In the United States, more than half the women who give birth are given drugs to induce or speed up labor; for nearly a third of mothers, childbirt...
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May 09, 2011
Meredith
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Pushed is a shocking documentation of medically managed childbirth in the United States. The first four chapters detail the standard practices and current trends (a la 2007) and the effect these have upon the women giving birth. Jennifer Block challenges the sacred cow of an idea that the definition of a successful birth is simply a live baby and live mother. She makes the case that the trauma incurred during the birthing process through unnecessary medical intervention and surgery, artificia
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(19 people liked it)
Dec 06, 2009
Karen
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Finally! An expose of the birthing system in the United States. It's absolutely a fascinating read, tracing the history of managed birth and outlining the various factors that scare and push expectant moms into unnecessary interventions. Ms. Block points out numerous statistics that support how out of whack interventions are in North America. In the countries where there are the best birthing outcomes, the c-section rate hovers around 15%, which is also the rate set by the World Health Organi
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(10 people liked it)
Feb 22, 2008
Annie
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After reading Pushed, you will never watch “A Baby Story” the same way again.
Block makes a convincing case that protocol on labor and delivery wards are driven not by what is best for individual women, but by fear of litigation. The stories that made me the saddest were those about women who expressly declined certain interventions and were given them anyway. The worst was a woman who showed up at the hospital with her baby crowning. Because she had had a previous cesarean, the hospi More...
Block makes a convincing case that protocol on labor and delivery wards are driven not by what is best for individual women, but by fear of litigation. The stories that made me the saddest were those about women who expressly declined certain interventions and were given them anyway. The worst was a woman who showed up at the hospital with her baby crowning. Because she had had a previous cesarean, the hospi More...
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(8 people liked it)
Aug 28, 2008
Jennifer
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I've found fertility and childbirth were fascinating for a few years, but now I'm pregnant and obsessed. Luke calls it "girlie-parts science". This book isn't so much about the science but does present surveys on the state of childbirth in the US today (published 2007). It made me appreciate the tough situation obstetricians are in and want a health care system that treats low-risk, healthy pregnancies as life events, but not illnesses.
IF YOU'RE EXPECTING while you read th More...
IF YOU'RE EXPECTING while you read th More...
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(10 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2009
Lindsey
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I felt "pushed" into being induced when I was pregnant with my second child. My doctors induced me and several other women who attended the same practice on the same morning--so the doctor's schedule wasn't affected. (We were told that by the nurse!) I have never felt good about my labor experience. As I started to read this book, I felt vindicated and realized I am not alone.
Women need to take back their bodies and control of their births! Too many women are being " More...
Women need to take back their bodies and control of their births! Too many women are being " More...
Nov 10, 2007
Tom
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I read this book quickly and with interest. It is a rather alarming look at obstetrics--for that reason I don't know whether to strongly recommend it to other expectant couples or whether to dis-recommend it. Once you read the book, it is hard not to be suspicious of your doctors and to push back against their decisions -- this may be for the best, but it is not a comfortable position to be in. It is hard to judge exactly to what degree this is a reasonable book and to what degree it is an alarm
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(3 people liked it)
Aug 28, 2007
Amie
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This is the first book I have seen to tackle the issues of birth from a feminist perspective. It was a fascinating, gruesome, and eye-opening read that was extremely well researached and documented. Block's opinions on modern hospital birth come through loud and clear but are definitely evidence based. Especially interesting is the in-depth discussion of all aspects of the VBAC debate: emotional, public health, medical liability and legal ramifications are all covered. Also covered are the issue
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(4 people liked it)
Aug 22, 2008
Elizabeth
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While decidedly anti hospital and pro home-birth, this book is very well written and researched and has a lot of evidence to back up its position. It discusses in detail the ways in which augmentation can disrupt the physiological birth and what that can mean for mom and baby. It also details cesarean section and the many risks involved with such a major abdominal study. While the author’s bias may have led her to overstate some on the complications, I don’t think I fully understood the ramifica
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(2 people liked it)
May 30, 2008
Sarah
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This was the central text for a short course I took on the history and current practice of childbirth in the U.S. I think this book would scare any rational person into a celibate life. And that's my problem. Block's attitude is very clear: OB/GYN's & Hospitals= BAD, Midwives, home births and birth centers= THE ONLY OPTION AND YOU ARE A BRAINWASHED COW IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT!!
The caps are deliberate. Because this is popular non-fiction, she can be less rigourous in her sourcing an More...
