REVIEW: The Birth Book (Sears)

I recently completed this book as my 3rd option from the Childbirth International reading list. My notes below are based on the questions I answered to complete my book review for the course.

What did you enjoy about this book?

I thought this book was a very even-tempered book which gave unbiased information about all aspects of birth. They covered all of the topics well even going in depth to explain the details of each potential procedure and its possible outcomes. I felt this book also did a great, but gentle, job of encouraging women to take an active part of their birth by letting them know that there are options. I think Martha's chapter at the very beginning of the book would get most any woman to at least consider the benefits of natural childbirth. I also appreciated her notes throughout, which made the material more personable.

What did you not like about this book?

I was very displeased with the outdated nature of this book. While it appears that they have updated the cover, the content is still from the early 90's. There is a lot of speculation in the book about how maternity care will improve over the next decade. The true passing of time has shown the opposite. Some of the options are even outdated (i.e. banned in some areas) now. It was very frustrating to read their hopes for the future yet knowing that the American maternity care system still has a long way to go. I was also disappointed to see that the term “doula” isn't even used in the book. In some cases, I even felt that their definition of a professional labor assistant was incorrect. This fact alone would give me pause before recommending this book.

What was the most significant thing you learned when reading this book?

It was very interesting to learn about the history of birth and to see just how we got this far off track. I think the authors did a fantastic job explaining why, at the time, women thought this was a better way. Sometimes it isn't until we look back that we notice how bad that scenario was. I also took special note of Martha's birth stories and the feelings that were evoked after each birth and how much they learned from each experience. I was also fascinated to see the bonding that Dad experienced and how it increased as each birth became more “natural.”

How do you think this book will affect your role as a doula?

As I mentioned previously, Martha's notes were extremely helpful. Dr. Sears would describe something such as relaxation, but her words were very realistic and I was able to visualize exactly what needed to happen in the process. I envision that I will also use some of her verbiage with future clients to explain “how” I need them to relax. The explanations and illustrations of positioning were also helpful. Overall, this was a good refresher course of birth preparation and the process itself.