Hard Labor: Reflections of an Obstetrical Nurse

by Susan L. Diamond

An obstetrical nurse with more than ten years of experience delivering babies offers a vision of childbirth that replaces what she considers dehumanizing practices with a warmer, more natural approach in which modern medicine assists nature. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Nursing

Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Elizabeth Puntolillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a highly enjoyable read for me, but as I've said before, I'm a sucker for memoirs, and I have to acknowledge its many flaws.

Firstly, I don't know who her audience is supposed to be. I wouldn't recommend this to an expectant mother because it would just scare and confuse her. It's not technically useful to me as a new birth professional because it's dated and the technical data is not shared in any kind of organized way. For example, around page 400 she states for the first time that she is against "purple pushing" or sustained non-spontaneous pushing, but that's after reading dozens of accounts of her using the technique as a L&D nurse.

To be frank, even as a memoir it's got major structural issues. It's not told in chronological order, but there's no literary justification for that and it comes across as bad, or lack of, editing. And-- I suppose you could call this just a pet peeve, but every time she describes a male doctor, nurse, or father who she admired or approved of, he is described as "ruggedly handsome" or having "bedroom eyes" or something. So, is that why the author remembers them as better than the rest? Or, is she taking creative license? That was a weird turn-off.

All that being said, why was it an enjoyable read? Well, it gives buckets of anecdotal data from the perspective of a L&D nurse. Probably of most value to me was the examples she gave of the conversational elements of caring for an expectant mother. What do those encouraging words sound like, when is it the right mood to put a hand on the father's shoulder, just what does it sound like in that delivery room? I do feel I came away from it with some words in my mouth, and more of a sense of "how to be" when assisting a mother in labor.

[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't recall much about this book, but I think the focus was on the author bragging about how she helped save lives during birthing emergencies. I just wonder how many of those birthing emergencies could have been avoided with a homebirth and a midwife.

Not really recommended.

[Cassy Kiehn · Rating 3 out of 5]

self-appreciating author writes soft porn about birth work, yet somehow got my attention. i liked it, though I'm embarrassed to admit it. actually resonated a lot of what I've seen in my brief lil' career here.

[Jill Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that you must shit this baby out. Always tried not crap on myself, not realizing if it was there it was going to happen anyways. This time I will give myself an enema before I go in to deliver and push that "turd" out with everything I have. Great book, great stories, lots of information.

[Jody]

This book taught me so much. As a new OB nurse I so related to the experiences Susan shared in her book. It really validated my work. I loved it!

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Easy read. Read about the adventures of being an OB burse