Book Review: Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

 

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon

Author Qualifications
Susan McCutcheon is a Bradley Childbirth educator, and one of Dr. Bradley's first students in 1968. I was not able to find much other information about her, so I'm assuming she has no formal medical training. The founder of the program is Dr. Robert A. Bradley MD, who did his obstetrical training at the Mayo Foundation in Minnesota. 

Stand Out Nuggets
-The Bradley Method is also known as Husband-Coached Childbirth. The program heavily relies on a supportive partner.
-Describes several differences between Bradley and Lamaze techniques, including an emphasis on natural breathing vs. panting techniques; visualization of the body vs. distraction techniques; viewing the hospital team as pushy vs. trusting what the doctor says, even if it means accepting medications. 
-Provides questions to ask your doctor about what happens during labor so you know what to look for to have the experience you want.
-Emphasizes that preparing for birth is a long-term commitment. You must spend at least 12 weeks, if not the entire pregnancy, eating well, exercising, not taking any medication, practicing deep breathing & relaxation, and put a great effort into choosing the right birthing team.
-Provides sections with very specific relaxation, breathing & visualization exercises for the different stages of labor. 
-Teaches you how to recognize where you are in the labor process based on your emotions and how your body is feeling.
-Teaches the best body positions for the different stages of labor.

What I Think
First let me say, I have not taken the official 12 week Bradley course, I've only read this book. Educators would frown on this approach, but I found this amount of study was sufficient for me. Also, my mom is an RN and former Lamaze educator, but I did not resonate with those techniques.

I have a very bi-polar view of this book. On the one hand, I felt that the Bradley techniques resembled my yoga practice much more than Lamaze. Bradley focuses on natural, deep breathing, and emphasizes the importance of the whole body, eating healthy and exercising throughout pregnancy. I also like that the Bradley techniques have me focus on how contractions are working for my body, how exactly those organs are pumping and making progress, whereas what I understand from Lamaze, I would focus on something to distract from the pain.
I really like that the book provides very specific body positioning, relaxation, and visualization techniques. It's a great help for me and for my husband. I've book-marked specific exercises and plan on bringing this book to the hospital for my husband to reference if he needs help remembering what to do on that emotional day.

What I strongly dislike about this book is how judgmental and fear-mongering it is. Throughout the book, for example, the author insists that episiotomies are routine and that you'll have to fight the doctor to avoid it. Not true! This information is outdated and it totally freaked me out! I asked my doctor about this and about how often they use forceps and vacuums. She said an episiotomy is very rare, they never use forceps and she can't remember the last time they used a vacuum. This book made these methods and other interventions seem commonplace. So check with your doctor if you have concerns about anything you read in this book - it was last published in 1994 which is a long time ago in medical history.
The book is just very one-sided. If you accept interventions, you are "giving in" and while it does say that you should have a good relationship with your birthing team, the book also implies that you should expect to have to fight everyone. I don't want to fight when I'm in labor! I wrote a birth plan and informed my husband of what type of experience I want so he can be my voice if I cannot, but I really don't want him to fight either! I don't think this is a healthy mentality and I truly believe that most people in this field of work just want you to have a good experience, even if they don't often see women follow through with their natural birth plans.

The Takeaway
Even though Bradley is less accepting of a flexible birth plan (it's very judgmental about any kind of intervention and medication), I feel like this type of strong conviction might be just what I need to overcome my self-doubt. Of course, I will do what ever is medically necessary. But if I go in with a strong will to deliver naturally, I feel like I'll have a better chance of succeeding than to be completely open to accepting interventions. 
I do not judge other women and I don't think this approach is right for everyone. The book itself can be scary, and can even make you feel bad about yourself. But if you are an earth-mama yoga-type that feels deeply connected to your body and emotions, this might be a good program for you if you can ignore the judgement and pushiness. Overall, I did find this book very educational and it did make me think a great deal about what type of labor I want. But even though I consider myself a type of person that's able to detect an author's bias or false information, I still felt fearful about some things because of this book before I spoke with my doctor.  


Have you read this book? Did you find it helpful to you, before and after your birth experience? Did it freak you out, too?! Please comment! I am so curious to know about others experiences. I had great feedback on my post discussing Natural Childbirth vs. Epidurals on how I weighed the pros and cons of each experience, so thank you!!
Be sure to check out my other parenting & pregnancy Book Reviews on the blog! So much has changed this week, I'm looking forward to updating you all in my next pregnancy update on Monday!! Almost 37 weeks now and the Hospital Bags are packed! Thanks for reading! :) 

xo kristen genevieve

Book Review: Baby Bargains

 Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Gear, Clothes, Strollers, Maternity wear and much more by Denise & Alan Fields

Author Qualifications:
Denise & Alan Fields are writers that collected parent reviews of baby related products for Baby Bargains.

