Giving Birth

by Catherine Taylor

Catherine Taylor, a doula (birth assistant) and mother, has written an evocative narrative in which she offers insightful observations of the working lives of midwives and the women who have depended on their skills and strength to help bring their children into the world. This is the perfect companion for parents-to-be and all professionals who are engaged in and witness to the miracle of birth.

"One of the most important books on childbirth...A colorful, anecdotal, and research-supported journey from both the mothers' and midwives' perspectives...A classic." (Pam England, nurse-midwife and author of Birthing from An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation )

Genres: Nonfiction

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad I finished it but amazed I survived the first 100+ pages. Surely this initial section, reflecting on the compromises made by CNMs working in hospital settings, could have been condensed. I wouldn't have minded fewer of these terrible birth stories and the author's predictable commentary on them. Honestly it stressed me out.
However, I did enjoy how the book's structure paralleled the author's own journey in dreaming of, conceiving, carrying and delivering her second child, and the tone got lighter once the journey progressed.
It was interesting reading how the author's classic feminist commitment to a women's right to choose came in direct conflict with her innate urge to regard her unborn as a baby rather than a fetus, and as a pro-lifer I now see I have it easier in navigating prenatal testing, and the issues that surround it. It IS a baby, I wanted to exclaim to the author. Give in! It's ok!! But I digress.
One last thought: given the amount of personal reflection woven into the text, I was surprised by the general absence of the author's husband. What of his thoughts, fears, opinions? Surely the birth decisions weren't made alone. Or were they?!

Overall, though in the end I enjoyed shadowing one woman's journey, I don't think this book added much to the body of commentary and insight on childbirth in America.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating read. I really appreciate the thorough journey of her experience of birth, from a disappointing first birth in the hospital with a nurse midwife to a transformative home birth. She concisely explains the majority of controversial interventions done in many hospitals, and presented several facts I hadn’t previously heard. She quickly dissipated the myth that all births with a midwife are natural and positive. I really love how well she explains that constant and personal support during labor is the best pain relief. So many women would not see pain medication as their only choice if they actually had that constant support, which is unlikely in a hospital setting, whether they have a ob or a nurse midwife (unless they are fortunate enough to recognize the value of hiring a doula!). She finally presented a well-rounded view of home birth and midwives attending these births: home birth is not just for hippies, but any low risk, healthy pregnant women who desire the beauty and normalcy of birth done at home. Midwives who attend home births are also quite capable if complications do occur. She related times they showed more capability than many doctors. There are such a diversity of birth stories in this book, which gives a very thorough look at birth in America. Overall, I definitely recommend this one for anyone planning their birth experience or just passionate about birth.

Disclaimer: I don’t agree with absolutely all of what she says in this book: there are some (absolutely fascinating actually) feminist threads, and of course inappropriate jokes. She also has a very raw take on her decision regarding amniocentesis. She ultimately decides to not do it and that she could not abort her baby regardless.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is well researched, informative and approachable, and well written, with a sense of humor that does not belittle the topic. It was also validating and comforting to read about the options available to women and the experiences of the women in the book. I recommend this to any moms-to-be.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as I was entering a graduate program for nurse-midwifery, and it unfortunately planted quite a bit of doubt in my career choice at that time.

As I flip through the book years later, I see the biased lens the author had, and how people without medical training can view and interpret medical care in a very unfavorable light.

I remember after finishing the book that I felt that becoming a nurse-midwife was somehow a less authentic choice in a midwifery career. This book was part of the seeds of doubt that had been planted over many years and experiences.

Today I am a nurse-midwife, and I value every bit of skill and training I've obtained in becoming a nurse-midwife. I'd spent some time dabbling in a non-CNM path toward becoming a midwife, and coming across this book, I'm reminded me of where some of these seeds of doubt were originally planted.

Experience from the point of view of the patient makes for a compelling narrative, but we shouldn't lose track of what creates the best patient outcomes in terms of preventable injuries and deaths. Narratives are powerful, but it's important to look at data and outcomes.

I wish in 2003, I had read a book with a compelling narrative about nurse-midwifery. The path toward completing my career goals may have been a decade shorter.

[Tiff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books which I wish I would have taken notes throughout, to better enable me to review it accurately. Her tone, her writing style, and the content were all excellent.

Her writing style is accessible, honest, frank, and open--the way a good journalist's should be. Her descriptions of the various women she meets, the places she goes, and the births she attends as an observer or doula are vivid without being wordy.

I found myself moved to nearly to tears several times (I'm not much of a crier, so "almost to tears" is saying a lot) throughout the book.

It's picture of midwifery as a profession, from Certified Nurse-Midwives to direct-entry midwives is respectful and unbiased. She shares the reality of the political landscape all midwives must work in, the challenges they face, and the little triumphs on behalf of women and their babies.

