Giving Birth - Softcover

Taylor, Catherine

4.02

107 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0399527885 ISBN 13: 9780399527883

Publisher: Perigee Trade, 2002

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Catherine Taylor, a doula (birth assistant) and mother, has written an evocative narrative in which she offers insightful observations of the working lives of midwives and the women who have depended on their skills and strength to help bring their children into the world. This is the perfect companion for parents-to-be and all professionals who are engaged in and witness to the miracle of birth.

"One of the most important books on childbirth...A colorful, anecdotal, and research-supported journey from both the mothers' and midwives' perspectives...A classic." (Pam England, nurse-midwife and author of Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation)

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About the Author:

Catherine Taylor has written for Premiere, Rolling Stone, and Every Baby. Educated at Cornell, Oxford, and Duke universities, she has taught at the University of New Mexico, and is currently the editor of The Harwood Review, a literary magazine based in New Mexico. She is the mother of two, both of whom were born with the assistant of midwives.

From Library Journal:

Examining midwife-attended childbirth in contemporary America, Taylor approaches the subject as both a creative journalistic investigator (her articles have appeared in Premiere, Rolling Stone, and Every Baby) and a consumer of the system she reports on (while writing the book, she became pregnant and gave birth). The result is a delightfully readable blend of scholarship, expos‚, and storytelling that is likely to become a classic. An important aspect of this book is Taylor's exploration of the economic and social factors that keep maternity healthcare locked into costly structural problems, block consumer access to appropriate care, and threaten the profession of midwifery. Peggy Vincent's Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife also addresses these issues and comes to similar conclusions. However, since Vincent writes from the perspective of a single midwife, her book offers primarily personal recollection rather than research and investigation and is thus narrower in scope though no less worthy. Taylor's book is essential reading for prospective parents and anyone interested in maternity care or the politics of contemporary healthcare systems. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries. Noemie Maxwell, King Cty. Lib. Syst., Issaquah, WA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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