Childbirth books that aren't all about natural birth?

[LordTumble]

Hello

I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good childbirth book for me. With my first I read lots of books on natural childbirth, all of which were very 'positive thinking, interventions are bad, how to avoid interventions' etc. I ended up having CFM and a ventouse and it took me ages to come to terms with it because I felt like a failure and kept thinking over and over what I did wrong.

So now pregnant with second I think it would really help if I could read a book which also talks about complications and different interventions, why they might happen and what's involved etc, without scaremongering just so I feel more prepared for all eventualities.

Does such a book actually exist?

I would be interested in this too. I have picked up and put down some books, as I am already a 'medical' pregnancy they are just not for me.

Not a clue.. A lot of books are American so quite rubbish anyway.
You may be best at looking at midwifery books... Waters tones do a section.

Thank you, I hadn't thought of looking at midwifery books. Just downloaded lots of samples to my Kindle App :-D

Juju Sundin's Birth Skills has a lot about non-medical pain control, but I like the fact that it does make clear that there are situations where medical assistance/pain relief is vital.
It has a chapter with lots of positive and moving stories about births with varying degrees of intervention, including lots of epidurals and a few c sections - I'm 30 wks with my first and found this bit really encouraging to read, and an antidote to the false dichotomy presented in some birth books between entirely natural whalesong births vs medical nightmares!

It doesn't go into much detail about the processes of c sections etc, so maybe not exactly what you need on the technical front, but might be worth a look for these reassuring stories alone.

I have the Lesley Regan Week by Week pregnancy book and that goes through all kinds of births (although it does only have a couple of pages on each as it covers pregnancy in its entirety, not just birth).

I also have that book, didn't think of it at first as its a general pregnancy book - but it does have clear factual information about what could happen and why.
I have found it a good clear reference.

Thank you :-) I will have a look at both of those.

I think Shelia Kitzinger is really good at explain procedures she is natural childbirth person but I think the facts in her sections are really helpful. I think her complete pregnancy and childbirth would cover most of the medical staff rather then say her book orgasmic birth.
I use her book as a reference quite a bit as it has lots of the what if, maybe, rare but important stuff too.

Ask your midwife if she has access to a set of Informed Choice leaflets by an organisation called Midirs - they cover a lot of eventualities.