carneys_ID's Full Review: William Sears and Martha Sears - The Birth Book: E...
At 29 weeks pregnant with my third child, labor and delivery are much on my mind lately. I'm still deciding what I do and don't want this time. Luckily, I stumbled across The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth by Dr William and Martha Sears a few months ago.
Qualifications
So, what makes this married couple qualified to write a book about childbirth? Aside from being the parents of eight children, Dr William Sears was trained in the largest children's hospital in the world and has been a respected pediatrician for roughly thirty years. Martha Sears is a registered nurse, certified childbirth educator, and a breastfeeding consultant. You can find more information about the Sears' at their website (but only after you read this review!), address at the end of this review.
Nuts and Bolts
The Birth Book opens with a word from Dr Bill and his wife, Martha, explaining the premise of this book - which is to empower you in your choices for the labor and birth of your child. Having been published in 1994, I feel reassured that the medical information they offer isn't much out of date and that allows me to make an informed choice.
The Birth Book is divided into three main sections: Preparing for Birth, Easing Pain in Labor, and Experiencing Birth. Each section contains several chapters related to it's heading, which I'll briefly outline here:
Part I: Preparing for Birth
Chapter 1: Our Birth Experiences - What we have learned
Chapter 2: Birth - Then and Now
Chapter 3: Choices in Childbirth
Chapter 4: Getting Your Body Ready for Birth
Chapter 5: Tests, Technology, and Other Interventions that Happen on the Way to Birth
Chapter 6: Cesarean Births
Chapter 7: VBAC - Yes You Can!
Part I is by far the longest section of this book, which makes sense as your pregnancy will take 10 long months and labor is a (relatively) short few hours. Covered here is the personal experiences of the Sears' and their eight births (from a fully knocked out birth to Dr Bill catching his own baby at home with no intervention), the history of birth (a fascinating section on the transition from home to hospital births), all the way to vaginal births after a previous cesarean section.
Part II: Easing Pain in Labor
Chapter 8: Why Birth Hurts
Chapter 9: Relaxing for Birth
Chapter 10: Easing Birth Pains - How the Doctor Can Help
This is the most well-thumbed section in my copy of The Birth Book, and the one which triggered my need to own it. The explanation of pain and the pain circle in labor is complex, yet made easily understandable. As a mother with two births "under my belt", I find the observations of pain and fear to be right on the mark. This section also offers advice on how to break the pain/fear cycle.
The Sears' do advocate one childbirth method over any other. The Bradley Method of Husband Coached Childbirth is well covered in this book, from "Relax, Release, Open" to some alternative birthing scenarios and positions. To read more about the Bradley Method, pick up the book by Dr Bradley entitled Husband-Coached Childbirth or Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon.
Part III: Experiencing Birth
Chapter 11: Best Birth Positions
Chapter 12: Labor and Delivery
Chapter 13: Composing Your Birth Plan
Chapter 14: Birth Stories
You don't have to give birth flat on your back with your feet in the stirrups. In this section, The Birth Book covers some alternative birthing positions (squatting, kneeling, even water birth), as well as the signs and symptoms of early labor and how to cope and what to do (sleep!).
My favorite part here is the section containing real birth stories. For some reason, us women just can't seem to help ourselves and we just have to share our own labor and delivery experiences. From the total medical intervention birth to a husband coached and caught delivery, they are fourteen stories with a small comment section from the authors after each.
Applying My Own Experiences
With both my previous deliveries, I was ready for that medical helping hand as soon as it was offered - but more so with my first child as I had no idea what was in store for me, no matter how many Lamaze classes I attended. After two not so great experiences with an epidural and one scary vacuum extraction, I find myself now looking for something different... Something more. While I had already focused on the Bradley Method as desirable, reading The Birth Book only helped cement my decision. God-willing, I'll be able to apply what I've read here to have the birth I really want.
Cons
The drawings in The Birth Book do leave a bit to be desired. The ideas discussed are portrayed as simple pencil sketches that are effective in getting the point across, but it would have been nice to see actual photos of women in the discussed stage of labor and delivery and how she was using each point of relaxation. After all, this really is a "How-To" book!
I would also liked to have more in-depth information on the Bradley Method and exactly what to do when (my Lamaze class 5 years ago coming back to haunt me?) rather than the advice offered: To Do What Feels Right At The Time. Granted, I'm rather hard pressed to state exactly what it is I want to be different, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Overall, The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth showcases the benefits of natural childbirth. While not exactly scare tactics, the bad side of the medical interventions available are made quite clear. You may think twice after reading the section on epidurals and their side effects and potential problems! It begins the teaching of relaxation techniques that really work in labor (I used them without knowing it in my second labor before consenting to the epidural).
Web Links
While it would be best to use this book, as well as the others I've mentioned throughout this review, in conjunction with a Bradley Method childbirth class, it's not always available in your area (this situation pertains to me). To find out more about the Bradley Method of Husband-Coached Childbirth, visit their website at: http://www.bradleybirth.com/.
To learn more about Dr William and Martha Sears and their parenting/childbirth advice, visit their website at: http://www.askdrsears.com
In this difinitive guide to birthing, the authors of The Baby Book give expectant parents the information and practical advice they need to plan a saf...More at Christianbook.com
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