“On average the first stage of labor is twenty-six minutes longer in women who use an epidural, and the second (pushing) stage is fifteen minutes longer.” Each chapter has literally hundreds of footnotes-it’s clear that Dr. In subsequent chapters, Buckley thoroughly reviews the research on common birth interventions, such as ultrasounds, epidurals, and cesareans. “If the baby is truly large, it is likely that the mother’s body will have maximum pelvic softness and flexibility (due to peak levels of hormones such as progesterone) on the day she spontaneously goes into labor, giving her the best chance to accommodate and birth her large baby.” She then applies this method to common pregnancy and birth procedures (Gestational Diabetes, Group B Strep, Going “Overdue”), outlining the research as she discusses each option. She calls this the BRAN method, and encourages her readers to consider the Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, and possibility of doing Nothing when they are faced with a medical decision. Life comes through us, simply and gracefully, when we allow it.”īuckley then gives a step-by-step guide to sound personal medical decision-making. “In surrendering to birth, we also learn about our role on the Earth: we are neither the rulers nor the architects of creation. We need to learn the more subtle-yet equally powerful-path of surrender.” “We cannot birth our babies through sheer force of will. The book begins with a few chapters on instinctive birth and trusting your inner self, and how healing birth can heal the earth. Birth is the beginning of life the beginning of mothering, and of fathering. Conversely, an experience of the phenomenal capacity of our birthing body can give us an enduring sense of our own power as women.
This lack of trust in and care for our bodies can rob us of confidence in giving birth. Yet in our culture I do not see respect for these extraordinary functions: instead we diet, exercise, abuse, conceal, and generally punish our bodies for not approximating an unobtainable ideal. And our bodies are indeed wondrous, from our monthly cycles to the awesome power inherent in the act of giving birth.
“Birth is women’s business it is the business of our bodies.
It’s just brimming with quote-worthy snippets, so I’ve sprinkled them throughout this post for your reading pleasure. Sarah Buckley, an Australian family physician, expertly walks the line between instinctive/super-crunchy/holistic and scholarly/super-well-researched/academic. Click the link to read more!Īh, this book. This post is part of a series of related posts: book reviews of the titles in my lending library.
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