Stand Out Nuggets:
This book is a great guide to baby products that lays out the best options for your individual lifestyle and budget, so you can personalize each purchase. I used this book to make decisions on my stroller, car seat, carrier, baby monitor and to get ideas about baby furniture.
There are also "nuggets" of information in this book that I had never known before. For example, did you know that Walkers are so dangerous (not to mention bad for development) that they are actually banned in Canada?! Reading that totally surprised me, but I was happy to find another place to save money!
Another great tip from the book is to join Amazon Mom - it's basically Amazon Prime tailored for moms, and it's been essential for me!! Baby Bargains also has lots of tips of products to avoid, ways to save money, and reminders of things you might not otherwise consider (like baby proofing items) spread throughout the book. 

What I Think:
This book is great! I found that researching & buying baby products can be so overwhelming and this book helped give a general picture of what products would work for me. Don't get me wrong, I definitely needed Amazon reviews, too. However, I found going straight to Amazon to be too exhausting in the beginning of my research. It was great to have side by side comparisons of products for items like infant car sets and strollers, and explanations of what companies have done to improve their products since the last Baby Bargains book review.
My only hesitation in giving this book a perfect review is that there isn't much on non-toxic products - not just house cleaning products but things like lotions, soaps & shampoos. For non-toxic research, I generally refer to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database, which rates individual products' toxicity levels. You can easily to Google "EWG Burt's Bees Baby Lotion" and find a direct link, or go straight to their website and search all "baby lotions."

The Takeaway:
I would definitely recommend this book - even if you have a lot of pregnant or mom friends who are dying to give you advice on the products they used, because your lifestyle and budget may be different from theirs. I was lucky to be able to borrow my sister-in-law's copy of Baby Bargains from 2011 (the newest is 2013), but the book is fairly inexpensive and may save you thousands in the long run. I can't imagine searching for baby products without this book, but I also combined my product research with Amazon reviews and ratings from EWG.


Did you find Baby Bargains helpful? Would you recommend it to a newly pregnant friend? What would you change or add to this book? 
I hope you're enjoying my parenting Book Review series! Please comment and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you! :)

xo kristen genevieve

Book Review: The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp

 The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp

Author Qualifications:
Doctor Harvey Karp is an American pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at USC School of Medicine. "He completed medical school training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC, pediatric residency at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and fellowships in ambulatory pediatrics and child development at UCLA."

Stand Out Nuggets:
-The concept of the "Fourth Trimester." Dr. Karp argues that a newborn's brain and functions are so much less developed than a three month old and thus treating a baby differently for this short stage will help them transition from the womb to the world. In the womb, baby's are exposed to a constant, loud "shhhing" noise, continuous movement, and a warm, cozy you! Dr. Karp explains that entering the world is a stark contrast to that experience and sensitive babies may have a difficult time transitioning. According to Dr. Karp, there is no such thing as "spoiling" a baby in the first three months.

-Babies all over the world and throughout history have been carried around in a sling by their mothers. In some cultures, babies are given the breast within 10 seconds of the baby's cry, each time they cry. Dr. Karp acknowledges that this level of on-demand attention is unrealistic in our culture, but also reminds readers that babies are used to constant closeness because its what they experienced in the womb.

-Not every crying baby has colic. Colic usually starts at two weeks, peaks at six weeks, and ends by three to four months. Colic is not more common among preemies. Babies with colic appear to be in pain, and their screams often begin during or just after feeding, and are much worse in the evening. Colic crying "often improves with rocking, holding, shhhing and gentle abdominal pressure." These babies are fine between outbursts. A colicky baby is NOT the same as a baby who reflux, constipation, hunger, food allergies (or reactions to foods in your breast milk), or other more serious issues. (Information on pages 31-32.)

-The famous 5 "S" solutions to calm even a baby with colic: Swaddling (tightly, arms in), Side/Stomach laying (NOT in the crib!), Shhh sounds (white noise), Swinging (short & vigorous), and Sucking. Dr. Karp emphasizes that for babies with colic, all 5 "S"s must be done correctly & simultaneously in order to achieve success. Most babies can benefit from one or more of these techniques, but more sensitive babies need all five solutions to be soothed. The majority of the book describes & illustrates how to properly execute these techniques.

