Deliver This!: Make The Childbirth Choice That's Right For You . . . No Matter What Everyone Else Thinks

A women's decision about what kind of childbirth experience she wants to have is central to her politics, identity, and personality. Today's moms and moms-to-be are better informed about their options than ever before, but, perhaps not surprisingly, they confront rigid judgment from women who choose a different path. Women who opt for home birth are criticized for being reckless--what if there's a medical emergency? Women who opt for elective C-sections are considered selfish--their lives are so busy they have to schedule an appointment to give birth? Deliver This provides a thorough overview of today's options: home birth; birthing centers, vaginal birth in a hospital (with or without anesthetics), and elective and medically necessary C-sections. Author Marisa Cohen, who delivered both her daughters in a high-tech hospital, is both engaging and curious in her quest to understand why women make alternative choices--and why they feel fiercely defensive about them. In interviews with more than 100 women, Cohen listened to the debates over the best birthing experience and explored creative solutions that bridge seemingly conflicting goals--such as having a doula at the hospital to advocate for natural birth or delivering in a birthing center's Jacuzzi with a hospital's ICU nearby. Smart, appealing, and personable, Deliver This is equally valuable for first-time moms as it is for women who are pregnant with their second or third child. Cohen takes a supportive approach that is both balanced and informative, offering women an opportunity to weigh the concerns and options that surround the all-important moment of bringing a child into the world.