Book Reaction: Cut, Stapled, and Mended

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from Roanna Rosewood's memoir, Cut, Stapled, and Mended. After it arrived I actually wondered if I should have agreed to review it, because I have so many things to read, things to think about, and interests that are calling me---do I really need to read a memoir about someone's cesareans? I've already read so many books about birth, do I really want to read another one? Well...the answer was YES, I did need to read it. After I finished the book, I felt almost speechless at how deeply it had touched me. This book was a surprise all the way through, from the opening Orgasmic Amazon Queen sex scene, to a session with a psychic healer who tapped in to Roanna's past life abdominal wound, to her dogged quest to open herself to her own feminine wisdom, to her birth experiences---all soul-shattering in their own way---this book touched me profoundly. I was shocked to find myself with tears in my eyes at many different points and eventually truly unable to put it down.

Orgasmic Amazon Queen notwithstanding, Roanna comes across as a practical and down-to-earth narrator, who in her quest to understand herself, her body, her inner wisdom, and her birth experiences, makes a decidedly not down-to-earth personal journey through a variety of healing modalities and nontraditional experiences and perspectives. I really loved the balance she struck between the spiritual and metaphysical experiences she describes and the nitty-gritty reality of doing this thing, giving birth. In a perfect example of what I mean, she writes:

You think I would run out of poop but I don't. It's endless poop. 

My ego, having (literally) had enough of this shit, quits. It gets up and walks right out the door. What is left of me poops in the tub. Looking down, I say, 'ewwwww.' I say it as if it wasn't me who just shat in the tub. I say it as if I just happened to come across poop in my bath one day. 'Ewwww' or not, I'm never getting out of the tub ever again. If this tub were full of nothing but shit mud, I would still stay right here (p. 144).

And, just a few pages later, the experience I already quoted in a prior post:

Only then does the Divine come, taking my body as her own. I am no longer alone. There is no fear…I experience completeness. I find religion. Infinity is tangible. Generations of children, their dreams, passions, defeats and glories—they all pass through me, converging here, between my thighs… (p. 146-147).

via Thesis Tidbits: Cut, Stapled, and Mended | Talk Birth

Despite planning homebirths, Roanna experiences two cesareans and her journey towards VBAC is an arduous one:

Deep inside, I feel the screams of birth echoing off the sides of my skull. Softer and softer they fade, becoming a faint whisper, then disappearing completely.

I open my mouth. 'Please,' I whisper-scream-beg-cry, 'please come back.'

She does not.

I am, once again, mortal. (p. 155)

While I would likely proceed with some degree of caution if reading this memoir as a pregnant first-time mom, there is much to be learned from Roanna's experiences. Her narrative is rich, deep, compelling, scary, dramatic, poignant, and powerful. I highly recommend it!

--

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. Crossposted at Talk Birth.

Book Review: Into These Hands

Into These Hands: Wisdom from Midwives
Geradine Simkins
Paperback, 300 pages
Published by Spirituality & Health Publisher, 2011
ISBN: 9780981870854
Wisdom from Midwives

Reviewed by Molly Remer, Talk Birth

Into These Hands is an amazing anthology of midwives’ retrospectives about their careers and midwifery journey. You won’t find birth stories here–this is book about women’s lives and journeys to midwifery. A book of midwife stories–how women are birthed as midwives, rather than about births they attended–Into These Hands is great reading for aspiring midwives or for currently practicing midwives who wish to feel a sense of solidarity with their sisters. There are many paths, many lessons, many voices and each midwife clearly loves women and has a passion for birth.

From the press release:

We are eager for you to meet some modern-day wise women, healers, revolutionaries, and reformers. Into These Hands, Wisdom from Midwives© is a comprehensive anthology of the life stories of 25 remarkable women who have dedicated their lives and careers to the path of social change through midwifery. These exemplary midwives are all over 50 years of age with 25-40 years in the field. Collectively, they have over 800 years of experience and have assisted in over 35,000 births.

The midwives whose voices are included in the anthology come from diverse backgrounds, training, experiences, and range of practice settings. Quite a few of the stories are from “bridge club” members–women who began as direct entry midwives and later became CNMs. These midwives have a foot in both worlds and insight into the politics of the profession. In general, Into These Hands is a good look at the politics of midwifery both past and present. Almost all of the midwives in the book have homebirth roots or orientation.

Since there are lots of voices represented, the tone or style of some stories is more compelling than others. Some within-story chronology jumps were a little confusing and there were a couple of stories in which I had to do some re-reading for clarity.

Into These Hands is likely to be of particular interest to midwifery activists, aspiring midwives, or current/retired midwives and may hold less appeal for general birth enthusiasts, doulas, or childbirth educators. The stories are rich, insightful, thought-provoking, and diverse and they brought tears to my eyes several times. This book is a treasury of women’s wisdom and a powerful legacy for the generations of women to follow.

(An indicator of how much I like a book is how many page corners I turn down in order to come back to re-read those sections and write blog posts based on them/share quotes/etc. This is Into These Hands last night as I was finishing it...;-D)

–

Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes.

