The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Revised)

Rating:
Summary: An amazing pro-birth book
Review: There are two kind of women out there: Those who want a traditional doctor who will "take care of everything for them" along with a traditional hospital birth with lots of medication options and an episiotomy, and those who want something more personal--who want their own body to do the work, who want help from experienced women and who want an intimate, memorable experience they can share with their partner. This is a book for the second type of woman. Those who are a little more, ahem, "traditional" should get "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (a book that I happen to think treats women like morons). "The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth" is an amazing, amazing book. It is so pro-family--talking about the importance of including husbands and even other family members if you should so choose. I am baffled by the anti-man comments in another review...this book is so incredibly pro-husband! In fact, it is my own husband's favorite pregnancy book. I'm also baffled by the criticism of waterbirth. Yes, the book does touch on waterbirth, which may sound strange to a middle-American, but is a very popular option in New York, San Francisco, Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle and other modern American cities--as well as a popular option in England, Canada, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, etc. That said, the book also objectively--Kintzinger does no bashing--discusses hospital-style procedures such as forcep deliver, episiotomy, epidurals, etc. Kitzinger is a big believer in having supportive, experienced, compassionate people around you, which is why she is such a fan of midwives, but she also discusses how to find such support in the hopsital among nurses and doctors.She even has pictures of a woman giving birth in a hospital using physical positions other than the flat-on-the-back position we all associate with hopsitals. As for the alcohol criticism, it's true. Kitzinger does say alcohol is okay in very small amounts. Before you get all hot and bothered, it's important to remember that Kitzinger is a European, a Brit. Having had personal, direct experience with French midwives, I know that not every country shares America's belief that women need completely abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Most European midwives and doctors do say small amounts of alcohol are safe once you're past the first trimester. (In fact, I was told by a French doctor to have one two three glasses of red wine each week to "strengthen my blood" and "raise my iron levels." So go figure.) As for alcohol units, an earlier reviewer's translation isn't quite correct: In Britain a unit isn't an entire glass of wine, bottle of beer, etc. It's more akin to a half-filled small wine glass...what would only be a few ounces. Something to think about before everyone starts witch hunting! It's important to remember that not everyone wants the kind of hopsital births their American mothers had--and to appreciate that there are terrific options out there for us all. This book is a godsend for those of us who prefer options!

Rating:
Summary: The best of the illustrated guides
Review: This book is a beautifully illustrated guide to pregnancy. Now in its fourth edition, it has earned a reputation as an authoritative and comforting guide to pregnancy and birth. This is my favorite of all the illustrated guides to pregnancy: the one every expectant couple should own. The tone of the book is also bang-on. Kitzinger is never patronizing. Instead she empowers pregnant women and their partners, assuring them that they can handle the challenges that they will face en route to parenthood. Five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Best one out there...
Review: This book makes "What To Expect When You're Expecting" look like a cookbook. During my first prenatal appointment, my midwife suggested this book to me and I thought it would be another pregnancy book in the library of childbirth; but it truly stands out. Oddly enough, I, my sister and 3 good friends are pregnant at the same time. I've looked through their books with lots of questions, they looked through this one and couldn't believe how informative it is! I found that other books are very scary when it comes to little things that happen during pregnancy, but this book helps you realize that EVERYTHING that is happening to you is natural, wondering, can be expected and what to do about it (except the truly serious subjects i.e. miscarriage). It conquers everything from conception to reinstating sex after birth, even grieving processes if you've lost a pregnancy or gone through still birth. If you truly want to have a pregnancy book that doesn't stir a panic with every symptom, a book that allows and encourages you to enjoy every minute of this wonderful time, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Best one out there...
Review: This book makes "What To Expect When You're Expecting" look like a cookbook. During my first prenatal appointment, my midwife suggested this book to me and I thought it would be another pregnancy book in the library of childbirth; but it truly stands out. Oddly enough, I, my sister and 3 good friends are pregnant at the same time. I've looked through their books with lots of questions, they looked through this one and couldn't believe how informative it is! I found that other books are very scary when it comes to little things that happen during pregnancy, but this book helps you realize that EVERYTHING that is happening to you is natural, wondering, can be expected and what to do about it (except the truly serious subjects i.e. miscarriage). It conquers everything from conception to reinstating sex after birth, even grieving processes if you've lost a pregnancy or gone through still birth. If you truly want to have a pregnancy book that doesn't stir a panic with every symptom, a book that allows and encourages you to enjoy every minute of this wonderful time, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Knowledge is Power
Review: When I became pregnant with my son, my cousin loaned me this book to read on pregnancy and childbirth. I loved the information that I gleaned. This information allowed me to make decisions on the kind of birth that I wanted. Although Ms. Kitzinger mentioned obstetritions and midwives as caregivers without too much bias either way, I decided to switch to a nurse-midwife halfway through because my desires were more in harmony with her philosophies. Due to this book, I was able to approach birth and labor without any fear and although the twelve hours of labor were hard, my drug-free birth was extremely rewarding. I didn't have an episiotomy, experienced only a small surface tear, and I was able to function without any pain after about three days. My recovery time was very fast and I felt so good. Knowledge is empowering. As for those people who have reviewed this book as extremely biased, well I doubt they have read anything except "What to Expect When You are Expecting". I assure you there are books so much more biased that you can consider Ms. Kitzinger's book more akin to an encyclopedia on pregnancy and childbirth. In response to a reviewer above a drug-free labor for many hours will not make you too tired to push. The urge to push is completely instinctive and it would require more strength not to push. I promise that a 15 centimeter head can fit through an opening that does have the ability to open more than 10 centimeters. Just to emphasize the point, my sister-in-law just delivered a 9 lb 4 oz. baby boy with a surface tear that only required four stitches. Just as Ms. Kitzinger suggests, our bodies are capable of childbirth without intervention and allowing the natural processes to occur, will in most cases, create a safe and extremely rewarding birth.