The caps are deliberate. Because this is popular non-fiction, she can be less rigourous in her sourcing an More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 10, 2008
Dayna
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I finally finished this book!!! I really struggled with how many stars to give it, because I liked it but not because I liked reading it ... does that make sense? It is packed with so much information that some of it was hard to sort through and digest, but it's information that I wanted all the same. The book is about the pros and cons of modern maternity care (specifically in the U.S.) and the book itself has some pros and cons. I did not like Jennifer Block's writing style. She wasn't very go
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 15, 2009
Tierney
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This was a fascinating, meticulously researched, information-packed book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Block makes the case that modern maternity care in the U.S. is seriously flawed. The average woman laboring in a hospital can expect to be hooked up to a vast array of machines and to have her labor chemically induced if she's not progressing fast enough according to certain timelines - often resulting in a C-section. Block argues that most of this is unnecessary for women with otherwise uncomplic
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Dec 19, 2008
Amanda
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Like one reviewer said, "Every page will surprise and outrage you." An impressive and absorbing review of childbirth-related research, as well as common obstetric practices - and the frequent inconsistencies between the two. Here are two of my favorite parts:
"As the sociologist Barbara Katz Rothman puts it, 'Have our uteri somehow lost the knack this generation? Or have our doctors speeded up the clocks on us?' Or is there a third possibility, that active management pr More...
"As the sociologist Barbara Katz Rothman puts it, 'Have our uteri somehow lost the knack this generation? Or have our doctors speeded up the clocks on us?' Or is there a third possibility, that active management pr More...
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 26, 2009
Liz
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Women deserve choice in pregnancy and delivery. If you are ever thinking about having a baby, I wholly recommend reading "Pushed", by Jennifer Block.
What's the difference between this book and the gazillion other books about childbirth out there? For one, it's the documentation. Jennifer Block meticulously references legitimate medical research and studies throughout her book. Instead of making an empassioned tug-at-your-heartstrings plea for her case, Ms. Block makes h More...
What's the difference between this book and the gazillion other books about childbirth out there? For one, it's the documentation. Jennifer Block meticulously references legitimate medical research and studies throughout her book. Instead of making an empassioned tug-at-your-heartstrings plea for her case, Ms. Block makes h More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 23, 2008
sdw
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Pushed is a well-researched and stunning look at modern modernity care and women’s lack of control over the way they give birth. The introduction is stunning and beautiful. It is short and carries through the rest of the book. The first chapter looks at women in hospitals, the machines and the procedures enforced on them. The second chapter looks at the history of Cesarean births and how they work and when they are used. The third chapter looks particularly at the type of births forced to
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Nov 03, 2007
LINDA
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This book opened my eyes, and made me really think about the options (or lack of) presented to women in American Hospitals for birth.
It is too often that women's bodies are hijacked by doctors, nurses, and hospitals because they want the woman to give birth on their schedule, and also they want to make money, and protect themselves from law suits.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against any women that get epidurals, or c-sections, or get induced at their own election. I am More...
It is too often that women's bodies are hijacked by doctors, nurses, and hospitals because they want the woman to give birth on their schedule, and also they want to make money, and protect themselves from law suits.
Don't get me wrong, I am not against any women that get epidurals, or c-sections, or get induced at their own election. I am More...
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Apr 11, 2009
Abbie
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4.5 stars. I would highly recommend it to any woman, whether she wants to go natural or not - this is important information that every woman should care about. This is the WHY I go natural and see a midwife. Jennifer Block does a great job documenting what maternity care is like in America and why things need to change. She sheds light on both sides, but definitely shows the remarkable benefits of letting the body do what it needs to do in childbirth whether you're at a hospital, birth center, o
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Oct 15, 2007
Susan
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This is the book I wish I'd had when I was pregnant. I was interested in a drug-free birth, and read all the usual books. Most of them seemed to equate natural childbirth with some sort of moral stance or an ethereal connection to womanhood, and although I can't prove it statistically, they were shrill and biased.
Pushed is not a light read. It's not going to help you create a lilac-scented birthplan on pink paper. It's not going to help you do anything, except think. It's a fact-pac More...
Pushed is not a light read. It's not going to help you create a lilac-scented birthplan on pink paper. It's not going to help you do anything, except think. It's a fact-pac More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 17, 2008
Ruth
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Basically this book made me happy to have had my kids outside the hospital system. But it was a good read. It really showed the contrast between the mindset that birth is inherently dangerous and needs medical attention and the view that birth is normal and a birthing mother needs to be supported and listened to. Interesting information. Was a bit depressing that the end of the book pretty much brought freedom to choose how we birth as the "last frontier" of feminism now that we have a
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(2 people liked it)
Jun 24, 2008
melissa
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since having a child, i've become really interested in the rules of maternity care and how i think they fail women. truly, i'm a bit of a nazi about it. i read stuff like this so i can be more annoying when i'm on my soapbox.
okay so any book like this has an agenda...Block's agenda just happens to coincide with mine. i think it's a must read for any woman considering children, mostly because i think it's important to be informed about anything you do, but also because your OB/GYN More...
okay so any book like this has an agenda...Block's agenda just happens to coincide with mine. i think it's a must read for any woman considering children, mostly because i think it's important to be informed about anything you do, but also because your OB/GYN More...
