Book Review: Times Two

Mar18

Book Review: Times Two: Two Women In Love & the Happy Family They Made
By Kristen Henderson & Sarah Kate Ellis
Free Press, 2011
ISBN 978-1439176405
224 pages, hard cover, $14.81

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Written in a she said/she said format, Times Two is an engaging memoir of two women’s journey into parenthood. I was immediately entranced by their story and devoured the whole book in less than 24 hours. A professional couple living in New York, Kristen and Sarah embark on various fertility treatments and experience a devastating miscarriage before both becoming pregnant—with the same donor and with due dates only three days apart. The rest of the book chronicles their progress through their dual pregnancies, the births of their nearly-twins, and a brief discussion of the postpartum adjustment period. It was interesting—and sad—to read about the hurdles faced by same-sex couples in achieving legal parenting rights.

I was especially interested in their birth choices. While beginning with very different goals, the mothers-to-be hire a doula and find the private birth classes she offers to be a transformative influence. Sarah successfully turns her transverse baby with moxibustion shortly before her due date and avoids a scheduled cesarean and both women give birth with doula support (and eventually epidurals) during the same month.

The book is fast-paced and reads like a novel. A nice, extra touch is a series of color photos in the middle of the book—ultrasound pictures, double-belly pictures, and photos of the babies and family. The tone of Times Two is fairly lightweight and casual and the dialogue felt somewhat stilted or artificial, but this unusual double narrative kept me captivated.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: Gentle Birth Companions

Jan11

Book Review: Gentle Birth Companions: doulas serving humanity
By Adela Stockton
McCubbington Press, 2010
ISBN 978-1-907931-00-0
104 pages, paperback, £13.00 (worldwide)
http://www.adelastockton.co.uk

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Gentle Birth Companions is the first book “written about the doula movement beyond the US” and as such it was a fascinating read. I hadn’t realized how ethnocentric my own perceptions were about the role and history of doulas and I previously assumed that the “doula movement” was essentially synonymous with the “doula profession in the US.” Not so! Indeed, Stockton discusses the way in which in the US, doula professional organizations strive mainly to be acceptable to the medical community, whereas in the UK the doula operates outside of (or parallel to) the medical system. And, she provides an interesting analysis as to whether doulas should be referred to as “professionals” in the first place (this is also due to a difference in what the word means in the UK compared to the US). She expresses several criticisms of certification or even of specialized training programs, feeling that professionalization builds additional, unnecessary layers of bureaucracy into the maternity care system and that the role of a doula should be the role of a lay woman. She also posits that the role of doula actually represents a return to the role of traditional midwifery—what midwifery was supposed to be and has now become removed from politically, socially, and culturally.

Gentle Birth Companions is divided into three sections. In the first, Grassroots, it explores the origins of the doula, the 21^st century doula (including doula preparation and training), the UK “brand” of doula, and the wider doula community (thoughts about a global movement and also about doulas in the developing world as well as the industrialized world). The second section, Guardians of Gentle Birth?, explores the doula’s role both antenatally and postpartum and the return to “traditional midwifery” represented by the role. In the third section, Doula Tales, some UK doulas share birth stories , experiences, and thoughts in their own words.

Gentle Birth Companions is an excellent look at the “politics” of the doula movement and the professionalization and motivations of such, as well as at the role and purpose of the doula in women’s lives.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: The Power of Women

Dec22

Tonight I realized I apparently never posted my review of The Power of Women to this blog, but instead had it only on the CfM blog. Since I love the book, I decided to remedy the situation immediately!

The Power of Women
By Sister MorningStar
Motherbaby Press, 2009
ISBN 978-1-890446-43-7
201 pages, paperback, $29.95
http://motherbabypress.com/

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Occasionally, a book comes into my life that touches me so deeply that I am at a loss for words. The new book, The Power of Women, by Sister MorningStar, is one of those rare books. A treasure. A gem. A rare jewel. A delight. These are the words that do come to mind. However, superlatives—though true—do little justice to describing the actual book.

