Customer Reviews

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

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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!

I gave birth years ago and this book was ESSENTIAL in making my second birth experience a joy and a high as opposed to my first experience in which I tried to please the doctor and ended up paying a heavy price.
I owe such a debt of gratitude to Judith Herzfeld. I bless her, wherever she is now!