Book Review: More Than a Midwife

More Than a Midwife: Stories of Grace, Glory, and Motherhood [Paperback]

by Mary Sommers
MavenMark Books (HenschelHAUS Publishing) (October 1, 2011), 148 pages
ISBN-13:978-1595981066

Reviewed by Molly Remer, Talk Birth

More Than a Midwife is a thoroughly delightful little volume by experienced and resourceful midwife, Mary Sommers. One of the things that makes the book particularly distinctive is the impressive diversity of Mary’s work experience. The book includes stories from her work as a midwife in urban Chicago as well as in Africa and Mexico. As always, glimpsing the dire situations facing birthing women cross-culturally is a sobering reminder of the immense challenges international midwives face with few physical resources—they accomplish an amazing level of care with only their heads, hands, and hearts.

Each story shared in the book is selected with care and has an important message to share. The stories are about unique women and their unique births and what Mary (and the reader) can learn from them. From empowering and exhilarating, to difficult and heartbreaking, particularly notable are the stories that remind us all to treat every woman with dignity and respect, regardless of her life’s circumstances or choices. Mary is clearly a midwife who loves women and birth and practices with sensitivity, respect, and positive regard.

More Than a Midwife is a slim paperback. It is nice size to hold easily and the stories are short and easy to read in small chunks of free time. It is occasionally erratic in the organization/flow of a story and in a few of them I had to re-read segments to understand chronology. However, this was a negligible issue in the context of this thoroughly enjoyable small book.

Mary Sommers has written a true gem of a book. I feel honored to have read More Than a Midwife and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in birth, homebirth, midwifery, or women’s health. Most excellent!

–

Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes.

Perennial Favorites

Recently, on the CfM Facebook page I posed the question: do you have a favorite birth book that you can re-read over and over, each time being engaged anew and/or learning something fresh from familiar words?

I asked the question because I am currently re-reading Birthing from Within for the sixth time. When I read this book, I find I always learn something new, gain fresh insight, or have ideas reinforced/validated. I read it for the first time during my first pregnancy and have read it during two subsequent pregnancies (and now again, during my fifth pregnancy) as well as two other times seeking insights and application for the birth classes I teach.

I asked this question and then went out of town for the day. When I returned, it absolutely made my day to see many responses to my question with lots of great books listed. Three other commenters shared that Birthing from Within is their favorite too and then there were over 30 other posts with other people's perennial favorites! Here is the list--I hope it will remind you to revisit some old treasures in your personal library.

• Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (this, and/or Spiritual Midwifery received NINETEEN recommendations!)
• Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley MD (x's 2)
  
• Journey into Motherhood, edited by Sheri Menelli. The commenter said, "LOVED it. read it over and over. Full of inspiring, uplifting, wonderful birth stories."
• Heart and Hands, by Elizabeth Davis (x's 2)
  
• "Anything written by Sheila Kitzinger. She is my fave birthy authoress!" [note from Molly: she is definitely one of my top favorites as well!]
• Hypnobirthing, by Marie Mongan (x's 3)
  
• Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born, by Tina Cassidy
• The Birth Partner, by Penny Simkin (x's 4)
• Your Best Birth, by Ricki Lake
• Gentle Birth Choices, by Barbara Harper (x's 2). Comment from FB fan: "It's the book I give to non-birth nuts to help them understand why I do what I do."
• Open Season, by Nancy Wainer. Comment from fan: "get's at the heart of things on every level-body, mind and politics" [note from Molly: I LOVE this book too. Very fire-y!]
• Orgasmic Birth, by Debra Pascali-Bonaro
• Osceola Guide to Natural Childbirth
• Birthing in the Spirit, by Cathy Daub
• Under the Apple Tree, by Helen Wessel
• Rediscovering Birth, by Sheila Kitzinger. Comment from fan: "that was the book that really opened my eyes when pregnant with my second child. It's a beautiful book." [I agree!]
• The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, by Henci Goer
  
• Baby Catcher (x's 2)
• Birth Book, by Raven Lang. Comment from fan: "Just ordered another copy and I am 60!! I had it with my first born 34 years ago! Gave it away~thought it was out of print and discovered how to get a copy. It influenced me more than any other!" [Note: Birth Book is available in a limited edition from CfM!] Another fan then shared this nice story: "OOOOOH, I do love that one. I married into the most amazing family. My father-in-law's sisters gave me that one and this heirloom copy of Spiritual Midwifery (held together with tape and hairbands) when I married their nephew, to make sure I walked a clear road to birth! (OK...even typing this story has me tearing up! Never fails!)"
• The Vital Touch, by Sharon Heller was recommended as, "Not so much a 'birth book' per se, but more of a 'importance of touch and listening to our infants and children' kind of a book.
  

I hope this list inspires you to contemplate your own bookshelf!

--
Molly
CfM Blogger
P.S. I kept accidentally typing "perineal favorites" as my title ;-D

Book Review: Breastfeeding Facts for Fathers

Since Father's Day is this weekend, I thought this was a perfect book review to share!

