Review: The Christian Childbirth Handbook

My midwife had asked me to review this book for her, as she received it as a gift and wanted to know how helpful it was for her clients. Honestly, this is one of my favorite books I've read on birth. The snobby book part of me gets annoyed by things like layout and editing, as it's self-published, but beyond that, I felt like this was a really comprehensive look at birth and beyond, without being too in-your-face about birth choices or Christianity. It also avoided being overwhelming, though it's so long I feel like I could keep it by my bedside the rest of pregnancy and continue to learn.

Author Jennifer Vanderlaan tackles everything from healthy pregnancy to the stages of labor and on through the early days of having a newborn. There was a great section on circumcision that's really going to make me think again if we have a boy. I also appreciated that while she definitely has a viewpoint, early on she defines Christian childbirth as a matter of the heart, not of the outward things that you choose or that happen during labor. So I felt like there was a lot of freedom here.

The appendices are also super helpful with birth planning checklists, breastfeeding questions, and verses for childbirth. One neat section also presents the reader with scenarios for labor. Ex: "You have had contractions off and on for a few days, but labor does not seem to be starting. You are tired and emotionally worn out. What can help?" These scenarios get the readers thinking about how to apply the different things that they've read throughout the pages. There was also a great chapter on normal variations of labor v. emergency.

If you're not coming from a Christian point of view, this book might have more spiritual things than you want. Vanderlaan will often put verses in the margins for particular topics or discuss how she views birth within the confines of the Christian viewpoint. That being said, much of the book is simply valuable birth information, so I would recommend it anyway for the resources. If you want more information, check the Birthing Naturally site.