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The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth [Paperback]

Henci Goer , Rhonda Wheeler
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (239 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 1, 1999
As an intelligent woman, you are probably used to learning as much as you can before making major decisions. But when it comes to one of the most important decisions of your life--how you will give birth—it is hard to gather accurate, unbiased information. Surprisingly, much of the research does not support common medical opinion and practice.

Birth activist Henci Goer gives clear, concise information based on the latest medical studies. The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth helps you compare and contrast your various options and shows you how to avoid unnecessary procedures, drugs, restrictions, and tests. The book covers:

  • Cesareans
  • Breech babies
  • Inducing labor
  • Electronic Fetal Monitoring
  • Rupturing Membranes
  • Coping with slow labor
  • Pain medication
  • Epistiotomy
  • Vaginal birth after a Ceasarean
  • Doulas
  • Deciding on a doctor or midwife
  • Choosing where to have your baby
  • and much more . . .

Frequently Bought Together

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth + Ina May's Guide to Childbirth + The Birth Partner, Third Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions (Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, &)
Price for all three: $42.33

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"*The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth* puts the power of the latest scientific research into the hands of women to help them discern the facts from the myths and make informed decisions about their maternity care." -- Maureen P. Corry, M.P.H. Executive Director, Maternity Center Association

"In Henci Goer, thinking women have a champion, and maternity caregivers have a challenger. Henci has applied her impressive intellect, wisdom, writing skills, common sense, and wit to produce *The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth*. She analyzes and makes sense of a prodigious amount of recent obstetric research, boils it down, and summarizes its findings. And, on the basis of these findings, she makes practical recommendations for better births. Not one to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, Henci lets the reader in on her whole thinking process, providing scientific references, summaries of the articles, and logical recommendations--all in a highly readable, user-friendly format." -- Penny Simkin, P.T. internationally known speaker, birth educator, doula, doula-trainer co-author of *Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn* and author of *The Birth Partner*

"With the help of this book, any intelligent person can obtain the information necessary to make informed choices. This unique book will provide the tools and confidence to have the best possible birth experience." -- Don Creevy, M.D., FACOG obstetrician-gynecologist Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford University Medical School

About the Author

Henci Goer is a certified Lamaze instructor and a doula (professional labor support). She is a founding member of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, a group made up of organizations and individuals involved with maternity care in the US and fighting for a mother-friendly childbirth environment. Her articles on pregnancy and childbirth have appeared in Readers Digest and Childbirth Instructor Magazine. For twenty years, Goer has been a Lamaze-certified childbirth educator and labor support professional (doula).

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1 edition (August 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0399525173
  • ISBN-13: 978-0399525179
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (239 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Henci Goer specializes in birth issues. Her previous book, Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities, is a highly-acclaimed resource for childbirth professionals. Goer has written consumer education pamphlets and numerous articles for magazines as diverse as Reader's Digest and Childbirth Instructor. For nearly 20 years, Goer has been a Lamaze-certified childbirth educator and labor support professional (doula).

Customer Reviews

I would recommend EVERY woman read this book. K. Peterson  |  37 reviewers made a similar statement
This is a great and very informative book. B. Callender  |  41 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
209 of 219 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Full of Important Information for Birthing Couples July 31, 2001
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the best book I've ever seen in regards to condensing current research on childbirth into readable and understandable terms. The author gives clear and concise descriptions of various OB procedures and interventions that are easy to follow. She gives pros and cons of each [working within her own bias, which she does freely admit]. I think this would be an excellent book for any couple expecting an uncomplicated birth to read. This is information that every pregnant woman *should* have access to in order to make good decisions.

However, there is definitely an anti-OB bias [which the author admits] and this isn't a book designed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about a hospital birth. Be aware of that going into this - the author raises very important but possibly disturbing points for those planning a hospital birth with an Obstetrician in attendance.

My only dissappointment with the book is that there was no chapter on assisted delivery [vacuum cap and forceps]. I would very much have liked to see a chapter on the pros and cons of these common procedures and their safety for mother and baby. There is only one page that has a small bit of information on this, but no extensive discussion or gathering of the research data available. It seems a glaring omission from an otherwise excellent and complete book.

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116 of 126 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Information- A Few Drawbacks June 8, 2003
Format:Paperback
Although I expected a natural birth perspective (which I share), I was disappointed in the book's overwhelmingly negative tone toward OB's. I would have prefered a balanced, relatively objective discussion. I expected it from a book called The Thinking Womans Guide.... If the stats are so glaring, a balanced discussion is better than dogmatics.