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, CCCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Since partner support of a breastfeeding mother is one of the most important factors in breastfeeding success, the short book Breastfeeding Facts for Fathers is a valuable book indeed. Written in a clear, straightforward format, brief one-page sections address topics like, “why you want your baby breastfed,” “is formula really so bad,” “a happier, healthier mom,” “sex and the breastfeeding woman,” and “when breastfeeding is not advised.” There is also a brief segment about safe co-sleeping. These sections are followed by a brief FAQ addressing topics such as how often mom should breastfeed, how to know baby is getting enough milk, how long to breastfeed, nipple piercing, breast implants, alcohol, and breastfeeding in public.

As a quote in the book states, “Having a father is critical to the healthy development of a child. Being a father is critical to the healthy development of a man.” Providing breastfeeding information specific to fathers, Breastfeeding Facts for Fathers supports this healthy development of father, mother, and baby.

A Spanish edition, a low-literacy (abridged) version, an ebook edition, and a hospital edition (co-sleeping information omitted) of Breastfeeding Facts for Fathers are all available at various affordable prices from Platypus Media.

--

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: Brought to Earth by Birth

Book Review: Brought to Earth by Birth
By Harriette Hartigan
Motherbaby Press, 2008
ISBN 978-1-890-44642-0
93 pages, softcover, $25.95
www.motherbabypress.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, CCCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Written by well-known birth photographer Harriette Hartigan, Brought to Earth by Birth is a lyrical ode to the power of birth and babies. The book feels like an extended “poem” expressed in both word and image. The emphasis of the book is the black and white photos of pregnant women, families, and newborns that grace the pages. There are several photos of women in labor and a couple of breastfeeding images. Surrounding the photos are carefully chosen quotes and gentle words.

Brought to Earth by Birth is separated into six “chapters” and contains several birth photos, but no crowning photos or any other photos that some may consider “graphic.” The book is short—under 100 pages—and some photos were familiar to me (cover images in birth publications). The concluding emphasis is on the newborn, the one who is, after all, “brought to earth by birth.”

The book would make a nice gift for a midwife, doula, or childbirth educator and is a nice “waiting room” book to browse through. It would also make an inspirational mother blessing gift. As the author states, “The experience of birth is vast. It is a diverse tapestry woven by cultural customs, shaped in personal choices, affected by biological factors, marked by political circumstances. Yet the nature of birth itself prevails in elegant design of simple complexity.” Brought to Earth by Birth is a lovely glimpse of some strands of that elegant tapestry.

--
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Happy Mother's Day!

There are a lot of events to honor in May! International Day of the Midwife was May 5th and Mother's Day is rapidly approaching on May 9th. May is also International Doula Month and Pregnancy Awareness Month. And, Birth Activist is having a Mother's Day blog carnival.

So, I found it fitting this week to share a book review about a nurturing little book for mothers:

Book Review: 25 Ways to Joy & Inner Peace for Mothers
By Danette Watson & Stephanie Corkhill Hyles
Watson & Corkhill Hyles, 2006
ISBN 0646-46588-0
84 page hardcover book & 60 minute CD set, $24.95
http://www.awakenyourbirthpower.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Consisting of a book and CD, 25 Ways to Joy & Inner Peace for Mothers contains 25 short breathing meditations with accompanying whimsical, colorful drawings. The meditations are on topics such as “surround yourself with mother energy,” “embrace change,” “feel reverence,” and “trust the rhythm of your baby.”

The final third of the book contains breathing tips, tips for using the meditations in life, and then “10 Healing Practices for Mothers” that are a very nice addition. This segment is followed by “Questions for Inner Exploration” that include journaling questions and prompts based on each of the meditations.

It is not clear at first glance, but 25 Ways is designed for mothers of newborns and infants, not mothers of older children (though, of course, most of the meditations could be adapted to apply to older children). The addition of “new” to the title would have been a useful clarifier.

Inspiring, empowering, and renewing, 25 Ways to Joy & Inner Peace for Mothers is a lovely and nurturing little manual that would make a nice blessingway gift for a pregnant or a congratulations gift for a special new mother.

--
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
Review originally published in the CAPPA Quarterly, April 2010.

Book Review: She Births

Book Review: She Births: A Modern Woman’s Guidebook for an Ancient Rite of Passage
By Marcie Macari
Infinity Publishing, 2006
ISBN 0-7414-3390-7

255 pages, softcover, $23.95
http://www.shebirths.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE

http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

She Births is a book that “goes beyond” the average birth book. It is a particularly good read for mothers having subsequent children—perhaps for a woman who is well read in the physiology and stages of labor and who wants to dig deeper into the emotional and spiritual meaning of giving birth. It is also helpful for first-time mothers, though I felt that there was a lot of content that seemed to assume the reader had already given birth (and was perhaps reading this book to reflect, process, and prepare for future births).

The emphasis of She Births is on childbirth as a rite of passage and as an opportunity for spiritual growth and personal transformation. There is a lot of content that has a very “New Age” flavor. While I personally do not mind—and actually enjoy—this framework, other readers may consider some of the sections to be offputting.

