Editorial Review:

In the United States, more than half the women who give birth are given drugs to induce or speed up labor; for nearly a third of mothers, childbirth is major surgery - the cesarean section. For women who want an alternative, choice is often unavailable: Midwives are sometimes inaccessible; in eleven states they are illegal. In one of those states, even birthing centers are outlawed.When did birth become an emergency instead of an emergence? Since when is normal, physiological birth a crime? A groundbreaking journalistic narrative, Pushed presents the complete picture of maternity care in America. Crisscrossing the country to report what women really experience during childbirth, Jennifer Block witnessed several births - from a planned cesarean to an underground home birth. Against this backdrop, Block investigates whether routine C-sections, inductions, and epidurals equal medical progress. She examines childbirth as a reproductive rights issue: Do women have the right to an optimal birth experience? If so, is that right being upheld? Block's research and experience reveal in vivid detail that while emergency obstetric care is essential, there is compelling evidence that we are overusing medical technology at the expense of maternal and infant health: Either women's bodies are failing, or the system is failing women.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Important:

If you're pregnant and can only read one book about childbirth, it should be this one. Written in an engaging but pragmatic journalistic style, this is a fabulously researched look at what has gone wrong in hospital delivery rooms, leading to a 33 percent C-section rate in America today.

A must read for any pregnant woman!! Real eye opener!!:

This is a must read for any pregnant woman. It is a real eye opener into the medical practice and the reasoning behind many things that occur during child birth.

Unique Insight Into America's Maternity Care:

Having read the book and attended a book reading by the author, I was most amazed by this book because Ms. Block is not a mother. As a non-mother, outside of the birth community, she was able to offer unique insight that other authors of wonderful books missed. For instance, Ms. Block notes that the "back alley births" have replaced "back alley abortions" in many communities. Safe, natural childbirth is legally unavailable to women with previous c-sections, multiple births, and other risk factors in certain... more info

Scary But Necessary Reading:

My first (and only) birth was quite horrifying. After being induced because my contractions slowed the contractions became very painful, after 18 hours I asked for an epidural. The resident put the tube in wrong and the epidural didn't work properly, immobilizing my legs, but leaving the horrific contractions. After 30 hours the midwife broke my bag of waters and after 36 hours I had a fever and my son's heart rate was becoming erratic. They put me in for an emergency C-section, but gave the anesthesia... more info

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