Everything You Need to Know about Natural Pregnancy and Childbirth
by Allison Hill, MD with Sheila Curry Oakes
Dr. Allison Hill is a board-certified OB/GYN who has delivered thousands of babies—and she is a mom herself. Based on professional and personal experience, Dr. Hill answers all your questions about natural childbirth. She helps you weigh the pros and cons of the important decisions you will face, including:
• Hospital, birth center, or home?
• Which medical interventions are necessary, and which can you safely avoid?
• How to work as a team with your doctor or midwife.
• Is natural pain management right for you?
With essential information based on scientific research and illustrated with real women's stories, this book will help you understand all your options during pregnancy and childbirth. Authoritative, accessible, and friendly, YOUR PREGNANCY, YOUR WAY uncovers the truth about medical interventions and gives you the tools to achieve a safe and healthy delivery.
Natural Versus Medicated:
The Debate (Excerpt)
Women want their birth to be safe. But what safety means is open to discussion. Should you receive medication to speed up the labor or to reduce its pain? Is it better to let nature take its course or undergo an intervention that has its own risks? In the debate over natural or medicated, is there a right answer? The controversy can turn as heated as a political argument! People on both sides of this issue firmly believe that they are doing what is best for themselves and their babies.
Medications to prevent infections, drugs to reduce bleeding, cesareans—these advances in medicine have saved the life of numerous mothers and babies. However, interventions have become the norm, even in low-risk pregnancies. Some of these have undoubtedly benefited families. Others have little evidence to support their use, and a few may actually be harmful. These days, finding the balance between the natural experience and medical interventions is particularly challenging.
Praise for co-author Allison Hill's previous book The Mommy Docs' Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy and Birth
Throughout, the authors deliver practical tips and emotional support for coping with both complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies as well as the things that can go wrong, such as mis- carriages or infertility. A great resource for anyone seeking infor- mation on pregnancy, childbirth, and the first weeks after birth.
Library Journal
Comprehensive and engaging.
Kirkus Reviews
Written in an easy to understand way … Every woman who is pregnant or wishing to get pregnant will find this book a great resource.
Portland Book Review
A comprehensive guide to pretty much everything that happens from preparing for pregnancy through the 'fourth trimester' after birth.
Deseret News
What could be better than a guide to pregnancy and birth written by doctors who are also moms? … [A]comprehensive new book … Written in a clear and friendly style. Packed with real-life stories from new moms and tested practical tips, this extraordinary guide is a reassuring resource for a healthy and stress-free pregnancy.
Tucson Citizen
Full of … useful tidbits … With common-sense information and advice on everything from breastfeeding to baby blues, these are the doctors every new mommy wants at her side. The comparisons to the seminal What to Expect When You're Expecting are inevitable, but the Mommy Docs write in a more conversational, matter-of-fact tone … A thorough and useful guide from conception to pregnancy and delivery.
BookPage
Authors
ALLISON HILL, MD, graduated from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed her OB/GYN residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Dr. Hill has been in private practice in Los Angeles for twenty years.
SHEILA CURRY OAKES has collaborated on books with numerous experts in the fields of women's health and wellness, parenting, and personal growth. A former publishing professional, she lives with her family outside of New York City.
