Rating: 
Summary: Read my Review I read the entire book
Review: I read this book cover to cover and can say that I would recomend it to my expectant friends. The information about what is actually happening during the labor and delivery is excellent. The excercise chapter is great, using mental imagery and the pictures of various birthing positions are wonderfully vivid as well. On page 182 Ms. McCutcheon states that after giving birth, Breastfeeding while laying down is almost impossible. It was only after reading the chapter on Breastfeeding, that I suspected she meant that you couldn't breastfeed laying down with the umbilical cord still intact.- but this is not made clear for those who might only read that chapter as a reference. There is an entire chapter devoted to why an episiotomy is completly not needed and harmful to the mother. However, there is wording throughout the book that would lend one to believe that she is not completely convinced, such as listing three prerequisites for having a pressure episiotomy, and asking your doctor, "Do you know about the pressure episiotomy in the unlikely event that a cut should be necessary?" This type of thinking completly goes against Ms. McCutcheons own Bradley philosopy when it comes to every other unnecesary medical procedure spoken of in the book. Clearly, the intent of the book is to educate you on every aspect of childbirth, and enable you to make competent decisions for you and babys health and well-being, before you go into the delivery room. Therefore, an educated decision not to have fetal heart monitoring, induced labor, pitocin drips, IV's or an epidural, should be just as final for an episiotomy -and not in the unlikely event that medical doctor should deem it necessary. There was an "us against the establishment (and Lamaze)" mentality in the book. Her chapter on nutrition was way off in promoting so much protein -especially from animal sources- because someone convinced her that was what a pregnant mother needed, but she didn't back it up. Animal protein is taxing and digesting it depletes energy from the entire system. I recomend The family nutrition book by William and Martha Sears and anything by Herbert Shelton.
Rating: 
Summary: good labor and relaxation info, dated hospital info
Review: For a book that was revised in 1996, the information about hospital practices is very dated, and the author is antagonistic towards hospital personnel. As a labor and delivery nurse I know of no hospital (in my area at least) that straps a woman to a delivery table or condones the "routine" use of episiotomies and assisted births (forceps or vacuum). Also, rooming in (mom and baby not being separated) is the norm, rather than the exception. The descriptions of what happens pysiologically during labor and delivery are good and I find the relaxation information helpful, not only for my next birth, but to help the mom's I'm working with relax. Get the book, skip the skewed views on hospitals and medical personnel or get the low down on the hospital you'll birth in from several people who have birthed in the same hospital
Rating:
Summary: Lots of help, skip the scary parts
Review: I found this book extremely informative on Bradley technique but kind of scary when talking about alternatives and hospitals. After having two babies using medications, I was desperate to find another option. The book is extremely good about detailing the feelings you have during pregnancy and childbirth. Working on the birthing techniques with my husband was priceless and helped create a special bond between us. After having our third child without medication I have got to tell everyone how much better a drug free birthing experience can be! I only paniced once. I had praticed the pushing visualization so well it only took three pushes for our daughter to be born! The scary part can be avoided by skipping the information on Lamaze, hospitals, and doctors. It is out-dated and frightening. Move on to the excercises and have a wonderful birth experience!
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Summary: Generally an excellent summation of the Bradley Method
Review: I am a Bradley Method instructor and I think that this book is an excellent summary of the material we teach in the class. The illustrations clearly show what is happening physiologically during labor and I just love the photographs. The best thing about this book is that it clearly shows that a totally natural birth is really possible. For many of us, when we first decided to "go natural" we got no support from our friends and family. This book will reassure you that you aren't "crazy!" The down side of this book is that it can seem hysterically negative about the medical profession and about Lamaze. To me, that isn't productive. I am afraid that the tone can be something of a turnoff, especially for people who are undecided about natural birth. And for those already committed to the idea of going without drugs, they don't need further convincing! All in all, worth the money if you are interested in natural birth. I had a son with the Bradley Method and it was THE BEST experience of my entire life. Now I teach it to others and it is the best job in the world!
