The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

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Summary: At long last. Evidence based information!
Review: I now incourage the couples in my class to read this book cover to cover and use the information when creating their birth plan. I hope this book will help empower women to ask for, and expect, a safer birth experience. At last, a book filled with accurate information that even a doctor will find hard to argue with!

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Summary: empowering information
Review: I wish that I had read Henci Goer's book earlier in my pregnancy so that I could have been better prepared while chosing my care provider. I would have been more prepared to ask more intelligent questions about what was important to me. After reading her book, I feel very confident with my choice of using a midwife and a birthing center and so does my husband. Very valuable information that every pregnant woman should have early in their pregnancy, it is by far the best book I have read on this subject.

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Summary: A must read!
Review: Henci Goer has provided the information needed in very readable terms for all women to have a better birth. Backed with extensive research, Goer clears up common misconceptions and obstetrical myths that are running rampant in childbirth in this country. As a childbirth educator, advocate and Labor Support Doula I would recommend this book to all pregnant women. Early in pregnancy most people want to read about pregnancy, thinking they've got months to go to read up on birth issues. This book really should be read early. If you read nothing else, read this! [e-mail]

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Summary: THE THINKING WOMAN'S GUIDE TO A BETTER BIRTH
Review: THIS IS A WELL WRITTEN AND HIGHLY INFORMATIVE BOOK. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE THIS AUTHOR AS THE DOULA FOR OUR UPCOMING BIRTH AND WE FEEL THAT THE KNOWLEDGE SHE SHARES IN THIS BOOK IS SO EDUCATIONAL. I READ THE BOOK COVER TO COVER.

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Summary: Honest Information Offered Directly From Medical Literature
Review: Ms. Goer has methodically reviewed the medical research in obstetrics and presented it in language that anyone can understand. She clearly explains why some of the most commonly practiced interventions in childbirth are not based in research.

Henci Goer has also written a great book for birth professionals, and the best part of both books is that, including her own opinions, she puts her research skills where her mouth is. You don't have to be a medical researcher to get through this book because she has put the information into convenient summaries. You can hear a bit of frustration in her tone while reading the book, but that is because so many OB practitioners keep practicing in ways that are clearly opposite to what the medical researchers have shown is beneficial to pregnant and laboring women!

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Summary: truely the "thinking" woman's guide--the best !
Review: Henci's easy reading style enhances the facts that she presents to the "thinking" woman who is thankfully searching for the safe satisfying birth she knows she wants. The set up of the information is logical and easy to follow. I am just disappointed that Ms. Goer has not written a thinking woman--guide to pregnancy. I see so many woman reading the standard "What to expect... and come in with ridiculous questions--too many holes and too general a guide. The field of obstetrics needs to be based on proven evidence and Ms. Goer gives the birthing mom her guide to these facts--empowering her with every word. I cannot thank her enough for helping us with our quest for normal birth!

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Summary: Disappointing and frustrating
Review: I had read several reviews for this book here on Amazon, and thought it sounded like a good fit for me. I have more of a tendency toward the natural and holistic approach to childbirth, and this books seemed to fit the bill. While I did appreciate the section on avoiding episiotomies and some of the info on VBAC's, overall I was frustrated with and disappointed in The Thinking Woman's Guide. The author seems to have a true mistrust of doctors and hospitals. While I agree that sometimes "modern medicine" intervenes when it isn't necessary, I'm not going to second guess every little thing my provider says and does. How can you enjoy your birth experience if you're paranoid that whole time? Some parts of the book are confusing. On one page, the author says that in order to have a "safe" vaginal birth, women should avoid epidurals and other pain killers. But literally on the next page she says for a "positive" birth experience, you should *plan* to have an epidural. So, you're telling me it's not safe, but I should do it anyway? Huh?? The section that I found most upsetting is where the author talks about husbands as labor coaches. She basically says that no husband really wants to be a labor coach and men aren't typically very nuturing or instructive during labor anyway, so all women should hire a doula. Your husband should just sit in the corner waiting around to cut the cord. I found this ridiculous, and my husband (who was an outstanding labor coach during the birth of our first child) was offended. This book was definitely not worth the money I paid for it. I highly recommend looking around for a different guide for your pregnancy and birth.

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Summary: A must read for all pregnant women...
Review: As a childbirth educator teaching in a hospital, I'm limited on the amount of information I'm able to give my students. Thankfully, this book is listed in the "Recommended Reading" section of our class textbook. Through this book, I'm able to inform my students about the risks of interventions, how to communicate with their care givers, and how to have a better birth. Unfortunately, alot of my students are weeks before their due dates and they miss the extremely valuable information this book gives on how to choose a competent care giver and how to truly find out how their care giver practices.

The pendulum is swinging to a very high technological approach in birth. In the five years I've been teaching, the cesarean rate has doubled at our hospital. It's outrageous and not evidence based care, as Ms. Goer's book explains (and backs up with scientific studies and references).

If you want to know the real story on epidurals, IVs, VBACs, and inductions, get this book!

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Summary: Empowering and Informative!
Review: While the author definately has a very strong opinion on her subject, I believe she does a very good job of backing up her statements with numerous studies and statistics. After a very disappointing birth experience with my first child, which ended with a C-section, reading this book gave me the knowledge and courage to leave my OB and hospital in the fifth month of my second pregnancy. This book focuses mainly on interventions such as pitocin, fetal monitoring, epidurals, etc., and there links to complications and c-sections. I would recommend this book to any healthy women that believes that childbirth is a natural process that should not be interfered with unless medically necessary.

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Summary: Horrible, biased book.
Review: I found this book spectacularly unhelpful, and ridiculous in the sense that it actually encourages the reader to think that they know more than their experienced, educated medical providers AFTER ONLY READING THIS BOOK! What a crock. It also shows a clear bias against any medical professional and implies that their motives are simply to make your birth as convenient for them as possible. I am considering throwing this book away, which is something I have NEVER done. Waste of money and paper.