This is an excellent book for those who have decided to give birth naturally. It is not one to recommend to friends to help them make the decision about their birth. It will turn many women off. A better book for an introduction to the benefits of natural birth and the drawbacks of managed care is Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkin.

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43 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Important Information, highly recommended October 22, 2003
By Erka16
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a first time mom, I was somewhat scared about going through chilbirth. As far as talking to my mom about my fears was useless because I was adopted, and talking to my aunts just made me more scared. So I decided to purchase "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Child Birth" by Henci Goer.

Now to be honest with you, this book didn't put most of my fears to rest, instead it made some things about childbirth more scary. After thinking about most of the stuff that scared me I relized that what was so scary was the fear of the unknown.

However, Goer presents a somewhat biased opinion(she even admitts it). The information that she presents is comprehensive and well supported, the appendices accounts for about a third of the reading volume of the book which includes Literature Summaries and an extensive bibliography.

Goer presents information on the following topics: cesareans, inducing labor, IVs, epidurals, home births, midwives and obstetricans, hospital births, birth centers, and alternatives to hi-tech birth. Most of the information that she presents on the before mentioned topics will not be mentioned by your OB/GYN.

I highly recommend this book as a tool to compare and contrast information and your options for childbirth. You may not agreee with everything that Goer says but it is good to know all of the information and make a decision that is both beneficial to your baby and to yourself.

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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars truely the "thinking" woman's guide--the best ! November 9, 1999
Format:Paperback
Henci's easy reading style enhances the facts that she presents to the "thinking" woman who is thankfully searching for the safe satisfying birth she knows she wants. The set up of the information is logical and easy to follow. I am just disappointed that Ms. Goer has not written a thinking woman--guide to pregnancy. I see so many woman reading the standard "What to expect... and come in with ridiculous questions--too many holes and too general a guide. The field of obstetrics needs to be based on proven evidence and Ms. Goer gives the birthing mom her guide to these facts--empowering her with every word. I cannot thank her enough for helping us with our quest for normal birth!
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36 of 41 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Important, non-patronizing information for birth September 19, 2001
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
After I read this book I wondered if birth in U.S. hospitals is really as badly mis-managed as Henci Goer says so I chcked some of her claims in the Medline database of medical journal literature. It turns out Goer has really done her research and according to the medical literatre (which Dr.s presumably should be reading) she is absolutely right. OBs in the U.S are trained to intervene in births when nothing is actually going wrong yet, and these needless interventions frequently cause unnessessary complications for mother and baby. The research indicates that a hands-off approach leads to the best outcomes as long as there is no clear need for medical intervention. This is a lesson the U.S. medical profesion is having a hard time learning. They are trained to do somethng not just wait, even when waiting would be more beneficial.

If every pregnant woman had the information in this book instead of simply trusting doctors to do the right thing it would lead to drastic improvements in U.S. health care for labor and birth.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in natural childbirth and consequences and choices about a medicated birth. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Lorry Hipps
4.0 out of 5 stars Insight Reading.
Great for those who would like to go with natural birth. The author has made this book an easy read by explaining medical terms and their pros and cons in the most comprehensive... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Mrs Bear
3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but very biased
I read this book with the intention of having a natural birth, however I was frustrated by how obviously biased the author is. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Pregnant Woman Needs This Info
Mainstream media wants to portray birth as some strenuous painful event that should take place in a hospital. Read more
Published 1 month ago by SunpatchGallery
5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource
This is an excellent book that was recommended by a mid-wife. I am a nurse practitioner who does not practice in women's health/ob/gyn so this was very helpful as it brought forth... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rebecca
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous reference resource
This is not the best book to read straight through unless you're already a birth junkie. However, it is a GREAT reference resource. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Emily Moothart
2.0 out of 5 stars Informative... Sort of.
While this book raises quite a few good points, some of the suggestions in it seem dangerous to me. "Refuse ultrasounds to date the pregnancy and assign a due date" Are you... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lea Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
Henci Goer writes this book in a way that is very easy to read and understand. This book is full of great information from pregnancy to cesarean sections and what all is involved... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Blysareus
5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear and unbiased guide from an obgyn
I was recommended this book from another AP mama and I was so happy I bought it. It clearly lists all the possible methods of birth with accompanying statistics of complications. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Olga Plyushchay
3.0 out of 5 stars It's Okay
This book didn't keep my attention as well as other birth books. If it would have been the only book birth I had it would have been great. The Birth Book by Dr. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Donna Garnett
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