Each chapter ends with a short chapter-topic meditation and several pages of related journaling exercises.

The book contains a higher than average number of minor typographical errors, as well as odd mid-sentence capitalizations, and too-short dashes between ideas. Persistent capitalization of words such as Birth and Spirit were a bit distracting. The book contains a variety of empowering birth stories, but none of them have attribution, making it difficult to identify who was giving birth. (The author? The woman in the previous story?) It was hard to grasp who was the “I” reflecting and sharing in each story.

She Births has several particularly wonderful passages that are well worth quoting and it also has a lovely cover. It is a passionately written book that is very dynamic and “alive” to read. The book is strongly written—the author does not mince words nor attempt to “balance” her perspective and this can be a refreshing approach. She Births also raises thought-provoking questions such as, “The way a society views a pregnant and birthing woman, reflects how that society views women as a whole. If women are considered weak in their most powerful moments, what does that mean?”

–

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Birth Book

My review of the classic book Birth Book by Raven Lang was posted on the CAPPA blog this week.

Just a reminder that the book is available in a limited edition reprint from CFM here! The book is very hard to find on the secondary market.

--
Molly
CfM Blogger

Book Review: Get Me Out

Book Review: Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth From the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank
By Randi Hutter Epstein, MD
W.W. Norton & Company, 2010
ISBN 978-0-393-06458-2
302 pages, hardback, $24.95
http://www.randihutterepstein.com/

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Since it shares a subtitle about the history of childbirth, I expected the new book Get Me Out to be very similar in content to the recent book Birth Day by Mark Sloan or to the book Birth by Tina Cassidy. I wondered how much more could possibly be reported about the history of childbirth. It turns out there is plenty more and I was delighted to discover that Get Me Out stands alone as a unique and interesting contribution to books of this genre.

Written by a physician and mother of four, Get Me Out focuses on some very recent elements of birth history including assisted reproductive technologies (ART), ultrasound, and freebirth, subjects not addressed in the books referenced above. Aside from familiar content about things like the Chamberlen brothers and the Twilight Sleep movement, the remainder of the text was fresh and engaging. Part one included an interesting and disturbing chapter about Marion Sims and his research and experiments with fistula repair on enslaved women. A later chapter explores Sims’ research with artificial insemination (this time with middle class white women). In fact, the latter half of the book contains an extensive historical look at artificial insemination, moving into present day history including an exploration of sperm banking and cryo-preservation of eggs.

Unique among birth history books is Epstein’s chapter on freebirth (more commonly known as “unassisted childbirth”) followed with a chapter about ultrasound including content about 4D and “novelty” ultrasounds. There is also a chapter exploring DES and its effects on reproduction.

Also different than Birth Day and Birth, is the total absence of memoir or personal reflective content. Epstein is a medical journalist and Get Me Out is written in that voice. There is a light, personal tone to the text, but nothing personal aside from occasional descriptions, observations, or quotes from interviews with sperm bank mangers (for example). I found myself feeling a little curious about her personal history of childbirth, an element freely interspersed throughout the texts of other recent birth history books.

As the author says, “…the way we give birth is a story about our deepest desires and our fundamental concerns about life, death, and sex.” Get Me Out is a fascinating tale focusing on our collective, cultural story about birth in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as dip into the story that continues being written today.

--
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: L’Mazeltov: Your Personal Guide to Jewish Childbirth Education

L’Mazeltov: Your Personal Guide to Jewish Childbirth Education
By Pamela Nadav
L’Mazeltov, Inc. 2008
Softcover, 248 pages, $18.00
ISBN: 978-097786610-6
www.lmazeltov.org

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

The title of the new Jewish childbirth education book L’Mazeltov combines “two important Jewish symbolic expressions—L’Chaim (To Life) and Mazel Tov (Good Fortune).” The first half of the book consists of basic childbirth education and preparation. The second half is about "Jewish Life Cycle Education." The strength of this book is the fusion of the two.

The childbirth education section was very conventional and conservative. I was surprised by some of the advice offered such as, “Always follow your doctor’s advice in all matters related to your pregnancy, labor and delivery” and in the section about anesthesia, “All of these modern technologies are designed to assist you in having the best possible birthing experience, and are considered to be relatively safe.” Personally, I feel like an important piece of childbirth education is encouraging pregnant couples to be informed birth consumers. There was no element of this perspective within L’Mazeltov.

The book includes some population-specific pregnancy information such as a short section on Jewish genetic diseases and testing.

There is a nice recipe section at the end of L’Mazeltov. I was inspired to make some delicious Challah bread for my family! There is no index, resource list, or glossary of terms (as a non-Jewish reader, many words were unfamiliar to me—the author does a good job defining many within the body of the text, however).

Despite my wish for a more creative and evidence-based approach to the birth education portion, this book is a one-of-a-kind contribution to birth literature, covering both the “oys and joys” of preparing for parenthood. What a resource for Jewish couples expecting their first baby! “There is such a special sweetness in being able to participate in creation.”

