I loved this book! In fact, I think it could easily serve as a textbook for doulas. It truly covers all the bases. I loved how in-depth in went into each individual labor & delivery topic and also covered aspects of pregnancy, post-partum, breastfeeding, and baby care. The pain relief techniques were very helpful and I have already been able to utilize many of them. This book laid out the material very nicely with quick and easy charts, lists and bullet points to review. I think the book handled the pros and cons of most procedures in a very fair and balanced way, which was refreshing. It also served as a good reminder that not all labors are textbook and sometimes you have to improvise all the while trusting the birth process. Certain sections also discussed routine procedures and gave appropriate suggestions for alternatives. I seriously cannot say enough good things about this book. In fact, I plan to add it to my own personal library.
What did you not like about this book?
Part of what I loved is also what I hated. The book was so thorough that it was almost repetitive at times. As I was reading the material I would sometimes get frustrated that I had just read that same information or I would come across a very detailed chart, when I really just wanted something quick and easy to look at. However, in the end, I think repeating the material helped me to remember it better.
What was the most significant thing you learned when reading this book?
It was very interesting to see that this book was mainly written for Dads. I greatly appreciated how the author listed possible emotions that the Dad or Mom may feel at every step of the process. I think this will help me to better connect with the Dads because I can anticipate what they might be feeling. It was also interesting to see that many of my emotions often mirror what Dad may be feeling. This helped to reinforce that we are on the same team and we just want to help Mom. Emotion plays such an integral part of the birth experience and I am thankful that this was covered in such a significant way.
How do you think this book will affect your role as a doula?
Mainly, I will use the specific pain-relief techniques that I learned and I will probably refer back to this book often for positioning suggestions and to review the list of alternatives when labor is progressing slowly. I loved learning about the three Rs and think I will be able to better detect when this is happening for mom. As mentioned above, I think this book will help me to better relate to the Dads and understand how they may be feeling during the process of labor.
This was a great book! I would definitely recommend it for parents and doulas! (Preview Here)
What were some of the pain relief techniques you learned about? And what are the three R's? I've never heard of this book!! <3 HP
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