Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife

by Peggy Vincent

ONE LINE SUMMARY: Peggy Vincent details her career from nurse to midwife in this memoir.

Although I don’t really understand why some women would not want pain relief if it’s available, I can understand the midwife’s perspective and would probably choose a midwife myself if I had a baby. The way doctors are trained in obstetrics is not necessarily the best way for a pregnant woman. For example, I’ve read that episiotomies often take more time to heal than a natural tear.

This book mainly consists of short chapters detailing a different patient. Although there isn’t too much personal information about Vincent, the book holds together quite well until the part when Vincent gets involved in a lawsuit. I understand the reasons for including this part, but it was an abrupt transition from the previous chapters.

This is a good book, even though I now know more about placentas than I wanted to.

Posted by: ssjane | October 22, 2006 | 10:36 pm
Posted in: Books | Essay/Memoir | Recommended