Cut, Stapled, and Mended

Starred review from August 1, 2013

Nearly one in three births in the United States are cesarean, which is major abdominal surgery and is associated with higher rates of surgical complications and maternal rehospitalization. Author Rosewood was not worried about that, however, before giving birth for the first time. She was unafraid, tough, and had every intention of rationalizing, troubleshooting, and verbalizing throughout. Days of labor and a C-section later, however, she writes, "I did not know that labor would be so big and intimate, that trust and comfort would be essential to progress." Haunted by being tied down, cut open, and suffering inexplicable, ongoing pain, she visited holistic practitioners, medical intuitives, acupuncturists, magnet therapists, and rapid-eye-movement therapists, to name a few, in a bizarre but compulsively readable effort to heal. Two years later, pregnant with her second child and opting to try for a natural birth against medical advice, Rosewood labored for so long that her uterus was damaged and she was forced to endure another surgery. Finally, at home with a midwife (and again against medical advice), she welcomed her third child. VERDICT Rosewood is a very interesting writer. While her ideas and anger sometimes seem kooky and naive, she is a strong, vocal advocate for empowering birthing women. Her sparse but rich writing is creative and poignant, and the book will be of interest to readers of titles such as Naomi Wolf's Misconceptions.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.