The Birth Book
An OB-GYN's Guide to Demystifying Labor and Delivery
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Essential, empowering medical information and advice to help you prepare for your labor and delivery journey—from a leading OB-GYN and social media educator.
“Your most pressing, and often unspoken, questions about birth, finally answered by a doctor who listens.”—Jen Hamilton, BSN, RN, CEN, RNC-OB, author of Birth Vibes
“The Birth Book covers everything you really need to know about labor and delivery—including all the details you might need on your big day. Read it to ensure you feel more satisfied with your experience.”—Ari Brown, MD, author of Baby 411
Birth is a transformative, remarkable process, but it can also be incredibly daunting and traumatic—especially if you don’t have the medically-sound information you need to advocate for yourself. With misinformation rampant on social media and a dearth of trusted medical resources on the birth process, pregnant people feel left behind in a system that is failing them. Thirty-six percent of counties in America are labeled “maternity care deserts” where there is no or limited access to obstetric care—and it’s only getting worse. We need a concise and comprehensive primer on the birth experience, whether that means a low-intervention birth or a complicated emergency c-section.
In The Birth Book, OB-GYN hospitalist and educator Dr. Jennifer Lincoln delivers exactly that. Dr. Lincoln answers all your questions, big and small, about labor and delivery, providing crucial insight and understanding. Questions like:
• What is “normal” labor?
• What can I say no to?
• What are my options if baby is breech?
• How long does an induction take?
• And many, many more.
Backed by research and personal experience and including enlightening illustrations, The Birth Book gives you agency over your pregnancy and birth, along with context for the many choices you’ll need to make. With Dr. Lincoln’s help, readers will have an evidence-based resource at their fingertips for a better, safer, more informed birth.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ob-gyn Lincoln (Let's Talk About Down There) delivers a comprehensive and sensitive guide to giving birth. She presents her advice in question-and-answer format, beginning with logistics like choosing where to have the baby (a hospital offers access to pain medication options, while birthing at home with a midwife can be more affordable and comforting) and how to know when it's time to go there (when one's water breaks or contractions are regular and painful). Providing an overview of the stages of labor, she notes that the duration can be affected by whether the mother has an epidural and if she has given birth before. Possible complications are discussed as well, such as preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, and shoulder dystocia, which is when the baby's shoulder gets stuck under the mother's pubic bone. Lincoln also addresses challenges that arise after labor, such as postpartum depression, explaining that mood changes are common and therapy and medication can help. With a kind, informed voice, Lincoln anticipates common questions pregnant people are likely to have, from the lighthearted ("Will always look... like this?") to the practical ("How do I prevent tearing?"). This is a solid addition to any new mother's bookshelf.
