Includes chapter by Dr. John Gray, author of the best-selling, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus! Over one million cesarean sections are performed each year in America. Only one-half of these invasive procedures are medically necessary. In the name of technological progress, hundreds of thousands of women have been coerced into relinquishing a most cherished right--the right to give birth in a gentle, supportive environment, free of medical interventions. Many of these women suffer needlessly because they place their trust completely in doctors who view medical intervention and cesarean sections as a birthing panacea. American culture has conditioned women to fear pregnancy and childbirth. Now, more than ever, it is important for women to learn all the facts before giving birth. For instance, how many women know that cesarean delivery carries approximately four times the risk of maternal mortality compared to vaginal delivery? Or that being able to fully trust their own instincts and knowing how to accurately interpret the messages the body sends may be more important to a healthy delivery than any medical equipment? Women deserve to know this kind of information in order to see beyond the external considerations of childbirth so they can put themselves back in touch with the simple, peaceful, natural process of bringing a child into this world.
Trust Your Body! Trust Your Baby! empowers women to face the challenges, fears, and decisions involved in giving birth today. Through anecdotal experiences, facts figures, and the contributions of well-known authors in the field, this rich volume offers fresh approaches to the aggressive procedures embraced by many doctors and women of child-bearing age. The physical, psychological, and cultural implications of cesarean sections are thoroughly examined. Also explored are many time-tested techniques such as visualization, massage, and exercises that can reposition breech babies as well as other invaluable hints for avoiding unnecessary cesarean sections. Completing this unique work is a detailed discussion of associated issues such as VBAC, the husband's role in childbirth, circumcision, and the far-reaching effects natural delivery can have on the baby's entire life. Appendices provide valuable information about questions to ask your doctor, steps in forming a successful birth plan, and sources for further guidance. Through insightful education and an understanding that can only come through experience, Henkart show how every woman possesses the ability to overcome the fear and uncertainty commonly associated with birthing in the 90s. When this ability is fully realized, women can once again hold the key to making childbirth the powerful, wondrous, life experience it is meant to be.
About the Author: ANDREA FRANK HENKART has an M.A. in Psychology from Sonoma State University. She is a holistic health educator, a certified childbirth educator, a certified professional childbirth assistant, and the cofounder and past president of the Marin County chapter of the International Cesarean Awareness Network. As an international public speaker and seminar leader, Henkart has over 18 years of teaching experience in the fields of health, childbirth, parenting, and personal growth. She is the author of The Cesarean Challenge.
