Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
by Peggy Vincent
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peggy VincentEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-04-01
ISBN: 0743219341
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Scribner
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Book Reviews of Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
Book Review: Honest look at natural childbirth by a midwife with experience dealing with OBs & challenging situations
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book with the expectation that it would provide a straightforward look at natural childbirth from the perspective of a midwife who has "seen it all before"...and after finishing it, that's exactly what I feel like I got.
At 38 and carrying my first child, I want to be informed about the birth experience I'm about to have. I was not scared by the (few) outcomes the author portrayed that were less-than-ideal. In fact, quite the contrary - it gave me confidence in the honesty of her story, because I recognize things don't always go as planned. However, if you're squeamish about reading anything that isn't sunshine and rainbows, or just want to show up at the hospital and have the doctors tell you what to do for your birth, What to Expect When You're Expecting: Fourth Edition will give you the basic facts about what you can expect from a standard, routine hospital birth. That said, I'd assume most people these days would prefer knowledge over naievete - and for those who do, I highly recommend Peggy Vincent's book.
Certainly, the author has myriad stories to tell, so those highlighted in the book are likely the more colorful from her many years of practice - it is a memoir, after all, not intended to be an instruction manual. And yes, there is some profanity...although, I can honestly say I didn't even think about it myself until I read the negative reviews. Unless a reader strongly objects to curse words, I think most people would consider this language fairly unobtrusive...especially given the emotionally charged situations under which the words are said (it's certainly no worse than what's on cable these days).
I also appreciated the fact that the author had worked as a nurse in a hospital, prior to getting her CNM (certified nurse midwife) certification. In my view, that gives her a unique perspective -- and shows a side of most OBs that most patients don't get to hear from their doctors directly. For example, as one OB is quoted in the book, "Normal birth is a retrospective diagnosis. No birth is normal until after the fact. All births are complicated until proven otherwise." - in contrast to Peggy's perspective, "Childbirth is normal unless proven otherwise." Which makes more sense to you?
The author clearly demonstrates that there are some OBs out there who are exceptionally supportive of midwives and natural birthing. Unfortunately, though, medical school trains them to assume the worst and protect themselves/the hospital at all costs, not to mention racking up huge (many times unnecessary) costs -- all of which usually translates into routine epidurals, episiotimies and C-sections (did you even know these are supposed to be optional and rarely used?). When this obstetrical skill is applied the way it's intended, it can save lives and prevent negative outcomes - and the author provides many examples of this being used effectively throughout this book. But when applied across the board, even for standard, healthy, otherwise-normal births, it seems to be more for the benefit of insurance providers, prevention of malpractice suits, hiking up fees, and making sure doctors get the birth "over with" so they can make their tee time at the local golf course.
Overall, I think this was a great read, with interesting stories, told from a unique perspective, with honesty and grace. I finished the book in awe of the work this author was able to accomplish throughout her career (though I never once read it as being self-congratulatory), and hoping I can be lucky enough to share my birth experience with someone like her. I, for one, am thrilled she decided to share her stories so that we have the opportunity to learn from her experience.
Another book I would recommend in a similar vein to this one is Ina May Gaskin's Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. For a book on natural vs hospital childbirth from the perspective of a well-informed mother (with a fairly negative, though honest, depiction of hospital births), I would recommend Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood by Naomi Wolf. If you're just starting along your journey and looking for a fun read with some interesting personal insights on pregnancy, try The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy or Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth -- however, bear in mind these are light reads and you'll have to look elsewhere for information about natural childbirth.
Summary of Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
Each time she knelt to "catch" another wriggling baby -- nearly three thousand times during her remarkable career -- California midwife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy and the world makes way for one more. With every birth, she encounters another woman-turned-goddess: Catherine rides out her labor in a car careening down a mountain road. Sofia spends hers trying to keep her hyper doctor-father from burning down the house. Susannah gives birth so quietly that neither husband nor midwife notice until there's a baby in the room.More than a collection of birth stories, however, Baby Catcher is a provocative account of the difficulties that midwives face in the United States. With vivid portraits of courage, perseverance, and love, this is an impassioned call to rethink technological hospital births in favor of more individualized and profound experiences in which mothers and fathers take center stage in the timeless drama of birth.
In a joyous, often hilarious ode to the Birkenstock-scuffling, tackle box-toting mobile midwives who flourished in the 1980s, Peggy Vincent chronicles her abundant life as a professional Baby Catcher. The wild ride begins during her nurse training years in the 1960s, when laboring women were expected to lie down, shut up, and submit to whatever drugs and procedures the doctor ordered. A rebellious patient who chants and dances through her contractions--and the hell that ensues when seasoned hospital staffers intrude--lights a permanent fire under Vincent. Her resolve to serve each laboring woman with compassion and respect carries her from obstetrics nurse to head of an alternative birth center within Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, and eventually into her own private practice as a licensed midwife. Like the most courageous home births, this collection of delivery experiences refuses anesthesia: plenty of bellowing, sweating, bleeding, and pushing accompany nearly all of the more than 40 tales. Tough confrontations with stubborn physicians, panicky labor partners, and one particularly nasty calico cat are dabbed with as many keen insights as Vincent's quieter, more heart-rending newborn encounters. Baby Catcher is an inspirational literary gift suitable for expectant mothers, fellow baby catchers, and anyone who loves reading about nature's greatest magical feat. --Liane Thomas
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