The Power of Women is a book of “instinctual” birth stories told through the eyes of a gifted and sensitive midwife. The stories are from her perspective, not the mother’s. Each story has either a lesson to share or is a glimpse into that deep inner wisdom and strength found in birthing women that is so easily ignored or dismissed in our modern birth culture. This book is good “word medicine” and the empowering stories within it shine a light to help other women trust their instincts. This light also helps other birth professionals rediscover the magic and mystery and wonder of birth and women.

The Power of Women also touched me in a special way because the author divides her time between my own native Missouri and a birth center in Mexico. Some of the stories shared take place in each location (more from Mexico). I found it delightful to discover the power of my own Missouri midwifery activist friends represented throughout the book. Familiar names and faces graced the pages for me and it was a treat to experience that connection.

The book consists of twelve chapters, each containing 5-9 different stories each. The stories themselves are not long, narrative birth accounts, but are moments captured brilliantly for the glimpse of powerful truth they share. Some are only 1/2 page in length–but the depth in each is great. The chapters are titled things like “Stories of Power” or “Stories of Courage” or “Stories of Community and the tales shared therein are loosely bound together with that common thread.

To be clear, not all of the stories are “happy” or are necessarily “good” birth stories, some are even fairly scary and even depressing. All are powerful.

My only critique of the book, which I hesitate to share because it seems petty in light of such a beautiful and wise book, is that the formatting of the text is odd. The font size is small and the text tightly spaced with very small indents.

If you find yourself in a place where you feel trapped alone in a world where the birth you love so much is becoming a “mythological story,” read this book. If you are an aspiring or current midwife, doula, or childbirth educator and wish to deepen your understanding of birth, read this book. If you are a pregnant woman hungering to dig deeply into instinctual birth and the wisdom and power of story, read this book. The Power of Women is a powerful, touching, and magical journey.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Product Review: Intelligender Gender Prediction Kit

Dec15

Product Review: Intelligender

Available at large retailers including Walgreens, Target, CVS/Pharmacy, and Rite-Aid, and online at www.intelligender.com
$34.95

Reviewed by Summer Thorp-Lancaster

I was excited to get home and test out the Intelligender Gender Prediction Test. My husband and I are not having an ultrasound to find out the sex of our baby, so when asked if I wanted to test/review, I said “Sure!”

I very carefully opened the package and was shocked to see what appeared, at first glance, to be a huge list of very detailed instructions. Upon further inspection, though, I realized the instructions were actually very simple and well laid out. Of important note are the several warnings that women who are dealing with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or those who have used Progesterone in the last ten days should NOT use this test, as they will most certainly receive a BOY result. Also of note is the recommendation to avoid intercourse for 48 hours prior to taking the test or else a BOY result will most likely occur (thanks to husband for being such a good sport).

All in all, I found the directions laid out clearly and easily followed them to an easy to read result. According to the company, laboratory trials averaged a 90% accuracy rate. The website includes a Sample Results page, where you can compare your results with others to verify. I do suggest that mothers with toddlers lock the bathroom door, as my two year old found the canister fascinating and had to be held back from touching.

Unfortunately, we’ll all have to wait until March or April to find out the accuracy of my BOY result. 🙂

Book Review: Memoirs of a Singing Birth

Dec4

Book Review: Memoirs of a Singing Birth
By Elena Skoko
Smashwords, 2010
94 pages, ebook, $9.99
http://www.sugarbabe.org

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Spanning the author’s experiences in several countries, Memoirs of a Singing Birth is an international tale of one woman’s journey through gentle pregnancy and birth. Elena Skoko was born in Croatia and lived in Italy before settling down in Bali (Indonesia) to give birth to her first daughter. There, Elena connects with Ibu Robin Lim, the well-known midwife who wrote After the Baby’s Birth and who manages the Bumi Sehat birth center in Bali. Elena and her partner are blues singers and they sing a special song to their baby prior to and during her birth.

Primarily a personal account with occasional observations about the larger maternity care system and its drawbacks, Memoirs of a Singing Birth is a gentle read that anyone interested in holistic pregnancy and birth care will find enjoyable.

