The Birth Partner Summary
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin, provides the tools and techniques for a mother-to-be’s birth partner to support her during her labor. The author provides all the necessary details of the process of carrying and birthing a baby, and the role that the birth partner is to play. The Birth Partner examines all the technicalities of delivering a baby-- from the start to the finish. Simkin provides the reader with the essential supplies for mother and baby as well as the ‘to how’ when faced with a potential emergency or departure from the “plan” of delivery. The reader can expect to be well prepared for supporting a birthing woman once they’ve read this book.
The book is laid out in such a way that the reader can easily get through the information.
Simkin writes knowledgeably and effectively while still maintaining readability. There is a reader friendly sort of Q&A format to this book. Simkin makes the birth partner aware of medical decisions that may lie ahead and of the importance of indulging the mother with reassurance and encouragement during her labor.
The Birth Partner is an effective tool for understanding what to expect a laboring woman will experience and what she will need to do. Simkin provides visual diagrams for even more guidance on how to be a truly effective helper. Simkin also offers the language that can be specific to just birth. In Part Two, chapter 4, Simkin discusses “The Three Rs: Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual”. The “Three Rs” help the birthing woman to relax during and between contractions, to cope through the the physical pains, the birthing woman is able to create a ritual to repeat through her contractions to help carry her through each wave. She gives advice on when to take time to observe the woman in labor before acting and doing. This point is important, because as she also points out in chapter four, a woman laboring in a hospital is already experiencing plenty of disturbances - and it's important to acknowledge this fact of the experience and utilize these techniques in order to be a truly effective and efficient birth partner.
The book is laid out in such a way that the reader can easily get through the information.
Simkin writes knowledgeably and effectively while still maintaining readability. There is a reader friendly sort of Q&A format to this book. Simkin makes the birth partner aware of medical decisions that may lie ahead and of the importance of indulging the mother with reassurance and encouragement during her labor.
The Birth Partner is an effective tool for understanding what to expect a laboring woman will experience and what she will need to do. Simkin provides visual diagrams for even more guidance on how to be a truly effective helper. Simkin also offers the language that can be specific to just birth. In Part Two, chapter 4, Simkin discusses “The Three Rs: Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual”. The “Three Rs” help the birthing woman to relax during and between contractions, to cope through the the physical pains, the birthing woman is able to create a ritual to repeat through her contractions to help carry her through each wave. She gives advice on when to take time to observe the woman in labor before acting and doing. This point is important, because as she also points out in chapter four, a woman laboring in a hospital is already experiencing plenty of disturbances - and it's important to acknowledge this fact of the experience and utilize these techniques in order to be a truly effective and efficient birth partner.