Monday, April 02, 2007

Electronic books, anyone?

If anyone would like PDF copies of the following, please click on the Resources tab at the top of the page.

Emergency Childbirth by Dr. Gregory White
Come Gently, Sweet Lucina by Pat Carter
The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth by Laurie Morgan
Journey Into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth by Sheri L. Menelli

9 comments:

  1. Thanks Rixa!

    What do you think of Kim Wildner's book? I'm on Ch. 2. I also already read some parts that she made available on her site. I'm really trying to like it, but her tone is so combative! I agree with her on everything so far (except that bit on cutting a nuchal cord she could have explained better) so it's not a matter of my not wanting to hear the truth.. but still I am annoyed by her attitude. I can't imagine anyone in her intended audience getting through the whole book.

    Not to mention the writing and copyediting issues. Why do others like this book? I will read the whole thing, but I'd be curious to know what you think it contributes?

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  2. It's been a while since I read it so I can't comment in detail, especially about the tone.

    I think she wrote the e-book version before she'd done a final copy edit. Yes, it annoys me too. I am miss Grammar Queen and notice every little mistake.

    I remember liking her overall argument that our beliefs and expectations have a lot to do with the outcomes of our births, and that a good birth doesn't happen by chance. Not that you can totally control what happens, but that your planning, education, and choice of birth place/attendant have a lot to do with what happens.

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  3. If you don't remember the tone, it can't have bugged you as much as it bugs me :)

    By the way, what is the first book you recommend to someone who has had little/no exposure to alternative birthing philosophies?

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  4. Hmmmm, it's a toss-up between a few:

    "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"
    "Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering" by Sarah Buckley
    "A Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" if they are looking for more of a reference text for various procedures

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  5. Thanks, Rixa. I got mine, and will start reading soon. I really like how the intro for "Emergency Childbirth" states that women with short labors "nearly always [have] easy normal deliveries," and that babies born quickly and out of hospitals have not been exposed to the "effects of anesthetics and pain-relieving drugs given to the mother, [and so] they rarely require resuscitation." I got a laugh out of that one. DUH! Makes me wonder if the doctors in the hospital have read this.

    Anyway, thanks for sending them. I can't wait to read them.

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  6. I got kicks out of reading Dr White, too.
    My Thinking Woman's Guide is MIA. I don't remember who I loaned it to, but it's been ages and they're obviously not returning it. Interestingly, so far Ina May has always found her way back to my shelf!
    I also bought Gentle Birth Choices (Harper) for my 'lending library'. I guess at the very least they pop in the DVD. My son will be watching it too, as his sibling prep.

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  7. My favorite quote in Emergency Childbirth is this one:

    "In over 95% of the cases of emergency childbirth, though the emergency attendant will be overwhelmed with gratitude and widely praised as a hero or heroine, he or she can smile within themselves at the knowledge that their simple tasks could have been performed by any bright eight-year old."

    By the way, the parts on resuscitation for both adults and newborns are outdated. So skip over those.

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  8. Love it, Rixa. I'd better find the time to read past the introduction. It's sounds like it will be a hoot. :)

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  9. Rixa,

    Yes, I’d like an electronic copy of Laurie Morgan’s book.

    I'm so glad you have a copy of it. I read it 5 years ago, and then I had my unassisted homebirth, which you can read about here: http://www.blueginger.org/uc.html and http://www.blueginger.org/sambirthstory.html. But I’ve been sad about Laurie's book because I can’t find it online anymore. I’m concerned that she felt she had to take it offline for some reason or other. I hope she’s okay.

    Anyway, I’m glad to see you have it. Those good words should remain in existence somewhere. :-)

    I love your blog. My sister referred me to it right after your daughter was born because she said we had so much in common. Keep up the great work!

    Thank you,
    Brooke Hack
    http://blueginger125.blogspot.com/

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