From the back cover: "On an icy winter night in an isolated house in rural Vermont, a seasoned midwife named Sibyl Danforth takes desperate measures to save a baby's life. She performs an emergency cesarean section on a mother she believes has died of a stroke. But what if Sibyl's patient wasn't dead - and Sibyl inadvertently killed her?"When I began reading this book I was sure the author was pro-midwife but once I finished it I was not so sure. I can only filter this story through my own personal beliefs about midwives and childbirth. My mom is a certified nurse midwife who works in a hospital. I delivered two of my babies in a hospital with a midwife in attendance (I would have delivered all four that way but it just didn't work out). I considered a home birth but felt more comfortable in a hospital where 1) equipment was within arms reach to help if something went wrong and 2) I didn't have to deal with the mess in my house. However, I had friends who delivered babies at home with lay midwives and had incredible birth experiences too. In the end, I believe that a mother should deliver wherever and with whomever she feels most comfortable. In any case, we are talking about life, and life is messy - there is never a guarantee that everything will be okay. I hate that our society has become so litigious that there must always be someone to blame and made to pay if life gets messy. I thought this book was ultimately a warning against trusting anyone who isn't a medical doctor who went to school for years. I guess all I am saying is that everyone, including the most highly trained surgeons, makes mistakes. Anyway, it was a good book, definitely thought provoking and a little disturbing to me.
3 comments:
I delivered my second daughter at home with a lay midwife. I had an ok experience with a very irresponsible midwife, but still, it was incredible. I am a big proponent of choice when it comes to how women birth their children. That being said, I found this book neither Pro nor Anti homebirth. It just was a story. A good story by someone knowledgeable about homebirth. I have often thought of this story. It is not about homebirth as much as it is about what a daughter will do for her mother, no matter how remote the relationship might be. I have often recommended this book.
I'd love to read this! **Adding to list - the list that seems to get longer by the day!! :o)
There's 2 copies of this at the used book store...
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