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The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth (Sears Parenting Library) | 
 enlarge | Authors: William Sears, Martha Sears
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy Used: $2.86
You Save: $12.13 (81%)
New (42) Used (57) Collectible (1) from $2.86
Rating:  134 reviews
Sales Rank: 14162
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 280
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 7.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0316779075
Dewey Decimal Number: 618.4
UPC: 038332181708
EAN: 9780316779074
ASIN: 0316779075
Publication Date: February 1, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Book is in excellent condition! Fast shipping!
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Amazon.com Review
In The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth, William and Martha Sears, authors of The Baby Book and creators of the concept of "attachment parenting," here turn their attention to the birth experience. In this helpful resource guide, the Searses cover the gamut of possibilities, and teach readers what they need to know to take control of their own birthings. The Birth Book is divided into three parts: "Preparing for Birth," "Easing Pain in Labor," and "Experiencing Birth." You'll find details about vaginal births; cesareans; VBACs; water births; home births; best birthing positions; drugs; pain; how to design your own birth plan; the humor, chemistry, and sexuality of birth; and pages and pages of birth stories.
Product Description
Gives expectant parents an overview of the options available, offering up-to-the-minute advice on such matters as physical and emotional preparation, the father's role, avoiding a cesarean birth, and other information. 35,000 first printing. Tour.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 129 more reviews...
 Enlightening December 18, 2008
I had no intention of having a natural birth before reading this book. I work for a pharmaceutical company and I am fully supportive of using modern medicine, when medically necessary of course, including pain relief during childbirth. This book inspired me and empowered me to pursue a natural, drug-free birth. I still chose to have my baby in a hospital in order to have in peace of mind of being near all the medical equipment necessary should something go wrong. I changed my care provider from a brusque OB who spent maybe 5 minutes with me at each prenatal appointment to a caring nurse midwife. I hired a doula, took childbirth preparation classes, and read about pain coping strategies. In the end, I was successful at having a completely drug-free birth and am immensely happy about it. I truly credit reading this book for inspiring me to do this.
Accurate and Honest Advice From a Doctor December 6, 2008
Dr. Sears will tell you honestly, that each and every advised medical procedure is not a good idea. Episiotomies, doppler heart rate, ultrasound, he says plainly, that each one of these have either little or NO MEDICAL proof that they help with birth outcomes. He also clearly states that these procedures usually reduce natural births.
This is better information that I got even from most midwives! Really amazing to see it in print.
The dietary advice for pregnancy isn't accurate, advocating a low fat diet. Special foods that can significantly improve birth outcomes are not mentioned. Other than that, a relaxed read that will instill confidence in the natural process of birth with accurate information about medical procedures.
Review is by Ramiel Nagel author of Healing Our Children: Because Your New Baby Matters! Sacred Wisdom for Preconception, Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting (ages 0-6) & Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition (First Edition).
 Conflicts with Current Research!!! November 5, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this book 7 months into my pregnancy, looking for advice as to labor and delivery. Not only is the book out of date (1994) but relies heavily on research that has been proven unreliable or false. In addition, the authors write from their own experience, which sounds like a good idea, but learn this: the wife has unbelievably short labors, and bases her entire idea of labor for the rest of society on the fact that she naturally had her children in a few hours or less (actual length of labor: average is 12-26 hours for a first-time birth).
This book was bought with several others, and I was first struck by how different the opinions expressed herein were. So, I started conducting some PubMed and Elsevier journal searches on the "research" mentioned. In almost every case - from use of Pitocin to home birth to epidural use - I found a striking difference between the current, peer-reviewed recommendations and articles and what the Sears family cited. I was not only disappointed, but rather shocked that such a dated and incorrect book could be sold in popular bookstores as fact.
Frankly, the Sears are welcome to their opinion on childbirth, and I respect that. However, they cite old papers, statistically insignificant findings, and make assumptions that cannot be backed up. To all those other mothers-to-be: please don't disregard what your OB says because of this book! It is highly out of date, and quite irrelevant. The only plus side: some good anatomical illustrations and pain techniques. Other than that, please don't waste your money on this book!
a Must Read August 24, 2008
I read several books throughout my first pregnancy, and found this one to be the most informative. There is a chapter on relaxation during the labor process (how to focus on keeping your muscles relaxed during contractions so your uterus doesn't have to fight against them) that I found to be VERY helpful. A very educational book that I highly recommend.
read this if you think natural is the ONLY way July 28, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was ready to learn about the actual birth process at around my 6th month of pregnancy and picked this book because it looked very complete and informational. Unfortunately I came to find that it was entirely biased on the side of natural birth and that if I chose pain meds it meant I did not "value the birth". Also the information given about pain meds and giving birth in a hospital left me feeling like all my original plans for birth were not good enough. I would not recomend this to anyone looking for the unbiased facts. Read this if you already feel that natural childbirth is the ONLY way to go. This book will be very supportive of you.
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