I was expecting this book to be not only informative, but empowering to women and positive. It is informative, but so so negative with it's scare tactics about what "really goes on" in a hospital it sounds like it was written by a man. I am choosing to have a natural birth, but I choose to for other reasons, not because I have been frightened into it by now knowing what goes on the medical way. At the end of the day, I have to be open to the possibility of cesarean if it is required and would like to remain positive about that. Reading this book left me disappointed if I was to have a C Section. Don't waste your money or time with this book. Ina May's Guide to a natural birth is not only extremely informative without the negativity, but SO SO wonderfully empowering. It left me looking forward to the labor experience and provided confidence to trust my body. Still the best pregnancy book I have read.

I didn't enjoy this book at all. I thought it had great information, but it was conveyed in such a negative light. The medical profession was portrayed as evil bloodsucking beings who want nothing but to ruin your magical birthing experience and damage your baby. I stopped reading it because while I want to be informed, I also trust my doctor. I had a fabulous birth experience in a hospital anyway and my daughter is not a fire monster.

This is a wonderful book - a pleasant relief from the doom-and-gloom of what to expect books. It is well documented with references from medical literature. Birth can be wonderful if you are prepared!

I am preparing for the birth of my first child. My husband and I are both from academic research backgrounds, and do not give much weight to any "data" which does not have a legitimate scientific source. This book was exactly what I wanted in a birthing book: real facts from someone who knows how to review medical literature. I do not have access to all the medical journals and wanted someone to synthesize the information for us. Henci does this.
Yes, she is admittedly biased against the hospital model of delivery. She states this openly in the introduction, and invites you to read on with that in mind. This book does not offer any advice on pain management, meditation, hypnosis, etc. But what it does do it is give you scientifically sound peer-reviewed research to support your decision to go natural. This helped me commit to natural delivery, and now I'm reading other books for help with the HOW. If you're like me and want someone to present you with the SCIENCE you need, read this book.

This book is phenomenal. It is so well written, wonderfully structured, fascinating & not difficult to understand. In addition to details on the risks of certain procedures, the book includes helpful facts on how to improve your own outcome.
Goer says she is "biased" towards natural birth & that made me reluctant to purchase the book at first. However, I think she's wrong - I don't consider that a "bias". That is like saying a nutritionist is "biased" towards eating fruits & veggies! Her "bias" towards natural birth is based on FACT, not personal opinion... *unnecessary* interventions carry risks that natural birth does not have. It's just fact.

READ UP!!!! OBs are still doing dumb, senseless things like telling women they can't drink during labor. Even world-class hospitals, such as Johns Hopkins Bayview here in Baltimore, still does this. FIND OUT what the policies are & select a caregiver who practices based on the SCIENCE... not tradition! I'm so glad I did. (& switched out of Hopkins.)

I do like this book. I am pro homebirth etc IF that is what the mother wants, most of all, I am pro birthing choice.

Anyway, I didn't find the book was telling me what to think, it was giving me information, I could either take that information or ignore it, simple really.

I would much rather have some idea about birth and the intervenions including the possible side effects and go into labour informed, rather than go into labour having no idea about things or only the basics and wonder why x, y and z went wrong (unfortunutely, due to unnecessary interventions, my first birth was pretty damned rotten, I wish I had had this book back then).

Anyway, read the book (in its entirety) and use the information as you best see fit.

An excellent, straightforward pregnancy book for the woman who wants to consider all of her options - without an OB breathing down her neck! Very informative and helpful.

First, I must preference that you have to read this book with blinders on. The author does not hide the fact that she is very much in favor or a completely natural childbirthing experience and that she does not like hospitals and OBs...and that's that.

The good points about this book are the ideas that you don't HAVE to have medical interventions for your labor, even if you labor in a hospital. Most of the time, the docs don't HAVE to break your water, you don't HAVE to have an IV drip, you don't HAVE to have Pitocin... If you've never been around hospitals much, it's nice to know that you do have a choice. This book bring that point home.