-Interesting tidbit: just as baby's eyes are adjusting in the first three months, baby's ears are also "waterlogged," so sounds are muffled, just as they were in the womb. So when baby is crying, "shhhing" must be done louder than baby's cry, which is measured to be louder than a vacuum! (p 141) (***UPDATE: In March 2014, a study was published saying that white noise machines at maximum volume were too loud for baby and may cause hearing damage over time. Be sure to consult your pediatrician about this issue in order to make the right decision for your family.)

-For chapter outlines and excerpts, visit this link on the Happiest Baby website. 

What I Think:
Let me just come out and say it: I was hesitant to agree with Dr. Karp initially. I do not plan to practice "attachment parenting" with my child (no judgement, its just not for me). From what I had heard, I felt like Dr. Karp's philosophy "gives in" to baby's demands and would therefore make it more difficult to sleep train later on. However, this book is specifically intended for the first three to four months of life (the "Fourth Trimester"), which he explains as being different because of the baby's developmental stage.  
The lay out of this book is easy to navigate, however, its pretty repetitive. I feel like Dr. Karp could have condensed this book and made it half the length. He went into depth to defend his arguments, which I liked, but he also repeated himself again and again, even when not presenting evidence, and it felt like too much "fluff" to me. If you already agree with the author and his Fourth Trimester theory, a summary would be just fine for you (like the one on pages 126-127). If you disagree with him or are on the fence, it would be more worth your time to read the entire book to understand why he believes what he does.
I am glad I read this book because it focuses on the first three months, when I know I'll be too exhausted to think! If my baby is crying or has colic, I'm glad to have some resources to calm my baby when I'm too tired to research new solutions. I am also planning to read & eventually review Dr. Marc Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child which focuses specifically on sleep issues, segmented into baby's age (1-4months, 4-12months...).

The Takeaway:
I would recommend this book if your pediatrician suspects your baby to have colic. Otherwise, if you agree with the author and don't need convincing of this parenting theory, go to the library and skim the basics of how to do each technique. If you disagree with Dr. Karp, it still might be valuable to have a few tricks in your pocket in case you're exhausted & desperate. Keep in mind that, in general, babies need tighter wrapping, more vigorous jiggling or swinging, and louder "shhhing" than you might expect. Also, each technique takes practice and may not work perfectly the first few times. So hang in there!
With my baby, I will likely try these techniques when he's crying and I've tried feeding, burping, changing his diaper, and holding him and don't know what else to do. However, I won't rely on the three month mark to change things up and phase out of certain techniques, like swinging. I think it's important to pay attention to your baby and to work with your pediatrician to decide when the right time is to shift strategies based on your baby's individual development.


I hope you're still enjoying this Book Review series! Do you agree with Dr. Karp, that the first three months of life are different? Is it possible to spoil a newborn? Do you plan on sleep training your baby before or after three months? Please comment and let me know what you think!

xo kristen genevieve

Book Review: What to Expect When You're Expecting

 What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff & Sharon Mazel

Author Qualifications:
Heidi Murkoff is a writer and mother, not a doctor. Sharon Mazel also appears to be an author without a medical background. Information on their credentials beyond "author" very difficult to find. Murkoff has been criticized for having no medical training.

What I Think:
Ahh, the classic pregnancy book. Because there is just so much information in this book, I'm not going to write a detailed summary the content of this one like I did for Brain Rules. Essentially, What to Expect describes each week of an average pregnancy and gives brief answers to pretty much every question you can think of about pregnancy. It's more of a reference book, not something you generally read cover-to-cover. The final chapters discuss the realities of labor & delivery, what to expect six weeks postpartum, your partner's role, being sick while pregnant and pregnancy complications & loss. 

If you are an emotional person that is susceptible to "freak outs" during pregnancy, this book is not for you. You can so easily read something, diagnosis yourself, and think that your world is crashing down. However, for me, it's been a great reference guide. I have anxiety in my daily life, but for some reason, I feel very confident about my ability to handle pregnancy, labor & parenting, so the information didn't scare me. I enjoyed not only the "textbook" style for referencing quick questions, and the week by week details of how my baby grows.

If you're just interested in the week by week changes, I would suggest skipping the book and going straight to the What to Expect website, as it has all the same information. Also, you can research specific questions and use the website as a resource rather than feeling bombarded by all the other information you aren't ready for. My sisters-in-law both preferred The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, which I will review later in this series.

One of the problems I had while reading this book is that it doesn't say much about having a healthy or organic/non-toxic pregnancy. While I understand that the non-toxic lifestyle isn't mainstream, I wish a little more attention was paid to controlling negative environmental factors. There is one small section that basically says, "avoid toxic products," but doesn't give concrete solutions or info on which toxins are particularly bad in pregnancy (with the exception of lead).

