Labor Pain: What's Your Best Strategy?: Get the Data. Make a Plan. Take Charge of Your Birth

by Henci Goer

For fans of Emily Oster's Expecting Better and Penny Simkin's works.

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 30-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. Hear 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.

Inside, you'll



Thorough, up-to-date, researched-based information on every epidurals, combined spinal-epidurals, opioids, nitrous oxide, and non-drug childbirth pain relief options. Advantages and disadvantages of those strategies—including pros and cons your doctor or midwife may not mention! Practical, actionable advice preparing you to implement your plan once you've made it. A comprehensive table comparing each of your pain relief options side-by-side, letting you see at a glance how the methods stack up against each other in terms of degree of pain relief, cost, side effects, effect on the baby, and more. Info useful to first-time and experienced parents alike. You're the best person to decide what's right for you. Here's your opportunity to get the data. Make a plan. And take charge of your birth.

160 pages, Hardcover

Published September 13, 2022

Reviews

[Kiersten Combes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I have to do this shit in 12 weeks.

[Angela Lashbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and to the point guide to exactly what it says—labor pain management. Interestingly organized: the first half of each chapter is devoted to an overview of the research on, and pros and cons of, each labor management strategy; the second half is a deeper dive into the science and studies on that topic. The book itself is pretty anti-epidural, and I think some of the risks might be slightly overemphasized compared to the benefits, but generally speaking it’s a good overview of the research on each strategy.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of this book and the break down of statistics for the everyday person looking for more statistical information on labor pain management. However the subtle and not so subtle anti intervention, and medical professionals being unqualified in natural birth rhetoric leave a sour taste in my mouth.
Henci claims this book to be an “unbiased” work but seems to insert her bias every chance she gets. She overemphasizes risks without diving as deeply into valid benefits. Stating a lack of data for proving epidurals cause more c sections and then inserting her own opinions as “logical” evidence. She also follows this narrative that OBs and nurses will are not “trained” for natural birth and essentially intervention is just in their nature, which I find to be untrue and an unfair narrative.
Henci really basis this book on how medical pain management affects natural vaginal delivery. There’s plenty of narratives that seem to portray natural vaginal delivery as superior to any other kind of delivery and I find these narratives to be divisive and the building blocks to feelings of failure for mothers who do not get a natural vaginal delivery for very valid reasons.

This is unfortunate because I believe this book could be very useful to pregnant mothers but the questionable rhetoric sprinkled in this book is enough to prevent me from recommending it to anyone.

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henci Goer is somewhat of a guru in the childbirth community when it comes to research. Her books are the go to for the laymen who needs research without going out into the abyss to get it. This book was great because it is pared down even further for expectant moms as a quick or not so quick reference, depending on the depth of information they are looking for. As always, her research is thorough and balanced until the very end. She does give a disclaimer for this so the reader can skip it if they feel they don't want opinion. The only criticism I would have is regarding the chapter on Combined Spinal/Epidural (more commonly know as the walking epidural). She states that she doesn't know if they are even being done anymore and has no way to find out. I feel that any researcher for a book should be able to obtain access to that or find people who can. It took away just a little of her credibility to say that. BUT! She remains the queen of research into this topic for the layperson looking for clear guidance to make an informed decision. As a former childbirth educator/doula I would Recommend this book for all expectant moms!

[Debbie Wakefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about epidurals and whether getting one fits your birth preferences. The author presents the advantages and disadvantage of different pain medications including opioids, nitrous oxide and DIY pain strategies. It’s a short easy read that outlines how epidurals are more convenient to the hospital than to the mother. A woman monitored stuck in bed, not in pain is easier for nurses to care for and generates revenue for the hospital.
At the end, the author gives her opinion on epidurals but it’s clear throughout the book that she favors DIY pain medication and advocating for women to have non medicated labors. There’s some good info in this book.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for pregnant parents and for birthworkers. As a childbirth educator and as someone who's given birth 4 times, I felt like a bobble-head with all the nodding I was doing during this book. Short and to the point, it lays the information out very neatly in an easy to understand format as parents make decisions about pain management for labor. I wanted to underline about half the book.

[Katherine Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book did an AMAZING job of a short overview of the pros and cons of different pain relief. it has portions where she can go into depth if you wanted more science, but each chapter is individual of each other so you can pick and chose what you want to read and what you don’t. I read the whole thing and it is cohesive, understandable, and she really pushes the families to be educated to make their own informed decisions and not be swayed by society. super easy read!!!

[Tori Segner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information that is often not presented to patients in the hospital! Although I don’t know why these types of books always claim that doctors rush to perform cesareans or introduce interventions. In my experience as an L&D nurse, doctors truly use cesareans as a last resort. This book also claimed nurses aren’t trained to work with unmedicated patients and that’s just BS lol. But the facts were good!

[Lori Hartgraves · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Very well laid out and to the point assessment of your medicated and unmedicated strategies for dealing with labor pain, as well as tips for setting yourself up for success no matter what your birth plan entails. Adding to my recommended reading list for childbirth education and doula clients!