This book should be on the recommended reading list for all doula training programs! In a clear, concise, and thoughtful way, Penny explains what makes labor progress, how to recognize labor progress, and how to help with labor progress. My copy is always in my birth bag. I have used it at several births for various reasons, and have always found it to be helpful, with reminders or even just to reaffirm that I've done everything possible. I recommend this book for anyone in the childbirth field and for expectant couples as well!

Every once in awhile, a book on childbirth comes along that is a standout. The Labor Progress Handbook is one of those books, but what else would one expect from Penny Simkin and Ruth Ancheta? The authors have produced a lucid, logical, beautifully organized, clearly written, bounteously illustrated, meticulously documented book that gives birth professionals a systematic, practical basis to prevent, diagnose, and treat poor progress in labor. Approaching dystocia holistically, the authors consider the effects of the woman's emotional state, her environment, and the impact of hospital or caregiver policies and attitudes in addition to the standard "powers, passage, passenger" explanation for labor progress. And they are woman centered: the laboring woman is the active agent in resolving difficulties, and the unacceptability of a recommendation always contraindicates its use. If you teach about labor, care for laboring women, or work as a doula or birth assistant, you should--no, must--read this book.

This deceptively slim book is jam-packed with useful information that can be used by just about anyone involved in childbirth today. I have recommended it be added as a textbook to the midwifery program where I teach, and I am planning to purchase a copy for the nursing station of the hospital where I work. The illustrations are very informative, the text is well organized, and the suggestions are well-documented both from research and from anecdotal evidence.

An excellent guide to help expectant parents weigh the risks and benefits of different birth attendents, locations and procedures.

We read many books being new, nervous, first time parents to be. This was by far the most helpful at teaching us what to really expect at delivery and how to be prepared. The information is thorough and realistic. All my questions and fears were addressed here. It was a great resorce for my husband to feel confident while helping me through labor. Options were clearly presented and easy to understand. I believe reading this book gave me the confidence to have my child without using medications. Although those were fully discussed as well. This would be really great to give to a friend who would be at your delivery.

This is the best book I have found on labor & delivery. As the expectant mother, I read it for my own edification and found it hard to put down. It's hard to imagine getting this much information in any other book that you can read in two sittings. Vital information (when to go to the hospital & what to take, how to tell prelabor from early labor, what to expect during a cesarean, etc.) is highlighted with darkened page borders for quick reference. The information provided covers the whole gamut from home birth to the knock-me-down-and-take-it-out fully anesthetized delivery, without showing bias toward or against any choice that the mother might make. I feel very comfortable that my husband and I, having read this book, are ready to face our options and make informed decisions when the time comes.

One reviewer said you get more that you expect - without a doubt! I bought this book for my husband so HE could be fully prepared, and found myself reading it first - so *I* could be prepared. It gives the most complete description of all the phases of labor, with diagrams, words on how long each will last, what the mother feels, what the caregiver may do, how the support person may feel and what (s)he can do to help. The author, Penny Simpkin, describes comfort measures, labor positions and strategies for difficult labors & births.

In addition, she describes the medical side of childbirth - including all the tests, interventions & procedures, offering the purpose, disadvantages and alternatives for each.

There is a chart with all the available pain medications, their desired effects, other possible effects and precautions & procedures for safe use.

I found that armed with objective, straight-forward information, I feel that we can now take charge of our care, in combination with a doctor we trust. Ms. Simpkin does not preach - she simply lays out all the facts and makes it possible for you to make informed decisions.

Awesome book. Skip Lamaze - get this book.

When I was pregnant with my son in 2000, I was lucky enough to be able to take Penny's childbirth education class. Now that I'm recently pregnant with my second child, I plan to take it again, and buy this new edition. This is the text book for her class, and I swear I took it to the hospital with me when I was in labor! My copy is dog eared and stained (don't ask!). While Penny does advocate natural births (who wouldn't think it's better?), she is a wealth of information about every kind of birth possible, and is the least judgmental person I've ever known! She speaks WORLDWIDE about childbirth practices. She provided my husband and I the information we needed to make the best decisions for our family. This book could only be better if Penny made a housecall when you purchased it!

I really love this book!

I'm 4 months pregnant with my first child and I'm alternately scared to death and excited beyond belief. I've been soaking up information like crazy--getting books from the library, buying whatever looks good in the bookstore, and my midwife has given me a number of books to read, this being the most recent. Out of all of them, I think this one is the best.

It is extremely thorough, not just with clinical information, but also descriptions of how you might feel, both physically and emotionally as you progress through pregnancy, labor, and post-partum. It covers everything I've been asking myself about what's happening to me, the baby, and what I can expect. Most importantly it covers what you do with the baby once you give birth and take them home, enough to get you over the "What do I do?!" fear and allowing you to get settled in as a parent.

I also really like the focus on the birth partner as well as the pregnant woman; it's important to understand what both partners are going through during this highly confusing and magical time. I'm giving this book to my husband as soon as I'm finished reading it for the second time, as I want him to know what's going on with me and also let him know that I understand what might be going on with him. It's a great book for anyone who is involved in pregnancy in any way. After he's done with it, I plan to pass it on to our families to read.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the way it was organized, to me some of the chapters seemed out of order. It may have been the way I was approaching it, or that I was looking for specific information that was different from the flow. However, the chapters are very well laid out and titled, so it was easy to flip through the headers at the top of the page and find exactly the section I wanted, when I wanted it.

Overall, a very thoroughly researched and produced book. Laid out in a manner that's easy to read and navigate, not at all intimidating and also not sentimental or biased. I would highly recommend this book to ANYONE who is pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, related to or friends with someone who is pregnant, anyone who is curious about how it works, generally everybody.

Don't hesitate to click the Add To Cart button and buy it now :)

This book was my primary reference during pregnancy. All of my possible choices and outcomes are listed in organized tables. Invaluable when writing a birth plan. All childbirth procedures are described with pros and cons. Everything explained well - they treat the reader like an intelligent person who wants to understand the whole process and make intelligent choices. Highly recommended.

Kitzinger is, as always, on the side of natural childbirth. Her research proves that episiotomy is unnecessary in the vast majority of births. This book is good for those in the childbirth profession, i.e., educators, doulas, midwives. However, the information is presented in sometimes overly-technical ways. I recommend Elizabeth Bruce's "Get Through Childbirth in One Piece!" for a more readable, up-to-date coverage of the same information.