--
Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Review first published in The CAPPA Quarterly, January 2010.

Book Review: Birth Day

Book Review: Birth Day: A Pediatrician Explores the Science, the History, and the Wonder of Childbirth
By Mark Sloan, M.D.
Ballantine Books, 2009
ISBN 978-0-345-50286-5
370 pages, hardcover, $25

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Written in a fast-paced journalistic rather than academic style, Birth Day is a biological, historical, and sociocultural look at birth in our species, highlighting the experiences and skills of the fetus and newborn infant. The focus of Birth Day is on childbirth, but as a pediatrician, the emphasis of the journey in this book is on the baby and its development, skills, and remarkable adaptations to the womb and to life on earth. The book contains frequent references to evolution, which is not a concern to me, but may be to other readers.

The author’s personal experiences and observations are interwoven skillfully throughout the book lending an engaging “human” component—I loved his wry and occasionally self-deprecating honesty and realistic sharing. We read about the births of both of his children (one a very long labor eventually with an epidural and the second a scheduled cesarean due to placenta previa), his experiences as a medical student, and his observations as a hospital and clinic pediatrician. Dr. Sloan has been present at over 3000 births as a hospital pediatrician and 20 births as the baby “catcher” (medical school OB rotation). There is no real mention of homebirth, but occasional, supportive references to CNMs and to doulas.

The author has a healthy respect for the process of birth, noting in his conclusion that “…the most striking thing to me after all these years is how often such a complicated process goes right.” As a breastfeeding counselor, an element that I loved in this book was the author’s complete acceptance and integration of the importance and normalcy of the birth-breastfeeding continuum as well as the assumption of breastfeeding present throughout (bottles and formula do not make a single appearance throughout the 370 pages). This presentation was both very refreshing and completely appropriate.

The content of Birth Day was reminiscent of Birth by Tina Cassidy, with the primary difference being the emphasis on the infant’s experiences. There were occasional instances of questionable data such as, “An unattended breech birth, for example, is nearly always fatal to mother and child.” (?!)

Fast paced and often very funny, the author of Birth Day has a knack for explaining complicated concepts in simple terms and using effective analogies. I learned some new facts about the history of birth and was pretty captivated by the whole ride.

--
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: Lady Hands, Lion's Heart

I cannot believe that I have never posted my review of this book--it was published in CfM News, but I never re-posted here. For shame, since it is one of my all-time favorite midwifery memoirs!

The author has a new book too called The Beauty Girls. I'll bet it is a treat as well!

Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart ~ A Midwife's Saga
by Carol Leonard, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-615-19550-6
Bad Beaver Publishing, $15.00, 363 pages, soft cover
www.badbeaverfarm.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

This new book by experienced New Hampshire midwife, Carol Leonard, is a wonderful read. It is funny, compelling, exciting, and sad. I think it is the best midwife’s memoir I’ve ever read.

Spanning 13 years (1975-1987), the book represents not just her personal experiences and birth stories, but also chronicles the development of independent midwifery in New Hampshire and the birth of MANA and its emergence as an international presence.

Leonard is an engaging writer with a flair for the dramatic. The style of the book is present tense, so you get a sense of actually “being there” and the book reads with the pace of a novel.

The many birth stories in the book are riveting. She has her share of close calls and complications, as well as tons of strong, inspirational births. Her love of the work and of the women she serves shines throughout and I got a strong sense of the author as a deeply passionate and committed woman.

The book opens with her own birth story in a hospital in 1975, her only child, and chronicles her development into a midwife (a fascinating sub-story in the book is of the changes her local hospital goes through to make their maternity unit more mother-friendly). Be prepared for a sad ending.

The birth stories shared each represent an event or lesson learned. Leonard is a busy midwife (you get a sense in the book that she doesn’t have much time to take care of herself!) and she attends many births in her years of service. The births detailed here are carefully chosen for impact and purpose. (Side note: as an LLL Leader, I was saddened that her one experience with LLL [in the book] is a bad one).

More than a collection of birth stories or midwifery musings, Lady’s Hands, Lion’s Heart, is a personal journey, as well as a spirited account of a larger journey occurring in the midwifery profession.

----
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes.

Birth Space, Safe Place Book Giveaway!

I usually post my book reviews on this blog, but this week I am doing something different because I have a book giveaway to do in addition to my review!

I recently finished reading the book Birth Space, Safe Place: Emotional Well-Being through Pregnancy and Birth by Adela Stockton. The book is a slim little volume that covers a lot of ground in its page. I enjoyed the specific focus on emotional well-being, as I have never read a birth book specifically devoted to the subject before. It was also the source of some good opening quotes for the CfM Facebook page. The review and giveaway are posted on my Talk Birth blog.

"We must attempt to tell the whole truth about birth, the truth that includes transformation, mastery, satisfaction, personal power, and the difference between pain and suffering."
--Cheri Van Hoover

--
Molly
CfM Blogger

Favorite Midwifery & Birth Books of 2009

On New Year's Eve on the new CfM fan page on Facebook, I posed the question, "what was your favorite birth or midwifery book in 2009?" I got a variety of responses and I'd like to share them all in one post.

