Customer Reviews

The Legacy of Dr. Lamaze: The Story of the Man Who Changed Childbirth

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Through the excellent translation of Bruce Benderson comes this biography of Fernand Lamaze, written by his granddaughter who never knew him. Caroline Gutmann puts together an account of the life, work, and relationships of Lamaze through the use of family letters and papers. She uncovers the reasons why he sought to make childbirth less painful. Gutmann resists the temptation to sugarcoat Lamaze's weaknesses and failings, like keeping several mistresses despite his fairly happy marriage.

In l951 Lamaze traveled to Russia, where Soviet doctors proudly showed him their method of "psychoprophylactic" childbirth. He was impressed (although in the light of history, one has to wonder just how successful their methods were, as so much of Soviet science has since been discounted). Lamaze refined their technique and began teaching his preparation exercises to women in their last three months of pregnancy. On a personal note: I have experienced Lamaze births for three of my four children. I smile to note that what we were taught to call only "contractions", never "pains," are now referred to as "pains" by Lamaze trainers. Apparently during labor many women exclaimed, "Contraction? What do you mean? That was a PAIN!" My experiences were not painless, but I am thankful to Lamaze for his legacy of educating women about what happens during childbirth, and about safeguarding the health of their newborn by not using pharmaceutical painkillers during birth.

Gutmann writes in Gallic style, which may seem somewhat emotionally exaggerated and offputting to American readers, but her biography is a valuable contribution to the memory of a man who changed the way childbirth is accomplished for generations of women.