Diana Dell

This book is mostly a collection of quotations from women with some text added around them to hold it all together. It's organized into sections based on questions or statements like "What if I Don't Want to Give up My Career?" and "Will I Feel out of Control?" Each section is 1-2 pages with a few paragraphs from the authors and then quotations from women about that topic.

Some of the topics were good to read about, but the brief coverage of them just left me wanting something more in-depth. In some cases, the authors' "answers" were off base and close-minded, IMHO. For example, when talking about the costs surrounding the birth, they write: "For reasons not always related to cost, the appeal of at-home births is spreading. It's a setting we don't recommend. If a pregnant woman or her infant is in distress, the amount of time it takes to get her to the hospital can mean the difference between joy and tragedy." Nevermind the fact that tragedy can strike just as easily in a hospital setting and that some would argue you're actually at more risk for complications when you're surrounded by doctors who want to control every aspect of the birthing process. And then in a list of parenting magazines, they didn't even mention what I think is the best parenting magazine on the market: Mothering.

If you're looking for an in-depth discussion of these types of issues, this isn't the book for you. But if you want a quick overview of all the types of issues related to this decision, this book definitely provides that.… (mais)