Selene recommended Cara Mulhahan's book Labor of Love (see book review posted yesterday).

Amanda suggested The Birthkeepers: Reclaiming an Ancient Tradition and added that she wants to read Simply Give Birth. I hadn't heard of The Birthkeepers before, so I look forward to learning more about it and possibly sharing a review!

Another fan suggested the very useful When Survivors Give Birth saying that it, "was very insightful and I know will prove to be invaluable in the years to come...This year I plan to conquer...Varney's Midwifery."

I thought I had heard of just about every birth book ever written, but Hillary mentioned her favorite, Sacred Birthing by Sunni Karll, and that was another book with which I am unfamiliar, but would like to read.

Summer mentioned that her, "favorite was definitely The Power of Women by Sister MorningStar. I found it inspiring, insightful, and very fitting for the title," while Cristina found Marcie Macari's She Births , "gave me a lot to think about and I loved it."

Adventures in Natural Childbirth by Janet Schwegel was referenced by Jennifer as an all time favorite: "Tales from women on the joys, fears, pleasures, and pains of giving birth naturally with the support of midwives, doulas and 'enlightened' physicians." (Another book of empowering birth stories that I really enjoy is Journey Into Motherhood.) She also shared that she is considering reading "Don't Just Stand There for dads by Elissa Stein in the new year."

Pushed by Jennifer Block received a couple of hearty recommendations, with another Jennifer adding that, "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth was really great, too."

I re-read Pushed this year also and agree that it is a gem.

Another activism-stirring book, Birth as an American Rite of Passage, by Robbie Davis-Floyd, was enthusiastically recommended by Jenny saying, "Pretty heavy, but probably the single strongest influence on both my personal outlook and my childbirth classees."

Jeanne Ohm suggested Pathways magazine Issue #24--all about birth. I'd like to order a box of this issue to hand out to my birth class clients!

Beth shared that she, "loved Birth Models That Work. It's a MUST read...And Half the Sky. It's not all about midwifery but it's about women's issues across cultures and it highlights a lot of birth needs for women in developing countries."

My book club plans to read Half the Sky at some point this year. I don't think I can talk them into Birth Models that Work, but I could try! ;)

Lara shared that she "liked Ina May's Spiritual Midwifery, and the new waterbirth book by Lakshmi Bertram. I've heard that next year there might be a newly updated Obstetrical Myths Versus Research Realities by Henci Goer, and I'd really like to read that one."

Kendra loved Carol Leonard's, Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart from Bad Beaver Publishing. She "laughed and cried and loved every page." Anyone who has read my review of Leonard's book in CfM News knows that I share Kendra's sentiments! It is wonderful.

Another midwifery memoir receiving a recommendation was Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent. Sierra also added that "Permission to Mother by Denise Punger is also an amazing read."

Another book I'm unfamiliar with was recommended by Sarah, who said, "I loved a recently translated Dutch book called Pregnant with Heart and Soul by Riet Van Rooji." She also added that "Jenny West's The Complete Idiots Guide to Natural Childbirth is brilliant too, great to get such a good midwife writing for the mainstream."

(I do have to add that I reviewed the Idiot's Guide book for LLLI and was very dismayed by the pervasive bottle imagery throughout the book--as the "midwife tip" icon no less! :( )

A doula named Laurie shared some good information about another book I'd like to look into further, saying, "A book I just started that is really informative and interesting is The Female Pelvis. I know it sounds extremely boring, however it is filled with great exercises for pregnant moms, to help protect against injury. The pictures are great, there are at least 2-4 per page and I think they will help the moms be able to visualize a lot more what they are trying to protect and why. It is written by Blandine Calais-Germain."

On a similar subject, I'm currently reading and very much enjoying Wild Feminine, which is primarily about "holistic pelvic care." It is really interesting and I recommend it.

I was delighted to receive all of these wonderful suggestions from all over the country (and even internationally). How fun! Personally, I read so many great books in 2009 that it is hard for me to choose a favorite, but I think I'll have to go with The Power of Women as my favorite birth read for 2009 (review here). It is followed closely by Simply Give Birth (review here). I've read both of those recently though, so it is possible that I'm forgetting some other treasures that I discovered earlier in 2009!

--
Molly
CfM Blogger

Book Review: Labor of Love

Labor of Love: A Midwife’s Memoir
by Cara Muhlhahn, CNM
Kaplan Publishing, 2009
Softcover, 232 pages

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Labor of Love is a spirited account of urban midwifery written by the CNM who was featured in the documentary The Business of Being Born, Cara Muhlhahn. This book would be particularly interesting to midwifery students and midwives who plan to practice in urban areas. Anyone who is expects midwifery memoirs to be full of empowering birth stories and life on the commune will find a different flavor in this tale.

