https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:45:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204748 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:19:53 +0000 mrsjazz 204748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: I second The Birth Partner! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204738 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:15:16 +0000 ladyfingers 204738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skibobrown: Awesome! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204728 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:12:11 +0000 skibobrown 204728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read a book called "Deliver This!". It's exactly what you describe. It presented all of the birthing options in a very un-biased way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204725 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:11:25 +0000 Honeybee 204725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: I haven't read the Mothering Magazine book you listed, but my immediate thought is that it would be anti-medicated birth. I like Mothering Magazine, but most of the articles are focused on Attachment Parenting and a natural living lifestyle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204721 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:09:53 +0000 DillonLion 204721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just jumping in b/c I want to follow this thread! I'm looking for the exact same thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204719 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:08:09 +0000 ladyfingers 204719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: Thanks for the great suggestions! I don't mind if something is focused more on natural, but I just don't want anything that makes me feel like a failure should I choose otherwise in the end. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204700 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:02:24 +0000 Honeybee 204700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: I also really liked Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth. It's a little more toward the non-medicated side, but it has a lot of information on different types of births from the US, UK, and Australia, and there's a whole section in the back of just birth stories, including medicated, non-medicated, and c-section. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204696 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:01:21 +0000 ladyfingers 204696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also saw good reviews on "Mothering Magazine's Having a Baby, Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth" that look like it's more balanced and less pushy, if anybody has read that one and can offer opinions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204695 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:00:21 +0000 ladyfingers 204695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: Thank you, that sounds like a really great option! I haven't looked at that one yet because I assumed it wasn't for me lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204684 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:53:27 +0000 Honeybee 204684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The most comprehensive birthing book I've read is The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin. It covers, literally, every possible birthing situation, including a really fantastic breakdown of commonly used pain medications and illustrations of natural birthing positions/techniques. My favorite birthing book, by far! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-there-any-books-that-present-a-good-range-of-birthing-options#post-204680 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:49:42 +0000 ladyfingers 204680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm undecided on whether I want to try for a natural birth -- I'd certainly like to give it a go, but I'm pretty terrified of pain and all that. However, I think there are definitely benefits to learning about all types of techniques and approaches, no matter what I end up doing. However, I am definitely giving birth in a hospital and am using a combination practice with 2 OBs and 2 midwives, so I'd have one of them delivering -- maybe an OB, maybe a midwife. I have no problem whatsoever with the idea of an OB delivering, and am very comfortable with our practice so far. I've heard wonderful things about the doctors' approach in the delivery room. So basically, I'm not anti-medical, anti-OB, anti-hospital, etc. </p> <p>Are there any books available that present a wide range of information regarding birth options, without condemning doctors and nurses and hospitals and women who choose pain medicine? Lots of what I've read about so far seems vociferous in its opinion about anything other than natural home birth, like it's written for somebody that's already made up their mind. And I really just want to read a birth-centered book (or two) that introduces me to different ideas and techniques and helps me feel comfortable with whatever decision I make. I have the Mayo Clinic book but it just basically treats the birth as a small section, with like, "You might want to go natural or you might not, whatever." I'm looking for something that focuses on labor and delivery and the immediate postpartum experience.</p> <p>This is all to say, I have absolutely no problem with women who choose natural, no doctor, etc. I just know that I want some sort of happy medium, and would like to know if there's anything out there that caters to middle-of-the-road people like me without trying to scare the crap out of them ;) </p>