Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
By: Peggy Vincent
This book is based on the memoirs of California midwife, Peggy Vincent, and I simply could not put it down. It was an amazing story!
She chronicles her life and experiences through the birth stories of women she worked with over the years spanning from 1962-1992. It was very interesting to see her transformation after her very first birth experience during nursing school at Duke University. It changed her perspective about labor and was a constant theme throughout the rest of her journey into midwifery and beyond.
I enjoyed how each birth continued to to shape her solo homebirth practice and some chapters left me on the edge of my seat. I was anxious to hear how they would end and even more interested to see what life lesson she would take away from that labor and how she would apply it to future midwifery clients. Many doctors she worked with believed that "all births are complicated until proven otherwise." Her philosophy for supporting women was the exact opposite and was proven over and over though out her years of practice.
I enjoyed how each birth continued to to shape her solo homebirth practice and some chapters left me on the edge of my seat. I was anxious to hear how they would end and even more interested to see what life lesson she would take away from that labor and how she would apply it to future midwifery clients. Many doctors she worked with believed that "all births are complicated until proven otherwise." Her philosophy for supporting women was the exact opposite and was proven over and over though out her years of practice.
Peggy Vincent amazes me with the amount of details and dialogue she remembers from the 30 years which spanned in this book. She often talks about her meticulous notes and patient charts but I feel this book was beautifully written from her memories and first hand accounts. It's not fiction but it easily reads and flows in that manner, which explains how I managed to read it in just over 24 hours.
I would highly recommend this book even if you aren't a birth professional. Her story is just that good! It's been added to my lending library if you would like to borrow it.