This memoir was much more autobiographical than many other books in this genre--there were lots of details about Cara’s personal life, past, and family (details which are nearly absent in some other midwifery memoirs). There were also fewer birth stories than I had expected and the birth stories themselves were not very detailed. In general, Labor of Love was a multifaceted picture of a midwife’s life, her path to midwifery, her thoughts about her career, and her varied work experiences.

A strong thread of self-satisfaction—and almost smugness—runs throughout the book and it can be distracting, but then again, perhaps a gutsy midwife deserves some self-congratulation! The book feels more relevant to midwifery students than it is to childbirth educators, doulas, or other general birth activists. If you are looking for a picture of contemporary, modern, urban midwifery and how a woman’s life expands to incorporate it, you may enjoy Cara’s story.

---
This is a revised version of a review previously published in CfM News.

Disclosure notice: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: The Power of Women

The Power of Women
By Sister MorningStar
Motherbaby Press, 2009
ISBN 978-1-890446-43-7
201 pages, paperback, $29.95
http://motherbabypress.com/

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Occasionally, a book comes into my life that touches me so deeply that I am at a loss for words. The new book, The Power of Women, by Sister MorningStar, is one of those rare books. A treasure. A gem. A rare jewel. A delight. These are the words that do come to mind. However, superlatives--though true--do little justice to describing the actual book.

The Power of Women is a book of "instinctual" birth stories told through the eyes of a gifted and sensitive midwife. The stories are from her perspective, not the mother's. Each story has either a lesson to share or is a glimpse into that deep inner wisdom and strength found in birthing women that is so easily ignored or dismissed in our modern birth culture. This book is good "word medicine" and the empowering stories within it shine a light to help other women trust their instincts. This light also helps other birth professionals rediscover the magic and mystery and wonder of birth and women.

The Power of Women also touched me in a special way because the author divides her time between my own native Missouri and a birth center in Mexico. Some of the stories shared take place in each location (more from Mexico). I found it delightful to discover the power of my own Missouri midwifery activist friends represented throughout the book. Familiar names and faces graced the pages for me and it was a treat to experience that connection.

The book consists of twelve chapters, each containing 5-9 different stories each. The stories themselves are not long, narrative birth accounts, but are moments captured brilliantly for the glimpse of powerful truth they share. Some are only 1/2 page in length--but the depth in each is great. The chapters are titled things like "Stories of Power" or "Stories of Courage" or "Stories of Community and the tales shared therein are loosely bound together with that common thread.

To be clear, not all of the stories are "happy" or are necessarily "good" birth stories, some are even fairly scary and even depressing. All are powerful.

My only critique of the book, which I hesitate to share because it seems petty in light of such a beautiful and wise book, is that the formatting of the text is odd. The font size is small and the text tightly spaced with very small indents.

If you find yourself in a place where you feel trapped alone in a world where the birth you love so much is becoming a "mythological story," read this book. If you are an aspiring or current midwife, doula, or childbirth educator and wish to deepen your understanding of birth, read this book. If you are a pregnant woman hungering to dig deeply into instinctual birth and the wisdom and power of story, read this book. The Power of Women is a powerful, touching, and magical journey.


--
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: Permission to Mother

Permission to Mother
By Denise Punger, MD, IBCLC
OutskirtsPress 2007
Softcover, 257 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4327-0385-1
www.twofloridadocs.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Written by a doctor and mother of three sons, Permission to Mother is a series of short, autobiographical vignettes about various natural mothering topics. The style is both a strength and weakness of the book. The bite-sized stories are perfect for a busy mother to read in between household tasks or while nursing her baby. However, the brevity precludes depth and most topics lacked full exploration. Many of the “chapters” are only one page in length (sometimes only half a page). The longest are 3-4 pages. This is not sufficient space to really examine a topic—instead the sections are more like short anecdotes/snippets from the author’s life and experiences, often ending almost as soon as they began.

The book is organized into four parts. The stories in Part One cover a variety of topics beginning with Dr. Punger’s experiences with birth in medical school, then moving into her own birth experiences, her experiences working with a doula, and homebirth observations. The highlight of the whole book is the birth story of her third son—an undiagnosed double footling breech birth at home.

The second section of the book address “The Breastfeeding Years” and includes a wide variety of stories about nursing during pregnancy, tandem nursing, working and breastfeeding, becoming an IBCLC, breastfeeding through anesthesia, and also segments about the family bed, cloth diapering, homeschooling, and unschooling. A surprising story in this section called “My Spiritual Journey as a Physician, Mother and IBCLC,” is actually a story about her sons’ circumcisions. Depending on your personal feelings about circumcision, this section may sadden or disappoint you or it my provide reassurance about your own decisions.

Part Three addresses “Breastfeeding Medicine” and explores some case examples from the author’s medical practice with nursing mothers. Again, the segments are so brief that they contain little of clinical value to other practitioners.

Part Four is a brief section about “Why I Do the Work I Do” and consists of letters to the author from satisfied clients.

As I read this book, I had the persistent feeling that much of the content had been written for other sources—perhaps a magazine or a blog. There was a choppiness to the writing that conveyed this sense. And, as previously referenced, the extremely short, vignette format lent an unsatisfying incompleteness to many of the stories. I also noted a higher-than-average number of minor errors in the text contributing an amateur quality to the book.

