Sense and Sensibility in Childbirth: A Guide to Supportive Obstetrical Care [Paperback]

Judith Herzfeld (Author), Patricia Cobb (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An honest, balanced view of what goes on ... at birth." -- Niels H. Lauersen, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., author of Childbirth With Love

"An important, clear, eminently readable, empowering and just plain good book." -- Nancy Wainer Cohen, co-author of Silent Knife

"Much needed guidance for women in labor...absolutely persuasive...respectful throughout of the help that medical care can give -- but adamant about its proper place... an important contribution." -- Kirkus Review

"Offers important information not available in other books...Those who will particularly benefit from this book are the professionals -- physicians, midwives, childbirth educators and maternity nurses." -- Penny Simkin, co-author of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn

"The best book on the subject." -- Femmy DeLyser, author of Jane Fonda's Workout Book for Pregnancy, Birth and Recovery

About the Author

This book was written at the urging of pregnant colleagues when the author was a faculty member of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics of The Harvard Medical School. The author is currently Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at Brandeis University.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc (March 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393303810
• ISBN-13: 978-0393303810
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,395,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So much good info packed into one inexpensive little book!, January 13, 2000

By 

E. Sullivan "Question everything!" (NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sense and Sensibility in Childbirth: A Guide to Supportive Obstetrical Care (Paperback)

This little book is a gem! It's very affirming of looking at OB care from -both- perspectives: sense(logic) and sensibility (feelings). That's a refreshing difference, and validates women's ways of knowing what is right for them. The information given on OB interventions is accurate and direct without apologies-- for instance, "The smorgasbord in obstetrics is largely illusory because one or two choices can determine the rest of the menu," and "Oxytocic drugs do not produce a normal active labor. Even if the drug is chemically indistinguishable from the oxytocin your body generates, it is introduced in a manner totally different from the way your body would produce it." There are hundreds of other simple, direct statements of fact here, debunking OB myths one after the other-- testimony to the author's stated philosophy that 'it is disrespectful and unethical for anyone to intervene between an adult woman and her conscience.' Two sections near the back warrant particular notice. One, 'Guardian Angel or Knight on a High Horse,' gives some examples of good and cautionary signs concerning OB providers' philosophies. Dr. Knight thinks his job is to rescue damsels in distress from the dragons of birth, and some typical responses are given to illustrate that point in direct comparison to a more positive philosophy which respects birth and women's bodies. ("I only do X when X is necessary" type answers, instead of a more helpful answer such as a percentage to estimate how often he actually does X.) 'A Mother's Labor & Delivery Repertoire' is -the- first place I've seen women given permission to be genuinely uncommunicative during labor. "You should not try, and others should not ask you, to engage in debate during labor," the author rightfully notes. The repertoire list for laboring women to use as they wish includes silence when they don't feel like talking, 'Maybe later,' 'Stop,' 'Go away,' 'I'm going to...,' 'Because,' and 'I just do/don't.' Emphatically restricted are 'May I...?' and 'Can I...?' I love putting these empowering tools in the hands of pregnant women, and I now give a copy of this book to every woman in my childbirth classes. Highly recommended!