Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born"Well-researched and engaging . . . Birth is a clever, almost irreverent look at an enduring everyday miracle. (A-)" --Entertainment Weekly "Wonderful. Packed full of information, a brilliant mixture of ancient wisdom and modern science." --Kate Mosse, author of the New York Times best seller, Labyrinth "Birth is a power-packed book. . . . A lively, engaging, and often witty read, a quirky, eye-opening account of one of life's most elemental experiences." --The Boston Globe Published to widespread acclaim, Tina Cassidy's smart, engaging book is the first world history of childbirth in fifty years. From evolution to the epidural and beyond, Tina Cassidy presents an intelligent, enlightening, and impeccably researched cultural history of how and why we're born the way we are. Women have been giving birth for millennia but that's about the only constant in the final stage of the great process that is human reproduction. Why is it that every culture and generation seems to have its own ideas about the best way to give birth? Cassidy explores the physical, anthropological, political, and religious factors that have and will continue to influence how women bring new life into the world. |
Contents
All Souls Night | 1 |
Freedoms | 16 |
Ghetto Heaven | 50 |
Fight the Power | 79 |
Looking for Whitey | 107 |
August | 135 |
Holy Water | 156 |
StandUp Guy | 173 |
Exile | 199 |
Justice | 223 |
Vigil | 254 |
Acknowledgments | 265 |
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Common terms and phrases
American apartment asked baby baby's believed birth centers born Broadway brother busing called cervix cesarean Charlestown child childbirth cops craniotomy crying Dave MacDonald Davey death delivered delivery doctors door doula drugs epidural episiotomy father feel fetus fight forceps Frankie Frankie's friends give birth Grandpa head heard home births hospital Irish Jimmy Kelly Johnnie Kathy keep Kevin knew labor Lamaze laughing little kids living looked Ma's MacDonald Mary maternal midwifery midwives mother Mütter Museum neighborhood neighbors never newborns night nurse obstetrical obstetricians Old Colony pain Patterson pelvis percent placenta police postpartum pregnant pulled screamed Seamus and Stevie someone South Boston Southie started Steven stories street talk teenagers tell thing thought told Tommy trying Twilight Sleep uterus VBAC walked wanted watching wet nurse Whitey Bulger who'd window woman women yelled