birth prevention

Condoms are easier to change than diapers. -Bumper Sticker.
$1.25
Bumper Sticker promotes use of condoms for birth control.

Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC)
$41.95
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 as an educator, 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.

Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention
$69.95
The increasing prevalence of preterm birth in the United States is a complex public health problem that requires multifaceted solutions. Preterm birth is a cluster of problems with a set of overlapping factors of influence. Its causes may include individual-level behavioral and psychosocial factors, sociodemographic and neighborhood characteristics, environmental exposure, medical conditions, infertility treatments, and biological factors. Many of these factors co-occur, particularly in those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. While advances in perinatal and neonatal care have improved survival for preterm infants, those infants who do survive have a greater risk than infants born at term for developmental disabilities, health problems, and poor growth.The birth of a preterm infant can also bring considerable emotional and economic costs to families and have implications for public-sector services, such as health insurance, educational, and other social support systems. "Preterm Birth" assesses the problem with respect to both its causes and outcomes. This book addresses the need for research involving clinical, basic, behavioral, and social science disciplines. By defining and addressing the health and economic consequences of premature birth, this book will be of particular interest to health care professionals, public health officials, policy makers, professional associations and clinical, basic, behavioral, and social science researchers.

Women's Health Series: Contraception - Know Your Options
$89.00
Women's Health Series No. 2 Contraception, Know Your Options. A review of contraception methods for both men and women, including the latest options, with discussions of the benefits and risks of each. This series provides clear, concise answers to the health issues facing every woman at every age, and is designed to empower through self-examination, self-assessment and education.