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Summary: I used the Bradley method, and I didn't make a peep in labor
Review: I expected I'd have to have a C-section because my mother had had to, but when I read this book, I realised that it didn't have to be that way. The book taught me about the process of labor and eased so many of my fears; it put me in control of my labor. I did not have to have any drugs; I gave birth without a single scream. I thank the Bradley method--for teaching me how natural birth really is.
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Summary: Wonderful book to include BOTH parents!
Review: I am currently 7 weeks away from having my first child. Six months ago, I was all for a medicated childbirth until my husband brought home this book recommended by a customer of ours. It has been a wonderful way for my husband to have an active role in the pregnancy as well as to understand what I am physically going through. The only downside of the book is that it is dated. Not so much sexist (in my opinion) but more a fear of hospital practices. Some sections in the book made me fear the "doctors & nurses" in a hospital because of "routine" forcept deliveries, episotomy, etc..(although my next visit with my midwife put any fears to rest). In short, this has been the only book that gave my husband and I a mental picture of what was happening to my body during labor & delivery.
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Summary: Revolutionized my birth!
Review: The practical info in this book revolutionized the birth experience I had with my second baby. After my first delivery I felt like I'd been run over by a truck. After experiencing "natural childbirth the Bradley way" with my second, I felt absolutely great. Every family deserves this kind of joy in childbirth. Take this information seriously and you'll never regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: The good parts are very good; the bad parts are horrid.
Review: I'm about 6 weeks away from my due date, and am using this book as a tool for exercise information breathing information and info about the stages of labor; I wanted to use it for insight about labor practices, what to expect in the delivery room, and guidelines about what a laboring woman needs to do and know if she wants to try natural childbirth, but it is so out of date, at least in terms of my hospital's practices, that all those sections are completely useless. I don't mind the criticisms of Lamaze - as someone who can't hyperventilate while jogging, and doesn't expect to be able to while laboring, and as someone who has no visual-mind connection and can't see how she'll get something out of the Hang A Picture On The Wall Or Visualize Something concept, I think there are some well deserved criticisms of the method. BUT theorizing that in 20 years doctors may discover hazards of ultrasounds may've made sense in the 1983 version, but in the 1996 revision, those sections should have been revised; by the way it's written, you can tell that it wasn't. Also, even though I understand the Bradley people's views about epidurals, the way epidurals are done has changed over the past 20 years, but since the Method is against it entirely, they didn't seem to care enough to correct the now-inaccurate sections on how they are given and what the effects are. Plus, it's all fine & dandy to recommend eating 2 eggs each day, but that's pretty useless if you, like me, have a serious pregnancy-related food aversion to eggs. I can't even be in the same room as someone cooking them. And of course, there's no substitute or replacement suggested. All in all, if you're buying it because you, like me, want to have more info about breathing the BRadley way, or about the exercises, it's worth a few bucks. If you're buying it because you want it to be the be-all-and-end-all of your labor education experience, you risk going into the hospital with a lot of scary misinformation. ps - in terms of c-section ratio, it's more useful to learn what your doctor's is for your specific kind of situation (i.e. if you're a first time mother in her 20's, versus a second time mother who had an emergency caesarean the first time, and is in her 40's) than their overall rate.
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Summary: Got very turned off by their trashing the Lamaze method.
Review: I actually ended up not reading too much of this book simply because in their first chapter which compares Lamaze to Bradley they just TRASHED Lamaze! And they made many assertions which are untrue. So -- the method may be valuable but the messenger in this case was pretty insulting.
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Summary: Don't pass this up........
Review: In addition to buying this book, we took a 10 week Bradley course. This book was very instrumental with the end of the chapter exercises for both mother-to-be and father-to-be. If a course is not a possibilty for you, this book is a must in helping you achieve the best form of natural childbirth out there. I had a healthy baby boy drug-free and am expecting #2 in a week. It can be done and Bradley is the most "in tune with your body" way to do it, not just heavy breathing.
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