The American Way of Birth

by Jessica Mitford

Book Overview

This provocative book shows how and in what circumstances Americans give birth. It is not about the miracle of life, but about the role of money and politics in a lucrative industry; a saga of champagne birthing suites for the rich, and desperate measures for the poor. It is a colorful history -- from the torture and burning of midwives in medieval times, through the absurd pretensions of the modest Victorian age, to this century's vast succession...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452270685
• ISBN13: 9780452270688
• Release Date: November 1993
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Incredible and eye opening view of childbirth in America

As a pregnant woman planning a home birth with a midwife and extensive research into modern obstetrics, I had the great fortune of purchasing this book at a second hand store on a fluke. As I began to read, I found I simply could not put the book down. Ms Mitford's eloquent and witty writing style (peppered with intelligent interjections a la francaise), made it easy to read the entire book in a few days. The research put forward was a real eye opener for me, even after researching American obstetrics and midwifery for the last 3 months. Ms. Mitford analyses the socio-political reasons for the fall of midwifery in America, as well as centuries of child-laboring medical tactics, which may as well be defined as torture. Ms. Mitford also has a lot to say about the sad state of health care in America and how to best ensure a bright future for the world, one must care about the health and treatment of expecting mothers and their children in utero. One of the even more compelling pieces of this book is that it was written 17 years ago, and is still spot on (minus a statistic here or there, which has amazingly gotten *worse* in the past few decades). If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. It is a real gem, and really easily balances taking a very human issue and also explaining the reason and history (and the money) behind the in-humane treatment of laboring mothers, which still continues into the 21st century.

Eye Opening Recent History of Birth in America

As a certified childbirth educator, I found this book to be absolutely eye opening! There is so much we American women don't know about the prenatal, birth, and postnatal practices in which we participate every day. The author's passion about the subject is obvious and well researched and documented. The most enlightening element to me is how different American women think about and handle pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum compared to other industrialized nations. If you find yourself feeling that pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum have become over managed or "medicalized", you will find this book encouraging and maybe challenged to modify your own care.

Perfect Explanation of Birth in Today's Society

As a labor and delivery nurse, I can attest that this book is extremely accurate. OB doctors are overused and to blame for the increasing csection rate. Mitford uses credible research to document her findings, and I have my own experiences to back up her claims. She puts the information in lay terms that everyone can understand and is giving women a voice in their birth experience. Women should be knowledgable enough to understand the risks and benefits of the procedures that are being done to them. This book is an eye opening look at American birth!! Interesting that the woman from England disagreed with the book since midwives are primarily used in England and they have better neonatal outcomes than the US.

Great historical info and exploration of U.S. birth ideas

First of all, I'd like to say that I can't imagine that the reader from England read the same book I did. There was absolutely nothing "rude and crude" or inflammatory in any way in the book, unless you consider the idea that a midwife could successfully deliver babies rude and crude!This book made me think and it made me laugh. I particularly enjoyed Ms. Mitford's writing style, which was snappy and curmudgeonly all at the same time. I thought the historical info about the barber/surgeon guilds in England was probably the most boring part of the book. The info about the grannie midwives in the South in the early 1900s was the most interesting to me.This isn't one of those books that you "have to read" if you're having a baby (which is good, since it's out of print). I'd recommend Sheila Kitzinger or Dr. William Sears for that. However, it *is* an interesting look at U.S. culture and trends which reflect/are reflected in images of women.Maybe what the English reader objected to was Ms. Mitford's strong conviction that it's the woman who has the baby, not the doctor who "delvers" it? Who knows. If you're the kind of person who just likes to do what you're told, don't read this book, as it may upset you. If, however, you're interested in an exploration of birth in America and aren't afraid to hear that the doctor may not always know everything, look in Auctions or ZShops or your local library and read this book.

Educational and absorbing in detail

This historical account of childbirth in America is absolutely absorbing in its detail and fascinating in its accurate account of how childbirth was actually stolen from midwives. In the first few chapters the author shows alarming behavior by medical doctors due to their conceited attitudes. Many women's lives have been lost because of such pompus attitudes. If every pregnant woman read this book I am sure that the midwifery rate for childbirth in this country would skyrocket. I have been convinced. Obstetricians are overused in this country and it is time to get back to the basics and remember that pregnancy is not a "disease" that needs to be cured, but a natural event that just needs to be "monitored" in the RARE case of a complication. This book has my highest recommendation.