English is not the author’s first language and this contributes to some odd or awkwardly phrased segments. In general, the book’s format, style, presentation, and writing is a little rough around the edges, but the author’s graceful story carries a melodious strain of beauty, empowerment, and wonder throughout.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth

Nov20

Book Review: Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth: Making Informed Decisions
By Nicette Jukelevics
Praeger Publishers, 2008
ISBN 978-0-275-99906-3
264 pages, hardback, $49.95 (or $40.96 via http://www.icea.org)
http://www.dangersofcesareanbirth.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Intended to be a comprehensive resource for both consumers and birth professionals, Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth is an in-depth look at the incidence and impact of cesarean birth on mothers, babies, families, and society as well as an overview of prevention strategies. The final section of the book is about “why normal birth matters” and addresses changing the status quo. The Midwives Model of Care is reflected and promoted during the book and doulas also receive strong support.

I have two primary opinions of the book: The first is that I truly believe that Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth should become the “go to” book for current, evidence-based, thorough information about cesarean birth in the U.S. It is a treasure trove of information and any birth professional would be well advised to have a copy on their bookshelf. The second opinion is that the “heavy” subject, extremely in-depth information, academic writing style, and relatively high price, will likely keep this book out of the hands out of its primary intended audience—the consumer. The person who most needs to read this book is the first-time pregnant woman. However, the entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking that there was only a slim likelihood of the average first-time mother being attracted to, or actually picking up this book, to read.

Mothers planning VBACs or seeking to understand their own cesarean birth experiences will probably find Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth to be a valuable resource. Birth activists will find clearly articulated and important information that they will wish to shout to the rooftops and I think that this is how the content in Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth has the best chance of truly reaching the women who need to hear its message.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: The Joy of Pregnancy

Nov20

Book Review: The Joy of Pregnancy: The Complete, Candid, and Reassuring Companion for Parents-to-Be
By Tori Kropp, RN
Harvard Common Press, 2008
ISBN 978-155832306-3
412 pages, paperback, $14.95
http://www.thejoyofpregnancy.com/

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

“One of the most important things I have learned about birthing babies is that the process is more of an unfolding marvel than a routine progression of events.” –Tori Kropp

Written by a nurse in a refreshingly positive tone, The Joy of Pregnancy is a basic guide to pregnancy and birth, intended primarily for first time parents. Not only does it cover month-by-month fetal and maternal developments during pregnancy, it includes information about labor and birth, preparing for postpartum, breastfeeding, and the first days of parenting. There is a conventional emphasis on “asking your care provider” rather than a consumer-oriented approach to making your own best decisions. Something unique and valuable about the book is that each section contains information specifically for women expecting twins or other multiples. This content is inset into boxes, but it is the first pregnancy book I’ve read where information for mothers of multiples is integrated into the main body of the text, rather than being relegated to special section or chapter. Specific “Dad’s Corner” sections in most chapters are another nicely integrated feature of the book.

Overall, the information contained in the Joy of Pregnancy is fairly conservative and standard, though as I noted, presented primarily in a positive and upbeat way rather than a fear or complication based way. Doulas, postpartum doulas, and midwives all receive casual mention and are presented as “normal,” rather than “fringe” options. Birth centers and homebirths are briefly included in the section on choosing a birth setting. Parents who are looking for a complete guide to pregnancy that reassures and comforts, rather than produces self-doubt, will find The Joy of Pregnancy a nice alternative. The book is also currently available as a free ebook via http://www.thejoyofpregnancy.com/free/, which is a great bonus!

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Giveaway: Great Gals Book/Journal

Nov17

This giveaway is now closed. The winners were Jodi and enjoybirth!

GREAT GALS: Inspired Ideas for Living a Kick-Ass Life by cartoonist Summer Pierre is a creative and fun combination of journal prompts, journal pages, quick quizzes, inspirational quotes, black and white art, and mini-bios of dozens of amazing women, both past and present. You can use the book for journaling, doodling, exploring your creativity and your thoughts, but you can also use it for a quick dose of women’s wisdom and inspiration. The women profiled range from Cyndi Lauper to Lucille Ball to Emily Dickinson to Ani DiFranco to Julia Child making this book just plain awesome. As the press info notes, this is NOT “your typical inspirational women’s journal”—the goal is empowerment and honest, assertive self-exploration. It would make a fun holiday gift for any woman, young or old, who is interested in living a powerful life.