However, in my opinion, this book was just a to anti-medical for me. I studied the sciences in school, and I know that there comes a time when 1000's of years of medicine are better than the "old ways." As I read the book, I skipped a lot of the text where the author goes on about how each procedure is unnecessary and sometimes plain wrong. Granted, sometimes OBs get a bit too antsy about giving out meds and speeding up your labor, but a quick chat with your OB before delivery should make that a moot point. Most doctors want what the patient wants -- a delivery that satisfies the mother's idea of a good birth experience -- and are willing to listen to what the patient wants. It's all about communication.

Bottom line...if you'd like to know more about the different procedures and interventions that can happen during L&D, then this book is good. But read it like the title tell you, as a "thinking woman." It's up to you to make your own judgment about each procedure and how you want your birth to be. Talk to your OB about what you read and then form your opinions.

I loved this book.

The research is a little out of date, because it was published in 1999 (and it frequently cites sources from the early 90s), but from what I know of c-section and induction statistics, it is still very relevant.

The author is very biased, but she admits it. (And her studies back her up! Anyone else read the appendices?) But I didn't feel like her biases overwhelmed her research. She even included sections about how to make make interventions more comfortable for yourself if you end up needing them. Meaning, she acknowledged that sometimes certain procedures (c-sections, epidurals, induction, etc) are necessary, and there are ways to make the experience easier on yourself. I found that very comforting and empowering.

In short, I guess this book isn't for everyone. My doctor-trusting mom wouldn't like it, for instance. However, if you question medical professionals, especially when it comes to women's health, or want a completely natural birth and don't know if you'll be able to get one in a hospital, read this book. Knowledge is power.

This book does a great job of looking at obstetric myths and realities and warning mothers about the various medical advice and interventions they will face; especially if you will be birthing in a hospital, read this to know what to expect, and what/how to refuse!

This is a classic. Rather than spout her birth philosophy, Goer analyses the studies out there, condenses them into layman's terms, and lets you choose what works for you and your birth. Don't think that you are going to learn everything you need to know in a hospital birth class. If you are ready to dive into the wealth of information out there, this is the book for you.

One of the most needed books about women's health care during pregnancy, labor and birth. I highly recommend this book and or buy it as gifts for pregnant friends.

I am about to give birth to my second (both homebirths), and I found this book very empowering. I recommend it to all of my pregnant friends.

I got this book as a gift. Was extremely put off by the author's biased opinion. She goes as far to say that female doctors in obstetrics just follow the male herd's opinion and have no mind of their own. If you have a mind of your own, get a different book - one that will lay out both sides of the argument in a non-biased manner. Also, be mindful of the fact that the information concerning obstetrics in the book is at least 15 years out of date.

This book does a great job of both explaining the problems surrounding birth in the US today and then backing up the explanations with scientific studies. I felt angry after reading this book that I did not have it before my first child was born, I would have done things so differently. I also felt grateful that I found it had it before my second!
Though childbirth is seen as scary, it doesn't have to be. Educate yourself so you don't have to deal with regrets!

I recommend this for finding a good base in understanding conventional vs natural birthing methods. She makes several good arguments for natural birthing methods and supports most of them with research. I found the book helpful in my search for information, especially the pro/con lists supplied at the end of certain segments. However, I felt that she went a bit overboard in some cases, almost resorting to scare tactics and guilt trips (on mother to be) in making her argument against conventional or mainstream methods.

This book is incredibly well supported by tons of research, and roughly 1/3 of it is literature reviews for the research used. It's easy to read and ought to make women realize that childbirth is natural, their bodies were designed to give birth, and that the vast majority of women can have their babies without medical intervention. Birth in America is a travesty, most OBs don't know what normal birth looks like so they can't assist a woman in giving birth naturally. There's a reason that the US has such abominable birth stats - and that all the developed countries whose stats are much better use midwives for healthy women's prenatal care and births!