For example, the book claims that microwaves are completely safe during pregnancy (p 78). Now I'm not saying you can't use the microwave, but back up 6 feet! Don't expose yourself to that radiation when its so easily avoidable. The book also says to avoid dying your hair in the first trimester only (p 144), but it's not good for you at all during pregnancy! I understand that its difficult for women to totally give up getting their hair & nails done, and I don't think its the end of the world. Its just something I would not personally do, so I take this type of advice with a grain of salt and get my non-toxic solutions elsewhere.

The Takeaway:
This book is a textbook that covers almost everything you want to know about pregnancy except living a non-toxic lifestyle. Take every piece of information with a grain of salt and ask your doctor about questions you are concerned about, don't just rely on the text as it is simplified and one-sided. I would only recommend the book to those who aren't prone to "freak outs" and who like the reference-style writing. For everyone else, stick with the website! The week by week updates of how you and your baby change are fun!


What do you think of What to Expect? Did it freak you out? Do you prefer the book or the website? Would you recommend it to a friend? Hope you're enjoying my new Book Review series! I'm trying to be helpful and critical, not judgemental. You definitely don't have to agree with me and I would love to hear your take!

xo kristen genevieve

Book Review: Brain Rules For Baby by John Medina

Hey all! So as most of you know, I have been neglecting my blog lately to get things done before my little man arrives. One of the things I've been doing is reading - a lot. So I wanted to share with you a few nuggets of information from some of the baby sleep & brain development books I've been reading. I know moms & moms-to-be are too busy to read every single book & website out there! 

Throughout my reviews, please remember: Some of it I don't agree with, some of it I do, some I only agree with to a certain extent. I'll explain what the author's perspective is and then make it clear when I'm telling you what I think about it. You don't have to agree with me or the author! I'm very accepting of other people's different beliefs. So please comment and tell me what you think! I think it's great for us to have a community discussion. Hope you enjoy this new series! 

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Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart & Happy Child from Zero to Five

Author Qualifications:
John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist with a "strong interest in the genetics of psychiatric disorders." He founded the Talaris Institute in Seattle, "whose original mission involved studying how infants process information at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels." (p 3) He is also the father of two boys. (Note: he is NOT a child psychologist or pediatrician.) 

Stand Out Nuggets:
Pregnancy: 
-Keep it quiet in the first half of pregnancy, baby's brain does better with lack of stimulation. So turn down the noise! "No commercial product has ever been shown in a scientifically responsible manner to do anything to improve the brain performance of a developing fetus." (p24)
-Baby can hear mom's voice, and remembers. "During the final six weeks of pregnancy, women in a study were asked to read the Dr. Seuss book [The Cat in the Hat] out loud twice a day...When babies were born, they were given a pacifier hooked up to a machine that could measure the strength and frequency of their sucking...The babies then heard tapes of their mother reading The Cat in the Hat or a different story, or heard no story at all...The babies who had heard Dr. Seuss while in the womb appeared to recognize, and prefer, a tape of their mother reading The Cat in the Hat." (p33-34)
-Four things proven to help baby's brain in pregnancy: gain just the right weight; eat just the right foods (folic acid, omega-3s, balanced diet); avoid too much stress (chronic is bad, some mild stress is just fine); exercise just the right amount.

Relationship: 
-Be good to your spouse because baby can feel your energy and seeks safety above all. Baby's brain is less able to develop appropriate stress-coping mechanisms when in an emotionally unstable home.
-Biggest mistake when parents fight: fighting in front of your child without resolving the conflict in front of them. Model how to fight fair and how to make up.
-Four biggest reasons you'll fight: sleep loss; social isolation; unequal workload; depression.

Seeds of Baby Brain Development:
-There are aspects of your child's intelligence about which you can do nothing; genetic contribution is about 50 percent. 
-Five Ingredients of Intelligence: the desire to explore; self-control; creativity; verbal communication; interpreting nonverbal communication.
-Executive function is a better predictor of academic success than IQ. 
-Torrance Test of Creative Thinking - the go-to standard for evaluating creativity in children.
-DVDs & tapes (ha!) don't work. Baby needs a real person to learn language!
-Learning Sign Language may boost cognition by 50 percent. Helps them learn nonverbal communication (body language). People with this skill make for successful entrepreneurs. 

