Book Review - The Birth Partner Handbook

Women frequently report that they could have never gone through labor as confidently without their husband, friend, or other childbirth companion. When certified birth educator Carl Jones asks new mothers what helped most during labor the answer is always “my partner.” His latest guide, The Birth Partner Handbook: Everything You Need to Know for a Healthy, Positive Birth Experience (Sourcebooks; ISBN: 978-1-4022-3779-9; TP $16.99; July 2010) will give you all the tools you need to support a mother.  

Today 98% of fathers attend the birth of their child. With an increasing number of family and friends attending births, the need grew for a contemporary step-by-step plan written specifically for birth partners. Carl Jones understands just how important a confident and prepared birthing partner can be. Having a well prepared partner not only comforts and soothes the mother during the painful experience of labor, but also reduces her anxiety, reduces the actual length of labor, minimizes the chance of complications, increases the level of joy and elation for the mother, helps to initiate breastfeeding, and even reduces the chance of postpartum depression.

This book is a concise, contemporary guide for today’s birth partners, showing them exactly what they can do to help create a positive birth experience, whether the mother gives birth naturally or with medication, at home, in a childbearing center, or in a hospital.

The Birth Partner Handbook gives birthing partners all the tools they need for experiencing labor alongside the mother, including:

• Understanding and preparing for every stage of labor
• 8-Step method to help make childbirth less stressful
• Actively helping the mother through labor
• Massage and breathing techniques to manage stress
• Supporting with family and friends
• Ways to give continued support after the baby is born

About The Author

Carl Jones is a certified childbirth educator who has attended hundreds of births and is a popular speaker who organizes childbirth workshops nationally. In addition to his international bestseller Mind over Labor: A Breakthrough Guide To Giving Birth, he has written dozens childbirth books such as Sharing Birth and From Parent to Child. He lives in Whitefield, New Hampshire.

My Take on theBook

This book is a great resource for any birth partner to a mother to be. Filled with ideas for handling any situation, this is the type of book that any father or any other support person should read through at least once to give you an idea of some of the situations and issues that you may have to deal with in being a support for the mother to be.

As a father of two, I would have loved to have read this book ahead of time to assist J-Mom more along the birthing process (though I do think I helped in my own way). I highly recommend you take a look at this book if you are looking for a great hand on resource for step-by-step guidance on how to be that great partner!

If this book sounds like something that you would like for your own collection you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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