While the facts maybe true, I felt there is no need to portray the situation in black-and-white (Doctors are bad, home birth is good). IMHO a thinking woman will not accept such a one-sided view, and will want to understand both sides.

This book is incredibly well researched and presents the most realistic look at what a new mother can and should expect in giving birth in the US.
And because it carefully presents thorough information, it equips women to make their own decisions and be able to talk knowledgeably with their obstetricians.

Using this book can make a big difference in the health and life of your baby!

This book made me so scared that I briefly considered having an abortion. This woman has some serious biases clearly based on her own bad experience. Don't buy this book. It is way too biased to be helpful.

What a wonderful book to read! The author covers EVERYTHING you need to know in order to make wise choices and empower your control during labor and delivery and make this special experience of birthing your child a pleasant one to remember. I love the fact that everything is backed up by researches. This book completely opened my eyes to what really happens in hospitals during labor and delivery. How emergencies are "created" unnecessarily by procedures that seems harmless to the mother or baby, but in reality make no sense most of the time. In the book there are more natural and safer alternatives to a lot of the procedures. The author also uses a lot of humor which makes the book fun and easy to read.

I purchased this book on recommendation from a LLL friend (note: it is NOT LLL sponsored, though), when attending LLL classes with my pregnant sister. I had already had two babies - not in the US, but in England. I wanted to know what my sister's labor and delivery were going to be like so I could prepare myself (I was my sister's unofficial doula).

I was intrigued and frightened at the same time. Labor and delivery in the US was a whole different ball-game than in the rest of the world and I did not like it at all (I was also gearing up for my own 3rd baby - to be born in the good 'ol US of A).

In the US, you NEED to be your own advocate - and advocate for your unborn baby - otherwise, you will be steamrollered by the OBs and other hospital staff. Read this book! Knowledge is indeed power and you need this knowledge - and this power - if you want to have your baby your way, not someone else's. No one will volunteer this stuff - you have to figure it out for yourself. Empower yourself and you will have the birth you want, not a birth that is in time for your OB's vacation.

This book is AWESOME, it has so much great info in it. It literally covers everything that you might encounter in your pregnancy and birth and gives objective reviews about BOTH sides of the issue, not just one like most books do. It will tell you the pros and cons of every choice you make, and gives astounding statistics on the rates of c-sections and much more. This book is a must have for all of those wanting or expecting a baby, and for those doulas and midwives who want to learn more or just have a good book around to reference!

Rach

I'm recommending this book as an alternative to "What to Expect..." It's written for a more intelligent audience, as the title implies, and it gives the evidence with the idea that the pregnant woman should be armed with information to make her own decisions. If you're not inclined to just trust doctors, this is the book for you.

The points I want to make in my review are thus: the book doesn't expect you to necessarily go out and approach your childbirth with a prescribed way...but rather the opposite. It inspires you to do your own thinking instead of taking your doctor's/aunt's/mother's word for it. When reading it, it's one of those "things that make you go hmmmm"...which is why it's called the thinking woman's guide...
Second, and this is probably the most important thing I got out of it, it made me realize that in choosing my OB, I am a consumer, and I have the right to seek out an OB who would support my VBAC choices and respect the fact that I had already made myself a well-informed person. The first OB I had chosen ended up to be the wrong choice...her protocol was definitely not proven to be the best avenue for a VBAC, something I learned through my research...and the doc I ended up with was far more knowledgeable on VBACs.The VBAC Companion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. I didn't use much out of Goer's book, but I'm thankful it gave me the confidence to make well-informed choices.

This book is filled with information that never makes the news- after you read this you will cringe at most media representations of birth. I read it for my doula certification and I had a bias toward hospital birth before I read the book, and it has changed my mind. Every woman has the power to have a natural birth, and should be encouraged to do so even in a hospital.