Soil of Baby Brain Development:  
-Survival is the brain's priority. Create a safe environment so brain can thrive.
-Four Baby Brain Boosts: Breast feed for a year (breast milk contains turine & omega-3s, essential for neural development); Talk to your baby - a lot (don't assume they don't understand because they can't yet respond!) but don't overstimulate; Play! (more creative, better at language, better at problem solving, less stressed, better at memory, more socially skilled); Praise effort, not IQ (kids praised for IQ give up and choose easier problems to get rewards/approval, and feel worse when they fail.)
-"Parentese" is "high-pitched tone and a sing-song voice with stretch-out vowels...helps infants separate sounds into contrasting categories." (p 130)
-Mature Dramatic Play & the Tools of the Mind Program - Create a play plan, practice pretending, one big playroom (tons of settings & options)
-No TV before age 2! No creativity, no interaction, can lead to trouble focusing, frustration & hostility, and delays early language development. Jury is still out on iPads because they're so new.
-Under pressure: extreme expectations stunt higher-level thinking; pressure can extinguish curiosity; continual anger or disappointment becomes toxic stress.

Seeds of a Happy Baby:
-Best predictor of happiness is having friends.
-Children who learn to regulate their emotions have deeper friendships than those who don't.
-There may be a genetic component to how happy your baby can become.
-Some babies are high-reactive (sensitive) and it may just be genetic.

Soil of a Happy Baby:
-Babies need you to watch, listen, then respond. If baby turns his head or arches his back when you're shaking a toy in his face, he's probably overstimulated and needs a break! 
-The parenting style that creates the happiest kids (good emotional regulation, academic achievement, empathetic, obedient, less depressed/anxious, healthy, not violent, rich friendships) is one that is highly responsive to kids emotions while still demanding. (Opposite is Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful)
-Be comfortable enough to understand and communicate your own emotions - track your emotions; verbalize them; run toward them; have empathy!
-Don't judge; acknowledge the reflexive nature of emotions; recognize that behavior is a choice, emotion is not; see a crisis as a teachable moment.
-One study found that 10 years of music lessons, starting before age 7, were found to benefits kids' ability to read subtle variations in emotional cues much more quickly & accurately than those without musical training. (p 209)

Moral Baby:
-Babies have an innate sense of right & wrong.
-In the brain, regions that process emotions and regions that guide decision-making work together to mediate moral awareness. Lose emotions and you lose decision-making.
-Moral behavior develops over time and requires a particular kind of guidance. 
-How parents handle rules is key: realistic, clear expectations; consistent, swift consequences for rule violations; and praise for good behavior.
-Kids are most likely to internalize moral behavior if parents explain why a rule and its consequences exist. 
-Punishment limitations (p242): Punishment suppresses behavior but not the child's knowledge of how to misbehave. Punishment provides very little guidance on its own (need teachable moment). Punishment always arouses negative emotions and can produce resentment if administered incorrectly.
-"Three-year-olds spanked more than twice a month were 50 percent more likely to be aggressive by age 5." (p 248)

Visit the book's website, BrainRules, for more information.

What I Think:
As you can tell, I've complied a lengthy overview for this book (more than I will for future reviews) because I really enjoyed this book! It was such a fast read because the author is funny and relates real-life experiences to scientific studies. Though he is not a child psychologist, his unique perspective of the brain displayed how some things are not in our control (seeds/genetics) and others are (soil/parenting). The book is very well laid out (lots of bullet points & summaries), and there is a great section in the back that lays out more tips for new parents.   
Overall, this book reinforced many of my personal beliefs with scientific evidence. It fed my curiosity of child brain development in that way. Where I learned from this book was from the specific examples of how to foster an emotionally safe environment that promotes creativity, inspires learning, and nourishes your child's emotional health so they can be happy! 
One thing I wish the author would have elaborated on: how to deal with a "high-reactive" aka sensitive baby. I found more information & suggestions on that in The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, which focuses on the first 3-4 months of baby's life. (Which I will review later in this series!)
The place where I most find myself looking for parenting advice is effective & age appropriate punishment. This book is great because it gives real life examples of conflict and resolution. However, there is not much discussion about kids under age two. 
Essentially: learn how to read your child's emotions so they can learn best. Be perceptive and responsive to your child and have demanding (yet not unreasonable) expectations.

The Takeaway:
This books has a few nuggets of information that are good for pregnant women and new parents, but its mainly focused on kids as they grow. While the author does mention babies frequently (especially when it relates to stress and over-stimulation), the book is more focused on early childhood development after baby is +9 months. I chose to read this now because I expect that I won't have much time to be reading when my baby is 6 months!



I hope you all enjoyed this book review! The next few will not be as lengthy, but I was feeling inspired today. Let me know what you think. Do you agree with the author? Would you read this book? Is the sort of information interesting to you? Or are you more curious about the basics of how to handle a newborn? I love reading your comments!

xo kristen genevieve