Baby Catcher - Chronicles of a Modern Midwife

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 649 EAN: 9780743219341 ISBN: 0743219341 Label: Scribner Manufacturer: Scribner Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 336 Publication Date: April 01, 2003 Publisher: Scribner Sales Rank: 30572 Studio: Scribner Accessories: Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers Related Items: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Spiritual Midwifery Heart & Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy & Birth The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation see more Editorial Review: Amazon.com: In a joyous, often hilarious ode to the Birkenstock-scuffling, tackle box-toting mobile midwives who flourished in the 1980s, Peggy Vincent chronicles her abundant life as a professional Baby Catcher. The wild ride begins during her nurse training years in the 1960s, when laboring women were expected to lie down, shut up, and submit to whatever drugs and procedures the doctor ordered. A rebellious patient who chants and dances through her contractions--and the hell that ensues when seasoned hospital staffers intrude--lights a permanent fire under Vincent. Her resolve to serve each laboring woman with compassion and respect carries her from obstetrics nurse to head of an alternative birth center within Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, and eventually into her own private practice as a licensed midwife. Like the most courageous home births, this collection of delivery experiences refuses anesthesia: plenty of bellowing, sweating, bleeding, and pushing accompany nearly all of the more than 40 tales. Tough confrontations with stubborn physicians, panicky labor partners, and one particularly nasty calico cat are dabbed with as many keen insights as Vincent's quieter, more heart-rending newborn encounters. Baby Catcher is an inspirational literary gift suitable for expectant mothers, fellow baby catchers, and anyone who loves reading about nature's greatest magical feat. --Liane Thomas Product Description: Each time she knelt to "catch" another wriggling baby -- nearly three thousand times during her remarkable career -- California midwife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy and the world makes way for one more. With every birth, she encounters another woman-turned-goddess: Catherine rides out her labor in a car careening down a mountain road. Sofia spends hers trying to keep her hyper doctor-father from burning down the house. Susannah gives birth so quietly that neither husband nor midwife notice until there's a baby in the room. More than a collection of birth stories, however, Baby Catcher is a provocative account of the difficulties that midwives face in the United States. With vivid portraits of courage, perseverance, and love, this is an impassioned call to rethink technological hospital births in favor of more individualized and profound experiences in which mothers and fathers take center stage in the timeless drama of birth. Download Description: "She never tired of the miracle. Each time she knelt to "catch" another baby, beloved California mid-wife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy, one person becomes two, woman turns to goddess, and the world moves aside to make room for one more soul. Trained as a nurse at Duke University in the early 1960s, Vincent begins working in the delivery room of a local hospital in the San Francisco Bay area. Even after establishing an alternative birth center at the hospital, however, she is still frustrated with her lack of autonomy. Too often she witnesses births changing from normal to high risk because of routine obstetrical interventions. Vincent then devotes herself to creating unique birth experiences for her clients and their families. She becomes a licensed midwife, opens her own practice, and delivers nearly three thousand babies during her remarkable career. With every birth comes an unforgettable story. Each time Vincent ""catches"" a wet and wriggling baby, she encounters another memorable woman busy negotiating her unique path through the labyrinth of childbirth. Meet Catherine as she rides out her labor in a car careening down a mountain road, her husband clueless at the wheel. Megan delivers on a leaky sailboat during the storm of the decade. Susannah gives birth so quietly and effortlessly, neither husband nor midwife notice much of anything until they see a baby lying on the bed, and Sofia spends her labor trying to keep her hyper doctor-father from burning down the house. More than just a collection of birth stories, Baby Catcher is a provocative, moving, and highly personal account of the ongoing difficulties midwives face in the United States. With vivid portraits of courage, perseverance, and love, this is a passionate call to rethink today's technological hospital births in favor of a more individualized and profound experience in which mothers and fathers take the stage in the timeless drama of birth and renewal. Customer Reviews Average Rating: Rating: - Moving and Informative I've read several births on midwifery and Peggy Vincent's is by far one of the most readable in terms of reaching a broad audience. If you reach for a midwifery book, in general you are pregnant and considering it as a birth option or interested in midwifery itself. There aren't a lot of general interest readers but Vincent's book is in a position to change it. It is both a memoir of a powerful personal journey and a piquant social commentary but beyond those two facets it is a testament to the power ... Read More Rating: - Inspiring memoir My best friend gave me this book as a thank-you gift for flying from Nor Cal (60 miles from Berkley, where most of the action is set) to Phoenix, AZ on a few hours' notice, five days ahead of schedule, in order to be her doula for her first baby. I had read it before I left for California again some days later. Fast, engaging, memorable life experiences follow a decades-long parade of shifting ideas of how women give birth in our country, from "all stirrups-and-forceps, all the time!" (slight ... Read More Rating: - honest AND exciting!? I love that Peggy begins her career as a shy, girlish candy striper & goes on to become the take-charge, seasoned veteran she ultimately is. I love that she chose what appear to be the most exciting, interesting, poignant & pivotal birth stories of her professional career to share with us. She gives the people what we want - action! I've read lots of hum-drum, normal homebirth stories, so I found it refreshing to be riveted at every page. BTW, Peggy, you got screwed & it's not fair! I was ... Read More Rating: - Memory Lane Absolutely one of the best books I read of late. I was a labor and delivery nurse in the mid 70's when so many changes occurred. This book took me down memory lane of all of the wonderful experiences I had as I labored women before the "electronic age". Thank you Peggy and your women for sharing the most intimate part of their lives. Rating: - Fantastically engaging! This was quite possibly one of my favorite books of all time! I am an aspiring midwife and felt like this book spoke directly to me and encompassed my own thoughts on labor, delivery, and midwifery in the U.S. I would love to spend a few hours picking Peggy's brain and just listening to her talk. A WONDERFUL book! see more Browse for similar items by category: Specific Groups - Biographies & Memoirs - Subjects - Books - Women Parenting Child Care Discipline Emotions & Feelings

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