What's Right For Me?: Making decisions in pregnancy and childbirth

by Sara Wickham

The decisions that we make about our pregnancy and childbirth journeys can shape our experiences, health and lives, as well as those of our families.

But many of those decisions are complex, confusing and overwhelming. They are often made harder by the fact that we live in a world which is filled with information, options and opinions, which aren't all woman-centred.

This book explains the different perspectives and approaches that people take towards childbirth. It offers tips, tools and ways of thinking that will help you find the path that's right for you.

"This is a wonderful book. I love its chatty style and real respect for women's rights." - Beverley Beech, Formerly Hon Chair, Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services.

131 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2018

Reviews

[Saralyn Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really helpful book for me as I have felt overwhelmed by tons of opinions and sources about birth. It includes a lot of practical advice for decision making. I enjoyed Dr. Wickham’s tone, which was confident but not pushy, and she clearly cares a lot about the well-being of mothers. I especially appreciated the way she explains risk, which helped me feel less fearful. It’s a simple read with a lot of good questions/ journaling prompts.

[Sarah Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I’d read this during my first pregnancy

I had a really traumatic birth experience with my first child, all centred around care providers not listening and lying/coercing us and acting without consent - assault and abuse during care. We have raised these issues with the hospital but they have fallen on deaf ears. I’m now pregnant with our second child and from the outset I have been firm in what we will or won’t tolerate or do. This time I’m being listened to and told I’m clearly well researched, but the only different is our horrible experience. This book has instilled in me that my gut, feelings and beliefs/wants the first time around should have been respected and helped me to write down questions/statements that I will use this time around to make sure we have a different experience.

[Chloe Paton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was short, sharp, straight to the point, and offered a non-biased approach to decision making during pregnancy and childbirth.

Resonated with her summary right towards the end. "Doctors and midwives know a lot about the physical aspects of pregnancy, in a general sense. But you will be the only person who knows how it feels to have your baby inside your body; where they kick, what time of day they like to move, and sleep, when they get hiccups, how they seem to react when you eat particular foods. You are the person who is growing that baby; you are the expert in your individual pregnancy, labour and birth."

[Catherine Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are unsure of how to approach decision making, this book will help.

As a Birth Cartographer, informed decisions are the crux of my approach to birth preparation. As Wickham explains, modern birth requires 'consent' for many procedures. She discusses various ways to approach decision making, so you can determine what is right for you.
This book is a quick read, straight to the point and has no hidden agenda. It does not promote one way, is not fear based and not preachy.

[Mab · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, and a really warm, friendly, helpful one. Wickham doesn't make any specific recommendations about what to do, just talks about the decision making process and emphasises both trust and enquiry.