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 15, 2007
Caitlin
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Jennifer Block has written an exhaustively researched book detailing not only current birth practices in US hospitals, but also the history, politics, and science that shape those practices. This book should be a must-read for anyone with a vagina. It explains what is happening to women's rights and how choice is being removed right out from under their noses. Early on in this book, Ms. Block asks a simple question that seems to radiate throughout: with so much argument in recent years over
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 12, 2011
Holly
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This book blew my mind. The documentary "The Business of Being Born" first made me question the typical American childbirth experience and led me to choose a midwife (although, admittedly, one in a hospital setting). My aha moment: Most U.S. mothers today give birth on their back with their legs in the air -- which puts them at a convenient height and position for doctors, yet directly works against gravity and therefore impedes labor. Craziness.
This book provides the res More...
This book provides the res More...
Oct 11, 2011
Christina
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I really liked this book, but first let me say: if you are a pregnant mother and are only going to be able to read one book to help you make decisions about your birth, I recommend The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. It has more information about your options and the impact of each on you and your baby. It has most of the information in Pushed, but is a little less sensationalist.
I did really like Pushed, though, once I realized her author's goal was not to guide pregnant wo More...
I did really like Pushed, though, once I realized her author's goal was not to guide pregnant wo More...
Nov 20, 2010
Carolina
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I knew I wanted a natural childbirth before reading this book, but this book makes me want it even more. Obstetricians are so impatient and paranoid, they will augment your birth just as a "safety net" to protect themselves from lawsuits. I liked the idea of woman as pain-tolerating creatures back in the day of corset-wearing. But now, woman do to not distinguish the difference between good pain and bad pain, woman just associate pain as a symbol of oppression and sexism. Most woman se
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May 20, 2009
Brooke
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Thought-provoking eye-opener. I could not get enough of this book. It was actually a very emotional experience for me to read (especially chapter 2) and I found myself in tears several times. While I've been inching closer and closer to the concept of a natural birth, this book absolutely convinced me that what I want more than anything is to experience "physiological birth". I also realized while reading this that the amount of misinformation out there is incredible and the stereo
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Apr 22, 2009
Stephanie
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Jennifer Block's Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care provides an excellent well-researched overview of the history of obstetrical care in the United States. I would highly recommend it if you're interested in knowing why American women give birth the way they do today. I have to admit that I skimmed a couple of the next to last chapters where she was simply storytelling and being slightly extreme rather than objective. Also, I agree with another review I read tha
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Oct 25, 2009
Emily
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Before reading this book, I had never considered birthing options in my analysis of reproductive rights - strange, since the actual act of reproduction should be front and center in discussion of the topic. "Pushed" clearly demonstrates that overlooking women's rights in childbirth is a problem by investigating the unfortunate results: ignorance in doctors and patients about the birthing process, and medical care that is often harmful to both mothers and babies. Unfortunately, Block's
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Aug 10, 2010
Eliza
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I was so skeptical of Pushed and put off reading it for a few years but I LOVED IT. A little dense at times but very well annotated. Starts off with facts while the second half of the book has more anecdotes. Almost as good as The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, and not as biased as you might think. Of course you may know that I am pretty biased, so maybe take that with a grain of salt coming from me. I don't actually know if Jennifer Block even has kids but she is a scrupulous researc
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Feb 06, 2009
Kendra
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I learned so much from this book. I read it because I am pregnant with my second child and wanted my next birth experience to be better than my last. I was induced the first time around because my doctor does it for everyone who will agree to it. I didn't know anything about birth so I just went along with anything the doctor suggested. Just like the book described, the pitocin induced contractions were too strong and I begged for an epidural. This time around I will push back and refuse an
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Feb 06, 2009
Betsy
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An excellent expose of the American maternity system! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is currently pregnant, plans to become pregnant in the future, or who is interested in the topic of childbirth. I believe that women should arm themselves with enough information to make informed choices about where and how they birth and this book is certainly chock full of great information and shocking truths.
It was good for me to read this book along with "Hard Labor: Reflection More...
It was good for me to read this book along with "Hard Labor: Reflection More...
May 06, 2011
Afton
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Before Rhett's birth, I tried to read up in this book about what was necessary in hospitals and what just happened because of convenience or other non-necessary procedures. After his birth, I was so frustrated and still looking for answers, so I read the whole thing. It's pretty enlightening. I'm not a fan of how angry the author sounds, so I just tried to ignore that. I just wanted answers, not an exaggerated bitter nurses view on things. BUT, she gives loads of facts, and that's why I give it
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