Review: Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon

As Jamie and I have been preparing to invite a new team member into our home, we have been doing a lot of reading and trying to soak up all of the wise counsel that friends and family have been willing to offer. Among the books we have been reading, NaturalChildbirth The Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon has been incredibly helpful as part of final preparation for labor.

While the book is over 20 years old, given that it is talking about natural childbirth, it isn’t like the information is going to be obsolete any time soon. The book does a great job of taking this incredibly miraculous process and giving expecting parents a pathway for preparation.

For most women who have never given birth there are stereotypes and stigmas at work that can cause significant anxiety. Some women tell horrible stories of the extreme pain and trauma that their bodies went through during labor. Television and movies almnormal, but we still were not sure what normal was/is.

ost always portray childbirth as happening while lying on one’s back, in stirrups, and with lots of newspapers, towels, and hot water around. At the same time, television and other media portray husbands/fathers as helplessly sitting in a waiting room anxiously pacing with cigars or bubble-gum to hand out to everyone as he proudly announces that he is the father of a boy or girl. Having spent some time in other parts of the world, and having several friends who have given birth, we knew that these stigmas and perceptions were not

Reading Susan McCutcheon’s book, helped us both shatter stereotypes, and have prepared us both to be able to contribute strongly during labor. Of course, Jamie is in the driver’s seat, and I am confident that she will perform like an Olympic athlete bringing her very best self to the unfamiliar to her, but well established by women, path through labor to bringing a new life into the world. For my part, I plan to bring my very best self to lovingly support her, relax her, advocate for her, and help her to focus on the fact that her mind and body (and the baby) are ready for her to go through this miraculous process.

The book is filled with relaxation techniques, positions to try, and encouragement that childbirth is normal, and we have a number of medical advances that can support us if complications arise, giving birth naturally is a strong possibility for most women and that it is worth giving the effort. If you are looking to learn more about natural childbirth be sure to give Susan McCutcheon’s book a read.

Review: I’m Pregnant! By Lesley Regan M.D.

Shortly after we first discovered that Jamie was pregnant, we were having a discussion with another new mom, and she told us about this really great book by Lesley Regan that she felt was one of the best books out there to understand pregnancy, and track along with all of the changes happening in a mother’s body.

As a person who is utterly amazed at this mystery of life, I personally found it helpful to begin understanding all that was happening inside Jamie, and how this little miracle was beginning to develop week-by-week. Jamie also found the book incredibly helpful, and each week as we would read along together, we would discuss all of the amazing changes that were happening in her body and all of the progress our child was making in development.

The book gave us perspectives on Jamie’s changes, the baby’s changes and growth, and even what to expect from each of our ante-natal visits and checkups. The book is filled with colorful photos and diagrams that describe just about everything that a mother carrying a child would want to know. And as the book progresses along the 40 week timeline, it has helped us prepare as parents for these checkups. We have learned good questions to ask, and we have been able to think about what a birth-plan and a “go bag” might look like for us. Every family is different, and we love that the book offered suggestions but did not direct us toward what “must” happen.

If your family is expecting, or even if you are just curious about what is happening in a woman’s body as a child develops inside her, thisbook provides insights in easy to understand terminology. It has been an incredible tool for us as we have walked through each of these last few weeks in awe of what is happening inside of Jamie.