Pelvic Health & Childbirth: What Every Woman Needs to Know

Rating:
Summary: if you are pregnant - you need to read this
Review: In the US - almost no option is given to having an elective c-section. When I first told my dr. that I want to have a c-section rather than "natural" childbirth, he nearly fell on his back. This book gave me the knowledge to arm myself with informed information about the changes and risks in a women's body. For too long these decisions were given to the drs and the health care system and very rarely were pelvic floor damage discussed with pregnant women . This is your decision based on carefully weighed risks based on your circustances and body. So you need to get informed.

Rating:
Summary: After you've read "Expecting..." - read this
Review: There are a lot of things you're told to expect when you're pregnant - the food cravings, strange pressure on your bladder, changes in sexual appetite - but what I really needed to know about life after childbirth I've learned here in Dr. Murphy's book. I think the legacy of childbirth and it's impact on women's bodies as a dirty thing, talked about by women in hushes whisper or undergone completely sedated, have allowed too many mothers to leave the delivery room unaware of the complications and surgeries which can arise later in life.

I think that knowing what to expect is the key, and this book tells the real and unabridged version. Thank you to Dr. Murphy and his collegues for this well-written addition to the must-read list of mothers and their partners.

Rating:
Summary: What no one ever tells you.. here it is! Necessary reading!
Review: This book covers the real issues of what happens to a woman's anatomoy as a result of childbirth -things no one ever tells you!

Let's be frank; your baby may not be the only one wetting themself!
-No one wants to talk about prolapse of the uterus, bladder, and rectum. Or about urinary or fecal incontinence and fistulas... but these things are all possible complications -and not so rare!

It is written by a doctor, but he lays it out in terms you can understand. Women who have had children, and are suffering (and think they are the only ones -but aren't!) and women planning to have children should read this so they can make informed decisions about their health. Let's get these issues out of the closet -send copies to the women you know, or at least share your copy with them. Hindsight doesn't fix the problems (surgery may help afterwards, but can't completely restore the damage that may occur in childbirth...) IMHO anyway.

Rating:
Summary: What Women Need to Know
Review: This book is written for women- young and old, pregnant or not. It is about a common and often debilitating condition that is misunderstood and a source of confusion and shame. It will unveil the silent epidemic of pelvic floor disfunction- a problem that leaves women unable to enjoy physical and sexual activity due to bladder incontinence and prolapse (falling) of the pelvic organs. It discusses causal factors, prevention and treatment, honestly and in detail. It combines both fact and opinion, personal accounts of sufferers and some interesting historical and cultural background.

What is most interesting about this book is it's view on pelvic floor dysfunction as an argument for elective Cesarean section. Informed choice is a guiding principle in Western health care. The author will enlighten the reader as to how this concept has been ignored with an emphasis on vaginal deliveries at all cost. Any advocate of a woman's choice in her health care will find this idea- one that has been debated amongst those in the field but neglected by the general population- quite eye opening.

This book is a must-read for all women concerned about their 'pelvic health'. In addition, it will prove most informative for nursing and medical professionals involved in their care.