Luckily for you, I am able to offer TWO copies of Great Gals as a giveaway this month! To enter, just leave a comment telling me which woman in the world—past or present—you find the most inspirational. I will draw winners via random number generator next Wednesday at 9:00. For an extra entry, you can share this giveaway via Facebook and then post a separate comment letting me know you did so.

You can watch a trailer for Great Gals here and you can check in with the author/illustrator via her website.

Book Review: Optimal Birth: What, Why & How

Nov13

Book Review: Optimal Birth: What, Why & How
By Sylvie Donna
Fresh Heart, 2010
ISBN 9781906619138
670 pages, paperback, £24.99
http://www.freshheartpublishing.com

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

Written in an energetic and confident tone, Optimal Birth is written for midwives and other birth care providers and emphasizes undisturbed, natural birth. Throughout the text, a unique “birthframe” format is used to share birth wisdom in women’s own words. Donna is heavily influenced by the work of Michel Odent (he attended several of her births) and references him frequently. The author writes in a very straightforward manner and has extremely strong opinions as to what constitutes “undisturbed birth,” but these opinions are backed up with ample evidence-based information. The exquisite sensitivity of a birthing woman to her environment is of primary importance in the book and caregivers are strongly urged to take an extremely hands-off approach to care.

A lengthy volume, Optimal Birth is difficult to describe adequately in summary form—it contains extensive sections about physiological birth, birth interventions, the emotional impact of women’s experiences, prenatal care, and postpartum care. It also includes a week-by-week guide to pregnancy. There are a large number of black and white pictures and each section of the book contains a series of insightful questions designed to provoke self-discovery about physiological birth and the appropriate care of birthing women.

Readers unaccustomed to the midwives model of care or to the principles of undisturbed, physiological birth may find the book’s emphasis on non-intervention heavy-handed or one-sided. Considering that many manuals for care providers focus extensively on labor and birth “management,” personally I find the non-disturbance approach advised by Optimal Birth to be inspirational and encouraging as well as appropriate. As the author notes, “the processes of birth are so delicate that many things can disturb a laboring woman and consequently make her labor slower and more dangerous.”

An encouraging and informative companion book containing much of the same information but from a consumer perspective titled Preparing for a Healthy Birth is also available.

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Book Review: Secrets of Confident Childbirth

Nov12

Book Review: Secrets of Confident Childbirth
By Vanessa Turner, Jackie Fletcher, Janay Alexander
HotHive Books, 2009
ISBN 978-1-906316-34-1
160 pages, paperback, £24.99
http://www.thebirthspecialists.com/book.html

Reviewed by Molly Remer, MSW, ICCE, CCCE
https://talkbirth.wordpress.com

“Your body is a complex work of art that functions perfectly” –The Birth Specialists

In an era when much pregnancy and birth literature seems to written in a “climate of doubt,” books like Secrets of Confident Childbirth offer a welcome and affirming alternate perspective—that of celebration and anticipation.

Accented with many beautiful, artistic photos of pregnant women, babies, and couples, Secrets of Confident Childbirth was written by a team of childbirth educators–“The Birth Specialists”–in the UK. The book emphasizes mind-body preparation for birth, with a special emphasis on hypnosis for childbirth as well as other methods of using the mind in a positive way to achieve healthy birth outcomes. The book includes information about the benefits of natural childbirth, prenatal bonding with your baby, the powerful impact of words and language on the birth experience, the role of hormones and the impact of fear, visualization, relaxation, pain management, labor positions, massage, and more. It also includes a brief section on birth planning and evidence-based care.

I do have a slight concern that the emphasis on “focus on what you want and you will achieve it” can possibly lead to self-blame or to “blaming the victim” if a woman’s birth does not work out the way she hopes and dreams. My observation about approaching birth with only “positive thinking” is that it can discount or undervalue the very critical role that the birth environment and the attitudes and fears of the others within that environment can have on the birthing woman’s experience and outcome. That said, I truly love the confident approach, affirming language, and positive attitude towards pregnancy and birth expressed in Secrets of Confident Childbirth. This book is a tremendous gift to the birth world!

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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.