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Rebounding from childbirth: Toward emotional recovery
health issues. Unfortunately. the book &es not have an I&x, which makes it almost Impossible to flip to topics of interest. This reviewer recommends this book for any CNM who cares for postpartum clients. The book can aid the CNM to Mentify problems before they exacerbate and also help to provide counseling. The “risk profi!e qwstionnaire” will add significantly to postpartum follow-up handouts to help women identify whether they are at risk. This book could also be added to the bibliography list given tc obstttric patients. as this text is excellent reading for the mother and the practitioner. Rebounding frum Childbirth: Toward Emotional Recovery. By Lynn Madsen. Westport, CT: Bergin & Gatwy, 1994. 166 pages. $14.95. soft cover. Reviewed Medicine
by: Pamela Stephens. ShM. University and Dentisky. Newark. New Jersey.
of
Rebounding from Childbirrh. Tbward Emotiona! Re cowy is a book for womc rl who have experienced traumatic deliveries, have unresolved feelings about these birth events. and seek resolution. Lynn Madsen. the a(tthor, is a psychologist by profession whose practice includes counseling women &ho hare been emotronally traumatized by difficult birth.<. This book is a compilation of their birth stories and the struggle to gain emotion;li recovery. Rebounding from Childbirth began as a diary of the author’s own birth experiences. Madsen’s first delivery was by cesarean section due to a prolapsed umhiiicai cord, and was followed by two natural births. The stories of t;re women in the book h&J pregnancy outcomes similar to the author’s. AH of the women had a common feeling of a loss of control because of medical interventions during labor and delivery. Their experiences with cesarean sections and forceps left them wrth feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability as women. The stories portray new mothers unable to relate to their newborns; women suffering feelings of isolation from family and friends. The myriad emotions felt by these women were downplayed. if not totally ignored. by their families and physicians, causing them to doubt the
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nf Num&&Mfey
. Vol. 41. No. 1. dmuuy/February
validity of their own beiirfs al Ed fet3lrr.g.;. The patronization and insensitivity by the attendant physicians in these women’s stones prolridc sGme answers ar io why these irresolute feelings may occur. The women describe being strapped down to tables and undctgoing opcrativc procedures without Informed consent If questions were asked. the women Gci they felt they were shamed su the physicians for not being y~teiul for their healthy babies. According to Madsen. the emotions elicited by these untoward events should be acknowledged and vahdated in order to begin personal healing. The author encortrages women to use the various emotions to therr benefit. For example. the au!hor feels that anger is the most powerful of emotions. She suggests that it can be used as a catalys! to encourage women to seek answers from their physicians as to why a particular event occurred Anger may enable an othemse timid individual to speak out and find personal justification by Joining support groups. These groups will encourage her on the road to recovery. This is one of several suggestions pre*nled by the author to aid women in their quest for resolution. Emotional recovery is essential 50 one may go forward and reenter the mainstream of life. according to the author. Thus. future births may be anticipated with joy instead of despair. This book provides women who have expertenced an unsatisfactorv birth event an acceptable process for unleashing pent-up emotions. in addition to providing guidelines to self-empowerment. This is accomplished by the mtelligs;lt prose throughout the book. and thoughtprovoking questions at the end of each chapter. The author does not tout this book as a cure for the reader. only as a tool to be used in the recovery process. Further reading recommendations on the subjects discuszzd in each chapter enable readers to explore av+znues of particular interest. An extensive biblicgraphy is provided at the end of the bk. This reviewer feels all women’s health care providers and childbirth educators will gain from this well written Insight into the emotional realm of birth and the postpartum period. Rebounding from Childbirth is an excellent resource for couples and individual women who have unresolved feelings about past birth events.
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by: Pamela Stephens. ShM. University and Dentisky. Newark. New Jersey.
of
Rebounding from Childbirrh. Tbward Emotiona! Re cowy is a book for womc rl who have experienced traumatic deliveries, have unresolved feelings about these birth events. and seek resolution. Lynn Madsen. the a(tthor, is a psychologist by profession whose practice includes counseling women &ho hare been emotronally traumatized by difficult birth.<. This book is a compilation of their birth stories and the struggle to gain emotion;li recovery. Rebounding from Childbirth began as a diary of the author’s own birth experiences. Madsen’s first delivery was by cesarean section due to a prolapsed umhiiicai cord, and was followed by two natural births. The stories of t;re women in the book h&J pregnancy outcomes similar to the author’s. AH of the women had a common feeling of a loss of control because of medical interventions during labor and delivery. Their experiences with cesarean sections and forceps left them wrth feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability as women. The stories portray new mothers unable to relate to their newborns; women suffering feelings of isolation from family and friends. The myriad emotions felt by these women were downplayed. if not totally ignored. by their families and physicians, causing them to doubt the
,hmat
nf Num&&Mfey
. Vol. 41. No. 1. dmuuy/February
validity of their own beiirfs al Ed fet3lrr.g.;. The patronization and insensitivity by the attendant physicians in these women’s stones prolridc sGme answers ar io why these irresolute feelings may occur. The women describe being strapped down to tables and undctgoing opcrativc procedures without Informed consent If questions were asked. the women Gci they felt they were shamed su the physicians for not being y~teiul for their healthy babies. According to Madsen. the emotions elicited by these untoward events should be acknowledged and vahdated in order to begin personal healing. The author encortrages women to use the various emotions to therr benefit. For example. the au!hor feels that anger is the most powerful of emotions. She suggests that it can be used as a catalys! to encourage women to seek answers from their physicians as to why a particular event occurred Anger may enable an othemse timid individual to speak out and find personal justification by Joining support groups. These groups will encourage her on the road to recovery. This is one of several suggestions pre*nled by the author to aid women in their quest for resolution. Emotional recovery is essential 50 one may go forward and reenter the mainstream of life. according to the author. Thus. future births may be anticipated with joy instead of despair. This book provides women who have expertenced an unsatisfactorv birth event an acceptable process for unleashing pent-up emotions. in addition to providing guidelines to self-empowerment. This is accomplished by the mtelligs;lt prose throughout the book. and thoughtprovoking questions at the end of each chapter. The author does not tout this book as a cure for the reader. only as a tool to be used in the recovery process. Further reading recommendations on the subjects discuszzd in each chapter enable readers to explore av+znues of particular interest. An extensive biblicgraphy is provided at the end of the bk. This reviewer feels all women’s health care providers and childbirth educators will gain from this well written Insight into the emotional realm of birth and the postpartum period. Rebounding from Childbirth is an excellent resource for couples and individual women who have unresolved feelings about past birth events.
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67