I bought the book based on the title and some of the reviews that I had read, expecting a book that would provide the pros and cons of different scenarios and allow the reader to come to her own decision. The book did provide some interesting info and stats, but it was so full of anti-OB rhetoric that sifting through the bias made it hard to come to any sort of informed decision.

The author was hung up on her own horable birth expiriances right from the start she did not share her story till very late in the book but you already knew it when you got there. Not a bad book but very bias against VBAC even though the author trys not to be.

This is a must have for all pregnant women! I will be buying this book as a shower gift for now on!

I think that this is a no fuss way to describe things. It doesnt beet around the bush on information that is important. A must for any doula or wanna be:)

I was very disappointed with this book. I had initially bought it thinking that I would get facts, but instead I found that it is based on someone's opinions about how they feel everyone should give birth. I would like to get my $10 if it were possible since it was a waste of money that went against my beliefs.

i was looking for a good educational book on options during and for childbirth. This book was so negative against actual medical professionals (in OB practice). I couldn't get past the first chapter it was so bad.

This my fourth pregnancy so basically my fourth time around reading childbirth books. It is the best book I've read. I absolutely love the literature summaries. I would highly recommend it. I was having a hard time finding a book that wasn't geared toward first or second time moms. This is def. a good read no matter what child you're having.

Like many other reviewers said this book is biased. The author gives this disclaimer at the beginning and how her purpose for the book is in hoping to revert her readers to her opinions and beliefs. I found it good for offering up research statistics and pros and cons of all interventions during childbirth. It's good to read and read other things and then decide what choices are right for you.

This book provides the other side of the story as it relates to common birth practices in hospitals today. Definitely good information, but you can't take everything at face value. The author takes an emotional (angry) tone, and that emotion seems to have clouded some of her ability to be objective about the facts. Read it, and make up your own mind.

I recommend this to everyone I know who is pregnant - whether or not it's their first child. Women have a right to know what technology can and can not do in order to make "informed choices" about their birthing expectations and experience. (This is the "everywoman's" conterpart to Ms. Goer's more practitioner-oriented *Obstetrical Myths vs. Research Realities,* for any more "tech-y" or medically literate readers.)

You will NOT like this book if you're looking for a book that presents all options as being equal. You will not read, "When it comes to giving birth, you could do "A." That's a great choice. Or you could do "B," which is just as good. And then there's "C", and if you choose to give birth that way, well that's as good as "A" or "B"." Do not buy this book if you want all your "options" laid out as perfectly equal and beneficial choices for birth. The author clearly states that she is not "neutral" and that she is no more objective than anyone else about what makes for optimal care.

The author clearly states that she believes that "midwifery care is superior to medical management for low- and moderate-risk pregnant women" and that obstetricians are specialists who should only care for women who have high-risk pregnancies. She claims that her book "establishes that the routine or indiscriminate use of medical tests, procedures, drugs and restrictions - the hallmark of obstetric management - does far more harm than good." This claim she backs up with an amazing amount of studies and research.

This book will cause you to think about all the things you thought were "normal" and "necessary" parts of labor and birth. It will make you question why the huge majority of Western women are cared for by obstetricians and deliver in hospitals, when most of them have healthy pregnancies. And if the author accomplishes her goal, it will give you the ability to decide what is right for you.

You WILL like this book if you believe childbirth to be a fundamentally normal and healthy event in a woman's life, not to be treated as a medical procedure that needs to be "managed." You will like this book if you want to learn how to avoid all unnecessary interventions and to start small when intervention becomes necessary.

You don't need to be planning a homebirth with a midwife in order for this book to be beneficial. If you simply want to be empowered to have birth that is individualized to YOU, where your labor and delivery is respected as a personal experience, and where you have the right to make informed decisions about the procedures you and your baby are subjected to, read this book.

If you want to play a more passive role in your birth and have it "managed" for you by a specialist, don't bother with this book.

