Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)

Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)
by Nancy Wainer Cohen, Lois J. Estner

Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)
List Price: $41.95
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Buy Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC) at Amazon.com
(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Lois J. Estner, Nancy Wainer Cohen
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1983-03-30
ISBN: 0897890272
Number of pages: 456
Publisher: Bergin & Garvey Trade
Accessories:

Book Reviews of Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)

Book Review: The truth about C-Sections and how to prevent them
Summary: 5 Stars

Because I have never had a hospital birth or been pressured to have a cesarean, the profoundly sad stories of my friends and family are what informed my opinions about c-sections prior to reading Silent Knife. I know far too many women who've ended up with unnecessary sections and subsequent infections and complications which robbed them of health and peace of mind and, in many cases, priceless bonding time with their infants. These women feel angry, violated, betrayed, and marginalized.

There are those who criticize Cohen and Estner for being over-zealous, exaggerating the problem, and portraying doctors in a largely negative light. The picture they paint is a realistic one, however. Unfortunately, the book is as relevant now as it was when it was first published in the 80's. At around 30% of U.S. deliveries, the c-section problem has gotten worse, not better.

Now that I'm involved in pregnancy and birth on a professional level (with Birth Works), I'm hearing more stories of women who think they've found liberal, supportive, natural birth-friendly OBs, only to have support for their birth plans yanked at the least sign of variation from the "norm" and intense pressure applied, when women are at their most vulnerable, to go for the c-section. In the end, whether or not you end up with a c-section may come down to how prepared you are to go to battle for your right and your baby's right to a natural birth.

Silent Knife is brimming with facts about the safety of VBAC versus repeat cesarean. It helps us understand statistics in a realistic context. I was astonished to learn that "uterine rupture" is a hugely misleading term. There are normal windows and separations of tissue--the result of healing, totally benign--that are wrongly included in statistics as ruptures. The image we get when we hear "uterine rupture", of a uterus literally bursting apart during a contraction, is a fear tactic anti-VBAC doctors use to bolster their arguments in favor of repeat cesareans. Statistics prove the dependability of uterine scars.

Silent Knife reminds us that birth is a sacred, not surgical, event. This book is crucial reading for any woman who wants to arm herself against the cut-happy establishment and demand evidence based care. It should be required for all childbirth educators and birth professionals.

Summary of Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)

"The bible of cesarean prevention." Wall Street Journal "A landmark event, which will change the course of obstetric care by giving parents the informtion they need to make the decisions that are best for their own families. Comprehensive, highly readable, sensitive . . . should be read by everyone who cares about someone." Marian Tompson Director, Alternative Birth Crisis Coalition American Academy of Medicine "Required reading for all childbirth professionals and prospective parents." Journal of Gynecological Nursing

General Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Birth Arts Doula Certification Required Reading List: CESAREAN BIRTH
Birth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts ImageBirth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts
by Bruce L. Flamm
Simon & Schuster; Published: 1992-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.25
Price in other shops: $11.00
Artemis Speaks: Vbac Stories and Natural Childbirth Information ImageArtemis Speaks: Vbac Stories and Natural Childbirth Information
by Nan Koehler
Bookpeople; Published: 1984-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $14.95
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: The Smart Woman's Guide to VBAC ImageVaginal Birth After Cesarean: The Smart Woman's Guide to VBAC
by Kaufmann
Hunter House; Published: 1996-05-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.98
Natural Childbirth After Cesarean: A Practical Guide ImageNatural Childbirth After Cesarean: A Practical Guide
by Karis Crawford, Johanne C. Walters
Blackwell Science Inc; Published: 1996-01-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $57.46
The VBAC Companion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean ImageThe VBAC Companion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
by Diana Korte
Harvard Common Press; Published: 1997-10-25; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $17.95
Open Season: A Survival Guide for Natural Childbirth and VBAC in the 90s ImageOpen Season: A Survival Guide for Natural Childbirth and VBAC in the 90s
by Nancy Wainer Cohen
Bergin & Garvey Trade; Published: 1991-10-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $28.95
Price in other shops: $34.95
Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC) ImageSilent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)
by Nancy Wainer Cohen, Lois J. Estner
Bergin & Garvey Trade; Published: 1983-03-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $27.99
Price in other shops: $41.95
The Expectant Parent's Guide to Preventing a Cesarean Section: ImageThe Expectant Parent's Guide to Preventing a Cesarean Section:
by Carl Jones
Bergin & Garvey; Published: 1991-03-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $95.00
Similar Books and other products
Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First ImageBorn in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First
by Marsden Wagner
University of California Press; Published: 2008-05-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops: $19.95
Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation ImageBirthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation
by Pam England, Rob Horowitz
Partera Press; Published: 1998-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.00
Price in other shops: $19.95
Open Season: A Survival Guide for Natural Childbirth and VBAC in the 90s (Critical Studies in Education & Culture) ImageOpen Season: A Survival Guide for Natural Childbirth and VBAC in the 90s (Critical Studies in Education & Culture)
by Nancy Wainer Cohen
Bergin & Garvey Trade; Published: 1991-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $81.32
Spiritual Midwifery ImageSpiritual Midwifery
by Ina May Gaskin
Book Publishing Company (TN); Published: 2002-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.00
Price in other shops: $19.95
Birth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts ImageBirth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts
by Bruce L. Flamm
Prentice Hall Trade; Published: 1990-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops: $16.95
Active Birth : The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, Revised Edition ImageActive Birth : The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, Revised Edition
by Janet Balaskas
Harvard Common Press; Published: 1992-03-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.85
Price in other shops: $14.95
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth ImageIna May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin
Bantam; Published: 2003-03-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.70
Price in other shops: $18.00
Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care ImagePushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care
by Jennifer Block
Da Capo Press; Published: 2008-04-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops: $16.00
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth ImageThe Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
by Henci Goer, Rhonda Wheeler
Perigee Trade; Published: 1999-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops: $15.95
DON'T CUT ME AGAIN! True Stories About Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) ImageDON'T CUT ME AGAIN! True Stories About Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
Booklocker.com, Inc.; Published: 2007-02-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.41
Price in other shops: $14.95
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories