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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:
"...based on the latest medical studies and literature, provides clear, concise information on tests, procedures, and treatments...covers cesareans, ultrasound, inducing labor, IVs, epidurals, episiotomies, midwives, & much more."
Anonymous
Posted August 3, 2004
I wish every pregnant couple, whether it's their first child or 7th, whether they are hoping for a home birth or plan on a traditional medicated hospital birth, whether high risk or low, would read this book. I teach Bradley Method Childbirth with an emphasis on current research rather than any kind of dogma, and I find this book invaluable. It's written for the layperson, with pros and cons listed for each common obstetric practice, plus thorough bibliographies. Although Bradley Method urges unmedicated births, my main wish as a teacher is that every couple find within themselves the power to take control of their own research and subsequent decisions concerning the health of mom and baby, regardless of whether I and/or their doctor, midwife, mother-in-law, etc. fully agree with them. This book will help them do that. Lots of moms choose epidurals, episiotomies, or even elective Cesareans, and I have no right as an outsider to question their decisions. I do think, however, that they deserve all the facts so that they can agree to undergo a procedure or take a drug with full knowledge of all its risks and benefits. It's common, though not ubiquitous, for true informed consent to be glossed over in medical settings, and parents have to take responsibility for finding out all the relevant information. My only complaint about this book is that it focuses on the mom's experience and slightly downplays the father's, but it won't be overly distracting to the average dad. And that doesn't affect the quality of the research that went into the book. This is an absolute must-read.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 6, 2010
This is a great book if you purchase it as a paperback and not an ebook. The ebook is missing 87 pages
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 14, 2005
Excellent material for the woman who chooses to make intellegent decisions regarding herself and her baby. Informed consent isn't good enough, informed CHOICE is what we need, Henci Goer can facilitate your sense of self responsibility.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 27, 2004
Don't have your baby until you read this book! Whatever procedures you plan on having, or not having, this book will tell you what's what. You'll never be able to say 'I would never have done that if I had knows this was a possible result'. This book can help you have a healthier baby and a healthier happier birth.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 13, 2004
This book is the greatest! I received a lot of information that is so useful in the practical approach to child birth. I will be having my second child in a couple of months, and I see now what went wrong last time. After reading this book I am confident that I will indeed go natural this time. I also am able to deal with the problems I had last time much better thanks to this book. So much better than another book I just read. I just finished another book 'Husband Coached Birth' by Bradley. If you want to know what the real story is read this book. If you want to know what labor was like in about 1940, read the one by Bradley.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 26, 2004
This book was recommended to me by my lamaze instructor before my first child. I read it through twice before the birth of my first child, once again before the birth of my second child and made my husband read it to! I was so happy to have someone explain the the true risks and rewards of each aspect of childbirth. I am in general suspicious of too much medical intervention, and this book helped to educate me on things that the OB/GYN takes for granted. I elected to still have my children in the hospital, but with the help of this book, found the strength of will to avoid drugs, c-sections, inductions and episiotomies...and had two wonderfully healthy baby girls to show for it! I recommend this book to everyone I know, even if they are sure they want an epidural. Knowledge is powerful!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 4, 2004
This book is FANTASTIC!! I recommend it to EVERY pregnant woman! Henci Goer has taken decades of scientific studies, boiled them down to the truth and made it easy to read. It is very user friendly, including sections on each intervention reveiwed by the individual studies and she covers the studies themselves- what her standards for inclusion in her review were and how they break down. The studies (all published in medical journals) are included at the back of the book. It is a MUST read for anyone who thinks they know what is the safest way to have a baby, have an epidural or have a c-section. I thought I was well-informed before I read this book, now I understand there is so much that individual obstetricians and ACOG intentionally hide from women. Take back your birth! Educate yourself and make truly informed decisions.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 19, 2003
This is a wonderful book because Henci Goer is honest and thorough in her presentation of the facts. Every fact she introduces she backs up with the actual study in the back of the book. This makes this a great book for men who 'need the proof.' I am a mother of four and currently expecting my fifth and have walked a long journey from highly medicated, dangerous, hospital births to quiet, peaceful, sacred home births. I have experienced much sadness and anger at having my birthing rights removed from me in a hostile hospital environment, and have experienced the triumph of laboring in my own home, protecting those rights and choices, and delivering my sweet baby into my husband's hands. I urge all first time expecting mothers and fathers and those who are not first timers, but unhappy with their past experiences, to give their next delivery as much thought, planning, and research as they would for a home or car purchase!! This is the perfect book for expectant mothers to read because it will tell them the FACTS that their precious OB will never tell them. This book will open your eyes wide about the dangerous hospital protocols that are 'standard' in nearly every hospital in America and explain how the majority of all 'things that go wrong' in a typical hospital birth can be directly linked to unnecessary medical intervention. If you are really serious about having a healthy and happy labor/delivery for yourself and your baby then this book should be the first you pick up!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 16, 2001
I got this book while in my 8th month of pregnancy. It totally turned my views and misconceptions about childbirth upside down. In my 9th month, I fired my doctor who was not willing to cooperate with me on the way I wanted MY birth to go, and hired a midwife and had a wonderful, comfortable birth at home. Even if you're already sure you want a hospital birth, this book can help you have a more satifying one by revealing the truth about epidurals,cesarians, VBACS, episiotomies, IVs, breeches, inductions and more. This book is for anyone who is pregnant or plans to be pregnant soon and wants be educated on how birth was really designed to happen. This book isn't like all the other books that tell you just enough to make you THINK you are informed. This is the real scoop!!! Whether the doctors want to admit it, you are a paying costomer and deserve a satisfying birth that goes the way YOU decide. A birthing woman's knowledge really is power!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 4, 2001
If you're just beginning to think about hospital alternatives for your childbirth, this is THE best place to start. Factual, scientific, very lay-person friendly reading - without being harshly radical, as are most 'alternative birth' books. Gives a very balanced perspective, citing studies and research, on the safety of out-of-hosital birthing choices. Also, gives extensive information about 'routine' procedures in hospital births, with costs and benefits of each. I bought this book to help educate my husband on the risks of hospital births and the safety of birth centers and home births. Up to then, he was convinced, via 'common knowledge,' that the hospital is the safest place to do anything. Months later, we are now planning a home birth.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 7, 2013
Henci Goer does a fabulous job of breaking down many birthing choices into factual pros and cons. Great book for all birthing prefs. Be informed no matter what you choose, know the pros and cons, and have back up plans. Whether you want a natural/medicated birth, this book can help you explore the different ways of getting there.
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Posted September 7, 2012
Easy-to-read information, backed with verifiable medical studies, about common childbirth practices in the US. A definite must-read for all pregnant women; take this book to your next OB appointment!
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Posted April 20, 2009
Henci Goer offers a lot of information in her book, but she most certainly has an agenda and no problems feeding on a pregnant woman's anxiety to get the result she wants.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 25, 2002
I bought this book for what it was written for but I found that the author was very negative and shaded the topics to suit her opinions. I am currently expecting my 4th child so am fairly well informed and have experience with hospital births. I'm not sure what part of the country she has had her experiences with but the 3 hospitals where I have had my birth experiences (all in New England) have not been as she described..in fact have been very liberal and accomodating. I am afraid that a first time expectant mother will not only get a one-sided view of hospital births when reading this book, but also be scared unnecessarily.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 2, 2010
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Posted December 25, 2009
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Posted September 22, 2010
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Posted August 24, 2010
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Posted December 29, 2009
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Posted May 7, 2009
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Overview
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 ...