This book was very much against hospital births and epidurals. I didn't like that the author assumed every woman would want to birth HER WAY. An epidural birth can still be a very wonderful birth experience. I got to enjoy my medicated VBAC because I was not in any pain and I could concentrate on what I was there to do - push out and birth a baby. I know women who have done birthing both ways and they were successful either way you look at it. You can be a THINKING WOMAN and still have a wonderful epidural or hospital birth. Reading this book is fine if you want a home birth or an unmedicated birth.

This book is a wealth of infomation about birth and the pros and cons of different interventions and routines in the birth process. However, it's biggest fault is making one feel guilty about choosing a hospital birth. But if you want to know how to avoid some of the routine medical procedures and stuff like that this book is a must.

This is a great and very informative book. I highly recommend it to all pregnant women. As stated by many other reviewers, this book is biased. I believe that the bias is based on fact though and not just opinion. Women today should be made aware of the facts regarding today's "traditional" birth that can include IV's, epidural, episiotomy and often a C-section. I think we tend to over-trust doctors without doing our own research. In the last 50 years modern medicine has basically reinvented birth in the United States and turned it into a medical monster requiring tons of intervention. A quick look at birthing traditions before and still today in other countries can really open our eyes to the misleadings of medicine.

The book covers all the major topics associated with giving birth and lists the pros and cons very clearly with cited references. The specific numbers that Goer lists are several years old but those numbers still continue on the same trend today. The theories and wisdom in her book haven't changed. I would recommend reading this book especially if you are planning an OB delivery in a hospital so that you are educated and can make your own decisions on the birth that you want to have. This book is empowering and educational!

I chose not to purchase this book based, ironically enough, on the positive recommendations. It sounds as if this book may be in need of an update, as episiotomies and other interventions are no longer 'routine' in many places, and many hospitals work cooperatively with midwives and doulas. Anesthesia has also changed a lot in the past 8 years since this book was published. While it may be good resource for prompting questions to your OB and hospital, it would be best to look for more up-to-date facts. I have found that this is true of many of these 'expecting' type books.

Henci Goer's book "The thinking woman's guide to a better birth" is an amazing book to say the least. The author does not hide her mission which is to provide the reader with information that the mainstream medical establishment refuses to tell you. It has tons of statistics and information that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. It also has tons and tons of additional information and references if you wish to do further exploration. The mainstream medical establishment views pregnancy as something a woman must be saved from and women are taught to believe that giving birth must be a high tech, traumatic event. This book empowers women with information, knowledge and most of all options that you won't find anywhere else. It reminds us that women have been having babies,( and continue to do so almost everywhere else in the world,) in a low tech and non-invasive way with much fewer complications then with high tech medicine.

This book is great! It really answered a lot of questions regarding epidurals, IVs, and other medical procedures that are used during labor. I feel more educated about the decisions I have made for my birth plan.

What I was expecting with this book was a clear, unbiased look at various birthing options so a "thinking woman" could understand everything and make a good choice for herself and also more info on VBACs. This author considers a "thinking woman" to be one that wants a natural, unmedicated childbirth, attended by a midwife, at a birthing center or at home. If this is you, you can be assured that this book backs your stance and provides scary statistics to make you believe that birthing in a hospital with an OB is an irresponsible and dangerous choice at best. Although my plan for my birth experience was an "all natural" one and I can agree with this author's bias, I find the way she wrote this book, that I can't take it seriously and have actually returned it. I would highly recommend "Birth After Cesarean" for a factual look at VBAC (though I wish they had an updated version) and would look elsewhere for a "thinking woman's" guide.

This is a fantastic book, full of information - including the references to where she got her data from, which is very important. Some authors just pull stuff out of their... I mean, they make stuff up, or they may as well be if there are no references to provide the evidence for what they are saying.