Even if you are not into birth, I would recommend this book to every woman - whether you plan to have children, have children already, or plan to never have children. It can speak powerfully to any of us.

[Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor follows midwives in a hospital setting, at home births, and at one birthing center, describing births they facilitate and interviewing them about their attitudes toward medicine, women's health care, and childbirth. The research coincides with Taylor's own second pregnancy, so she's also a character trying to figure out her own birth plan as the book goes along. I really appreciated the thorough and seemingly objective depictions of birth throughout this book, and loved Taylor's broad approach to economic, scientific, and emotional/personal issues in midwifery. My only complaint, as a birthing center patient, is that the section on birthing centers was quite short and seemed to present them as an ideal middle ground without delving into the economic and political issues affecting centers as much as other sections on the book looked critically at hospital and home birthing situations.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very eye-opening. In our culture, it seems like birth is one of those things that most people will experience (either directly or through watching) at some point in life, but it's not something we talk about or experience other than our own. I think my entire experience with childbirth before this book was one video in my child development class and that Star Trek episode where Keiko O'Brien gave birth in the Enterprise cafeteria. Neither of them gave a very accurate picture. This book did a much better job at conveying both the immense pain, the extreme helpfulness of people that know what they're doing (esp. midwives), and how in most cases, a woman can handle the pain. It just seems so amazing to me that every single person in the world came from a pregnant mother . . . it makes pregnancy seem at once both miraculous and wondrous and terribly ordinary.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping the midwifery dream alive, one book at a time!
This is a great book for me to see the reality of what practicing nurse-midwives are up against these days. And it's not pretty. As the demand for nurse-midwives increases, many midwives have been hired in hospitals. They are therefore under the pressures of a hospital administration (seeking to make money) and a power structure (demanding that they practice within the protocols of medical management). How can a midwife balance between the midwifery model of care and the medical model? How can a midwife avoid becoming a lesser-paid Ob-Gyn? Or burnt out for that matter?
Lots of interesting matters here for me to think through...

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it was very informative and gave me some insights into my own personal wishes and desires. I thought had plenty of great information, of course, scattered with plenty of opinions. I had a few complaints. One, the writer was pregnant during the researching of this book. I enjoyed reading of her personal experiences but felt like they could have been cut down slightly, as they sometimes seemed to overpower certain parts of the book. Also, there were a very mistakes, grammatically or punctually, that I feel like should have been caught. Other than those two things, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually worked at the hospital in Albuquerque with some of the midwives she interviews in the book, and she does a very good job of describing what it's like for them and the clients. Though it was a hospital, working with those midwives changed my whole perspective on what normal birth really is. And the more authors who tell their stories, the better.

[Anne Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great book to read to introduce someone into the world of nurse-midwives, and somewhat into the world of direct-entry or homebirth midwives. It discusses a lot of the reasons people choose midwives, and what options are available, as well as some of the problems with the traditional ob/gyn attended hospital birth. It has some great birth stories, too.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by a pregnant journalist as she researches what type of birth she wants. She shadows and interviews midwives who work in hospitals, birth centers, and who do home births. She combines academic research with her personal desires for her pregnancy and birth. It's an intriguing, interesting, touching read that makes you wonder about the state of maternity care in America.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman should read this. Pregnancy and birth have become so medicalized, and still, the U.S. has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world. This is a fascinating look at midwifery, birth centers, home birth, and their intersections with traditional care, all in the form of a memoir. I didn't want to finish it.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, and it happens to have an Ithaca connection, which always makes me happy. The state of birth in this country is positively scary and Taylor knows that, but doesn't hit you over the head with it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It offers a lot of international/political perspective on giving birth, and the author's experience attending a variety of births (midwife in hospital, birthing center, home birth) is valuable.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A nice collection of information told in a easy to read narrative format.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes into a lot of detail about midwives and nurse midwives in New Mexico. It was pretty good, but I wasn't as enthralled with it as I was with some of the other birth books I read.

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Very informative and helped be more prepared for my doula buisness!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know about the world of midwives and details of labor and birth, this is an engrossing read. I would recommend it to anyone considering a natural birth.

[Pgmstr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the author's honest journey as she figures out how she feels about women's care.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://myadventuresintucson.blogspot....

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read while also giving a lot of information. It helped me understand the medical system better and the inside perceptive. I also really enjoyed the different birth stories.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows how different birth can be with a midwife in a variety of settings.

[Lanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this one. Some parts were excellent and some parts were a little weird/feminist/mystical for me. Still it was an interesting perspective and gave me lots to think about.

[Hannah Nickerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book puts hospital midwives in a kinda bad light, but other than that, it was really interesting.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found my old reading records from the time I was studying midwifery.
Quick read. Compares CNM and CPM.