Meticulously documented, Optimal Care in Childbirth pulls back the curtain on medical-model management of childbirth. Written for those who want to practice according to the best evidence, assist women in making informed decisions, or advocate for maternity care reforms, it provides an in-depth analysis of the evidence basis for physiologic care.

A Guide to effective care in pregnancy and childbirth is a clearly written review of the important research evidence on the effects of the various care practices carried out during pregnancy, childbirth, and the early days after birth. In addition to the details provided in the text, the book concludes with valuable tables that list the practices which are beneficial, those of unknown effectiveness, and those likely to be ineffective or harmful.

As an intelligent woman, you are probably used to learning as much as you can before making major decisions. But when it comes to one of the most important decisions of your life--how you will give birth—it is hard to gather accurate, unbiased information. Surprisingly, much of the research does not support common medical opinion and practice. Birth activist Henci Goer gives clear, concise information based on the latest medical studies. The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth helps you compare and contrast your various options and shows you how to avoid unnecessary procedures, drugs, restrictions, and tests. The book covers: Cesareans Breech babies Inducing labor Electronic Fetal Monitoring Rupturing Membranes Coping with slow labor Pain medication Epistiotomy Vaginal birth after a Ceasarean Doulas Deciding on a doctor or midwife Choosing where to have your baby and much more . . .

Plenty of pregnancy and birth books tell you what to expect during birth. This guide, though, is one of the few to delve deeply into one topic, delivering up-to-date access to the best medical research. In this data-driven birth book, award-winning childbirth writer and educator Henci Goer brings her thirty-plus years of experience analyzing the obstetric research to the table, delivering the most thorough synthesis on the market. Yet she structures the book thoughtfully so you can take in information however suits you. Dig into every detail or skip to the summaries. Read about every topic or jump to the ones that interest you most. Henci creates a judgment-free zone where you're in the driver's seat. And she won't just provide the information you need to choose among your options, she'll also give you practical strategies for developing your plan and putting it into action. You'll know what you want, why you want it, and how best to get it-how to have the birth that fits best for you.Here's your opportunity to get the data. Make a plan. And TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR BIRTH.

In the United States, more than half the women who give birth are given drugs to induce or speed up labor; for nearly a third of mothers, childbirth is major surgery - the cesarean section. For women who want an alternative, choice is often unavailable: Midwives are sometimes inaccessible; in eleven states they are illegal. In one of those states, even birthing centers are outlawed.When did birth become an emergency instead of an emergence? Since when is normal, physiological birth a crime? A groundbreaking journalistic narrative, Pushed presents the complete picture of maternity care in America. Crisscrossing the country to report what women really experience during childbirth, Jennifer Block witnessed several births - from a planned cesarean to an underground home birth. Against this backdrop, Block investigates whether routine C-sections, inductions, and epidurals equal medical progress. She examines childbirth as a reproductive rights issue: Do women have the right to an optimal birth experience? If so, is that right being upheld? Block's research and experience reveal in vivid detail that while emergency obstetric care is essential, there is compelling evidence that we are overusing medical technology at the expense of maternal and infant health: Either women's bodies are failing, or the system is failing women.

The delivery of high quality and equitable care for both mothers and newborns is complex and requires efforts across many sectors. The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world, yet outcomes are worse than other high-resource countries, and even worse for Black and Native American women. There are a variety of factors that influence childbirth, including social determinants such as income, educational levels, access to care, financing, transportation, structural racism and geographic variability in birth settings. It is important to reevaluate the United States' approach to maternal and newborn care through the lens of these factors across multiple disciplines. Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States, the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth, birth settings research, and access to and choice of birth settings.

Postpartum depression has become a more recognized mental illness over the past decade as a result of education and increased awareness. Traumatic childbirth, however, is still often overlooked, resulting in a scarcity of information for health professionals. This is in spite of up to 34% of new mothers reporting experiencing a traumatic childbirth and prevalence rates rising for high risk mothers, such as those who experience stillbirth or who had very low birth weight infants. This ground-breaking book brings together an academic, a clinician and a birth trauma activist. Each chapter discusses current research, women’s stories, the common themes in the stories and the implications of these for practice, clinical case studies and a clinician’s insights and recommendations for care. Topics covered include: mothers’ perspectives, fathers’ perspectives, the impact on breastfeeding, the impact on subsequent births, PTSD after childbirth and EMDR treatment for PTSD. This book is a valuable resource for health professionals who come into contact with new mothers, providing the most current and accurate information on traumatic childbirth. It also presents mothers’ experiences in a manner that is accessible to women, their partners, and families.