As for the criticism that it is "not balanced": I don't know what she was supposed to do. Say that there are some good things about routine episiotomy (when there aren't any)? Say there that from one perspective, it's good that almost 1 in 3 births in the US are by C-section (when of course it's not good)? The facts are the facts and they are unequivocably in favour of a more natural birth, when at all possible (which is the vast majority of the time). She provides the empirical evidence for this position. Try finding empirical evidence (not just somebody's word for it) that the US C-section rate is just right, or that routine episiotomy is necessary, or that women should not be allowed to eat or drink during the hard work of labour. Although something may seem like "common sense" to a doctor, that doesn't make it a good idea.

Yes, it's wonderful that C-sections exist for the few emergency cases in which they are required. Obstetricians are wonderful for that kind of surgery. But midwives are empirically proven to be safer birth attendants at low risk births. There is no way to be more "balanced" than that.

The book is getting a little old now, however, and for a more up-to-date companion, I recommend the wonderful "Born in the USA" by Marsden Wagner.

If you're reading this while pregnant: Have a safe and beautiful birth for you and you baby!

I really like this book, it is full of information on Hospital Birth and this book is what made me feel confident enough to switch to a Birth Center...The author is definitley one sided but it has a lot of stats and good information.

If you're anti-medical establishment and definitely thinking of having a natural birth, then this book is perfect for you. If, however, you're looking for an unbiased book, this is not the book for you. While full of helpful information, the author is very up front about being an advocate for natural birthing, and doesn't have much positive to say about medical practices or practitioners (OB/GYNs, hospital nurses, etc). For those who want a balanced look at both sides, this book doesn't quite cut it.

I recommend this book. Henci Goer wrote this book using research and statistics to provide the reader with concise, factual, easy to read information. Topics covered in the book include
* whether to use a Midwife or a Doctor for pregnancy and birth,
* Doula's
* Testing
* Epidurals
* Episiotomys
* Birth options
* Breech babies
* Electronic fetal monitoring
she addresses the national epidemic of cesarean birth and so much more.

Henci Goer is an award winning medical writer and international speaker specializing in birth issues. Henci has written Obstetric Myth vs Research Reality, The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, she has also written consumer pamphlets and articles in various magazines. Henci worked as a Doula for over 20 years and as a Lamaze Instructor for 10 years.

This is a great book to add to the bookshelf of a Labor Doula, pregnant woman and anyone interested in learning more about the science behind the tests, medications and procedures that are often used throughout pregnancy, labor and birth.

This is a book that should be used as a resource throughout pregnancy.The insightful information provided will assist the reader in making decisions. This book provides the pros and cons to the medical procedures and interventions that are often recommended during pregnancy and labor.

I was very disappointed with the content and overall tone of this book. I went to the library looking to find an unbiased guide of what to expect during the birth of my child, and instead came back with a very anti-medical diatribe that tells women why they should NOT have certain procedures. I wanted to be able to read about what to expect, and then MAKE DECISIONS FOR MYSELF. I question why this book was titled "The Thinking Woman's Guide" now, as it really gives you nothing to think about as much as it bestows guilt.

Goer fails to play devil's advocate on the side of obstetrics, again and again stating that there are no "pros" to some procedures and tests. Oddly enough, the blurb on the book's back cover reads "But when it comes to one of the most important decisions of your life - how you will give birth - it is hard to garther accurate, unbiased information." Interesting how Goer falls into the trap of bias herself.

One of the most frustrating things about buying and reading parenting or pregnancy books has been the proseltizing, condescening, and dogmatic views so many authors take. Parenting books would have you believe any other parenting method than their own is tantamount to child abuse. Pregnancy books would have you believe drinking a Coke or dying your hair should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This book is the same - OB/GYNs are money grubbers who compromise what is best for mothers and babies, while midwives are all-knowing, altruistic souls who always do the right thing. The author makes no bones about it in the introduction. The author does quote studies, but uses studies showing negative benefit of some action or treatment to argue that the opposite must be superior - lack of data be damned. If you want a "thinking" guide, look elsewhere. If you need reassurance that "natural" childbirth is gonna make you and your baby superior to everyone else, go nuts with this one.