by Anne Marie Ezzo, R.N., Sharon Nelson, M.D. Diane Dirks, C.N.M. Sharon Augustson, R.N., Pam Harer, R.N., Kathy Hoefke, R.N.
Synopsis: Bearing down with tremendous effort, she works at pushing the waiting life out of her body. Her husband wipes her beaded brow and gives her a supportive word, and she continu
es her courageous work. Finally, a hairy scalp emerges. Forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin follow, and the parents get their first glimpse of the little person they have dreamed about for months.
With blinking eyes and puckered lips, the passenger completes the journey. As the baby slides into the waiting hands of the birth attendant, a new citizen is announced. It’s a girl! The baby’s first breath is the culmination of a perfectly timed, physiologically detailed plan. For nine months she has depended on her mother for survival, as the intricate workings of the placenta sustained her life. Now changes occur to ensure her independent survival. For the first time her heart pumps blood into her lungs, and the designated vessels close to complete the self-contained breathing process. With that first breath, she’s on her own.
As the birth attendant cuts the umbilical cord, the parents celebrate their baby’s first step of independence and the part they have played in the amazing process of birth that has design. In On Becoming Birthwise, our goal is to give you reliable information about every aspect of childbirth and increase your understanding of the amazing changes that take place in your body. We explain the role medical procedures play, discuss the options available, and encourage in-depth, open communication between you and your health-care providers, all in the hope of promoting healthy outcomes.
Introduction: There is no shortage of books on childbirth. While casually browsing at my local bookstore, I saw more than fifty-feet of shelf space devoted to the topic. The variety of books offered is amazing. There are books by doctors, nurses, midwives-and just about everybody else with an opinion!
According to an old proverb, “There is only one way to be born, but a thousand ways to die.” These days, though, there are many ways to be born. From conception to delivery, there are endless choices with more options becoming available every day. Medical research continually comes up with better ways to do things and with new answers to problems. With all of the choices available, it is a growing challenge for expectant parents to make all the decisions necessary to take them through the process of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Looking over the sea of books available, I am delighted to see On Becoming Birthwise. An outgrowth of a childbirth course created by a group of health-care providers experienced in childbirth education, the material in this book has been used by thousands of expectant parents with great success since 1989. Like the subsequent books in the “On Becoming” series, it will give you the plain talk and practical help you need to make decisions with confidence as your family grows. It will answer your questions, describe the medical options available, explain the risks and benefits of all the common procedures and practices, and tell you what to expect from medical providers and how to work with them.
I am happy to recommend On Becoming Birthwise to expectant parents everywhere. Here you will find the medical information you need to make wise choices and move confidently through the process of pregnancy and birth.
D. C. Frame, M.D.
