Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: This book is terrific. If you appreciate pregnancy books that are neither preachy nor unrealistic, you will find this book worth your money. It is efficiently laid out and clearly written, without sacrificing pertinent details and tips. It has obviously been written by an expert, Penny Simkin, who knows her subject. I am reading it both for myself and my husband, and I am finding it easy to highlight areas for him to read, as the text is broken down in an almost bulleted fashion making it great for quick reading and looking up information in a hurry. Lots of good information for people who want the facts but not to get mired in medical jargon and political statements about childbirthing methods.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect gift for dads-to-be!
Review: This book is the long-awaited book for partners of
laboring women. It has been the longtime handbook for
doulas (professional labor support) and now is available to
the public. The book covers normal labor, breathing,
comfort measures, support, and complications of
labor. It even has a handy reference guide for
during labor.
Rating: 
Summary: Not all that
Review: This book was a waste of time for me and my partner. The same information was found in various other books I have on birth and parenting. Plus the book was a little dry cut. However, the information was well stated.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful companion to Bradley class
Review: This book was everything that the 'what to expect when you are expecting' book was not, in other words - it's well written, comprehensive, and treats you like you have a brain. It's wonderfully informative and, while it is natural birth oriented, it still covers all the medicated and interventionist methods also. It was a nice additional read during our Bradley classes.
Rating:
Summary: Just what my husband needed!...Awesome book!
Review: This book was so wonderful in preparing my husband to be an awesome coach! We had our baby three months early and not started our birthing classes yet, but he had already read this book. When I was in labor he used the ideas shared in this book and he was such a great help to me! I would highly recommend this book for couples to read together in preparation for childbirth. I also think that this would make a great shower gift!
Rating:
Summary: DON'T GIVE BIRTH WITHOUT READING THIS BOOK!
Review: This is an invaluable text on the childbirth process. It gives a woman information on all of her options from the home birth to the most medicalized hospital birth including C sections. Knowing your options gives you comfort and power to make informed decisions that are the best for you and your child.
Rating:
Summary: THE book to have for labor & delivery!
Review: This is the best book I have found on labor & delivery. As the expectant mother, I read it for my own edification and found it hard to put down. It's hard to imagine getting this much information in any other book that you can read in two sittings. Vital information (when to go to the hospital & what to take, how to tell prelabor from early labor, what to expect during a cesarean, etc.) is highlighted with darkened page borders for quick reference. The information provided covers the whole gamut from home birth to the knock-me-down-and-take-it-out fully anesthetized delivery, without showing bias toward or against any choice that the mother might make. I feel very comfortable that my husband and I, having read this book, are ready to face our options and make informed decisions when the time comes.
Rating:
Summary: Book has every detail you need to know about birth.
Review: This is THE BOOK to have to learn about birth, its prep and post recovery. The book was written for birthing partner, but it's a great learning book for the mom. My husband refused to read it.
Every little question I had about what to expect of birth was in this book. What to do to prepare for birth, how to recognize onset of labor, and what happens to your body and baby during the birth process which is a great thing to know. It also has a chapter on difficult labor, which is great to prepare yourself for the worst.
Book has a lot of "...in a nutshell" pages, which are great reference pages.
Rating:
Summary: The ultimate birthing book!
Review: This is the most comprehensive birth book ever written! It covers all aspects of giving birth, and is an excellent resource for both the pregnant woman and her partner. After reading this book, I felt very well-informed about all the possibilities of my own labor. Also, it doesn't lean too far towards any one idealogoy, but gives you the biology and information to understand your own labor. Too many women go into their labor not understanding what is happening to their own bodies! This book explains it very well with great suggestions for how to make it an easier experience.I HIGHLY recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: The Birth partner:Everything you need to know to help a woma
Review: This was a great book to understand laboring mums and what is needed to help, encourage, and comfort them. Whether a partner, doula, nurse or doctor this is a great book to read.
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