Admittedly, I have mixed feelings about this book. On the whole I did find it well balanced - the Sears', while not hiding their preference for midwife delivered, at home births, aren't as anti obstetrician as some other books I have read. I also found the couple a little more realist about the actual choices facing most mothers (i.e., how far are you from the hospital). I do feel more prepared for birth having read it, which ultimately is the point of the book. They did provide mechanisms and rationale for most of the standard practices of care that they disagree with. That said, moments are just too unscientific, too goof-ball/flaky in tone, and a little too much personal experience was added was discussed in places that could have used statistics. ( )

This definitive guide to birthing includes topics such as physical and emotional preparation, lessening the discomfort and speeding up the labor process, the father's role, how to select the kind of birthing environment you want, and more.