Despite these critiques, it was refreshing to read about natural mothering from a physician’s perspective and I enjoyed her insights about breastfeeding medicine. (Can you imagine how the world might look if more physicians practiced with this background and experience?!) If you are looking for short, personal narrative experiences of natural mothering, you may enjoy the simple style and friendly stories in Permission to Mother.

--
Originally published in The CAPPA Quarterly, October 2008.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: The Father's Home Birth Handbook

The Father’s Home Birth Handbook
By Leah Hazard
Victoria Park Press, 2008
Softcover, 208 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9560711-0-1
www.homebirthbook.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE

The Father's Home Birth Handbook is a succinct and easy to read little guide for fathers and adds to the growing library of birth resources specifically geared towards fathers-to-be. The book is written by a woman, but contains ample quotes from fathers which lend a male perspective. It also includes a number of good birth stories interspersed throughout, which were all written by men.

The target audience for the handbook is easily summed up in the prologue: “…I’ve met far more men who have responded to their partners’ home birth wishes with a mixture of shock, cynicism, and fear…Far from being domineering ogres who just want to see wifey tucked ‘safely’ away a hospital, these loving fathers have simply had very little access to accurate, impartial information about the safety and logistics of home births versus hospital births.”

The first chapter addresses “Risk & Responsibility,” because that is one of the very first issues of concern for most people new to the idea of homebirth. It moves on to a chapter called “Think Positive,” followed by “Choosing the Guest List” and then one titled “Pleasure and Pain” This chapter covers comfort measures and what to do while the woman you love is giving birth: “…away from the intravenous drip and ticking clocks, you can support your partner in experiencing labour in all of its awesome, challenging power.”

Chapter five—“Birth: Normal and Extraordinary” covers Labor 101 topics, including what to do with the placenta. This is followed by “Challenges & Complications” which covers some common issues of concern such as premature labor, being overdue, prolonged labor, distressed baby, cord around the neck, tearing, and blood loss. Each of these is followed by a “what can I do to help?” section.

The final chapter—“Now What?”—concludes with a nice segment called “how can I carry the lessons I’ve learned from my homebirth with me into the rest of my life as a father?”

Published in Scotland, the handbook has a UK perspective—it assumes participation in the NHS and a “booked” midwife and homebirth. There is no “how to choose a midwife” type of section (because there is no choice of midwives). For US readers, this leaves a set of issues unaddressed—such as varying legal statuses, etc. UK specific issues also arise based on the possibility of caregivers who are not thrilled about homebirth, but who have to come to the birth since it is a government supported option. It comes across that in Scotland homebirth may seem readily okay on paper, but in reality is more difficult to pull off.

The book does briefly discuss the birth climate in the US and soundly critiques ACOG’s position on homebirth.

The book has an index and a resources section.

The Father’s Home Birth Handbook is a friendly, practical, matter-of-fact, helpful little guide that neatly addresses common questions and concerns many fathers-to-be have about planning a homebirth.

------------------

Associated amusing anecdote: my three year old noticed me reading this book, looked at the cover and said, "The dad is trying to grab him, but that little baby is floating away!

--
Molly
CfM Blogger

Book Review: Birthwork

Birthwork
By Jenny Blyth
Reprinted 2007
Softcover, 460 pages
ISBN: 0-9757610-0
www.birthwork.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
http://talkbirth.wordpress.com

From Australia, comes a gorgeous and unique book called Birthwork. It is such an amazing and compelling read that it took me a very long time to write my review—it is difficult to describe such a remarkable book. I have never read another book like this. It is truly extraordinary. Subtitled "a compassionate guide to being with birth," Birthwork was written for all birthworkers--anyone who works directly with birthing women (midwives, doulas, nurses, childbirth educators, physicians...).

This book covers issues of a range and depth I’ve never before seen in a birth text. Subsections include titles like: touching vaginas, respect and relationship, dipping in and out of the birth milieu, group dynamics, conflict, birth culture, loving presence, birth is sacred, trauma release, letting down in the pelvis, and stresses and stretches of childbearing. This is just a sampling of the amazing, comprehensive range of topics explored in Birthwork. I particularly enjoyed sections on directed breathing and “dynamic anatomy in labour.” The book delves into a lot of the emotional and psychological elements of being in a caregiving field and also covers physical components as well.

The book includes lots of questions to ask yourself to increase self-awareness, understanding, and personal development and also exercises to try/explore. Some of the questions are difficult to answer and require you to take a deep look at your motives and ideas about doing birthwork.

The photographs are stunning and there is gorgeous cover art (front, back, and inside). Birthwork has a spiritual component that runs throughout—sort of an Eastern philosophy—that might not appeal to all readers.

The book includes sources and a glossary of fields of care, but no index and no resources sections. It is an expensive book, but so very worth it!

Birthwork is deep and intense. I usually read very quickly and this book took me several weeks to finish because it needs time and space to soak in and be absorbed. Truly a phenomenal read!