of homebirth, and I am a strong supporter of homebirth however Dr. Eisenstein's practice is totally nuts! You might as well have your baby at a hospital because he's just bringing it to you. I don't know about you but bringing all that medical equiptment into my house would really hinder my birth experience, and with homebirth, that's what we want to get away from, right? This book completly ousts what homebirth is meant to be.