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Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife
In a joyous, often hilarious ode to the Birkenstock-scuffling, tackle box-toting mobile midwives who flourished in the 1980s, Peggy Vincent chronicles her abundant life as a professional Baby Catcher. The wild ride begins during her nurse training years in the 1960s, when laboring women were expected to lie down, shut up, and submit to whatever drugs and procedures the doctor ordered. A rebellious patient who chants and dances through her contractions--and the hell that ensues when seasoned hospital staffers intrude--lights a permanent fire under Vincent. Her resolve to serve each laboring woman with compassion and respect carries her from obstetrics nurse to head of an alternative birth center within Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, and eventually into her own private practice as a licensed midwife. Like the most courageous home births, this collection of delivery experiences refuses anesthesia: plenty of bellowing, sweating, bleeding, and pushing accompany nearly all of the more than 40 tales. Tough confrontations with stubborn physicians, panicky labor partners, and one particularly nasty calico cat are dabbed with as many keen insights as Vincent's quieter, more heart-rending newborn encounters. Baby Catcher is an inspirational literary gift suitable for expectant mothers, fellow baby catchers, and anyone who loves reading about nature's greatest magical feat. --Liane Thomas
First published March 26, 2002
About the author
Peggy Vincent
15 books39 followersSince observing the birth of a baby for the first time when I was a 19yo nursing student in the mid-Sixties at Duke University, childbirth has been my primary focus.
During the good old hippie years, my husband and I took an extended trip to Europe, but upon our return, I began working as an obstetrical nurse at a prominent hospital in Berkeley, California, where my first 2 children were born.
In 1978, I established the Alternative Birth Center in that hospital and then went to midwifery school, graduating in December 1980.
Unable to obtain hospital privileges due to dig-in-the-heels obstruction from obstetricians to the mere idea of a midwife in their midst, I attended only home births for the next 3 year. Finally, after I jumped through countless hoops, the walls of resistance crumbled and I was granted privileges. At last I could offer clients a midwife-attended birth in the place of their choosing.
Women can take a long time to give birth, and while waiting through those countless hours, I told birth stories. Family, friends, nurses, other midwives all nagged me to write a book." The most persistent was my college roommate, a copy editor, who offered to edit it for "no payment other than California Meyer lemons for life."
So I wrote Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife (Scribner, 2002), and it succeeded beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. Not only did it open women to options other than those offered by the status quo, but it also caused a career change in many women who, after reading the book, chose to become doulas or midwives themselves.
I was 42 and a busy midwife with a very big practice when I gave birth to my 3rd child. He was born at home surrounded by what felt like a cast of thousands. Present were my 2 older children, my husband, the 2 youngest children of my primary midwife, 2 other midwives, 3 of my hospital nurse friends, my parents, our pregnant au pair, a photographer, a few stray husbands, I think maybe a neighbor...there might have been more. Afterwards, we had quite a party, and I made sure someone saved me a piece of the hazelnut torte.
My career would not have been possible without the support of my husband, Roger, and those three children of ours: Colin, Jill, and Skylar. They endured (with minimal complaint and eye-rolling) my absence on far too many Christmas mornings and other family events.
Years passed with fans and friends begging for "another book." I finally wrote Midwife: A Calling (Ant Press 2015), the first of a projected 3-book series.
I'm officially retired, but I still put in a cameo appearance now and then.
Attending births is an addiction: once you've shared the raw emotion of labor with a woman, the transcendent joy of birth, and the feel of a warm, wet newborn in your hands, it's hard to kick the habit.
I hope I never do.
During the good old hippie years, my husband and I took an extended trip to Europe, but upon our return, I began working as an obstetrical nurse at a prominent hospital in Berkeley, California, where my first 2 children were born.
In 1978, I established the Alternative Birth Center in that hospital and then went to midwifery school, graduating in December 1980.
Unable to obtain hospital privileges due to dig-in-the-heels obstruction from obstetricians to the mere idea of a midwife in their midst, I attended only home births for the next 3 year. Finally, after I jumped through countless hoops, the walls of resistance crumbled and I was granted privileges. At last I could offer clients a midwife-attended birth in the place of their choosing.
Women can take a long time to give birth, and while waiting through those countless hours, I told birth stories. Family, friends, nurses, other midwives all nagged me to write a book." The most persistent was my college roommate, a copy editor, who offered to edit it for "no payment other than California Meyer lemons for life."
So I wrote Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife (Scribner, 2002), and it succeeded beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. Not only did it open women to options other than those offered by the status quo, but it also caused a career change in many women who, after reading the book, chose to become doulas or midwives themselves.
I was 42 and a busy midwife with a very big practice when I gave birth to my 3rd child. He was born at home surrounded by what felt like a cast of thousands. Present were my 2 older children, my husband, the 2 youngest children of my primary midwife, 2 other midwives, 3 of my hospital nurse friends, my parents, our pregnant au pair, a photographer, a few stray husbands, I think maybe a neighbor...there might have been more. Afterwards, we had quite a party, and I made sure someone saved me a piece of the hazelnut torte.
My career would not have been possible without the support of my husband, Roger, and those three children of ours: Colin, Jill, and Skylar. They endured (with minimal complaint and eye-rolling) my absence on far too many Christmas mornings and other family events.
Years passed with fans and friends begging for "another book." I finally wrote Midwife: A Calling (Ant Press 2015), the first of a projected 3-book series.
I'm officially retired, but I still put in a cameo appearance now and then.
Attending births is an addiction: once you've shared the raw emotion of labor with a woman, the transcendent joy of birth, and the feel of a warm, wet newborn in your hands, it's hard to kick the habit.
I hope I never do.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 735 reviews
July 21, 2011
Okay, everyone, read this right now! Everyone! Can we pass it out in schools? And can we make every doctor in the country read it? That would help!
Peggy Vincent is amazing. Women are amazing. This book is evidence of that, as well as of how wrong-headed and competition-oriented and exploitative and ridiculous patriarchy can be when it tries to get in the way of women making babies. Story after story filled my eyes with tears, and my heart with joy and a deep feeling of proud sisterhood. But again and again these women's lives and labors were marred by the health insurance industry, hospitals, OBGYNs and other doctors, and the legal system. Poor Peggy ended up losing her practice due to these legal and financial machinations, but she's done something wonderful in sharing her story with a new generation of women, who, I hope, will be able to secure more and more lasting changes to our broken health care system. It's a change that's long overdue - as Vincent points out, if we extended midwifery care and demedicalized births in the US we could save $13-20 billion per year.
This book is basically a series of essays or vignettes that span Peggy Vincent's career as a San Francisco midwife. She describes her early days in a traditional hospital, where she felt incapable of helping a low-income woman of color protect herself from a violent intervention by a racist establishment, and takes us through her many years of inspiring and awesome births at the homes of diverse and interesting people in the Bay Area. You'll read about a birth on a boat in a rainstorm, a birth in a restaurant (with appetizers and applause), a Muslim teenager becoming a mother and community leader and prospective midwife, a birth where the father is in the process of becoming a woman, and more. You'll also hear some sad stories about how culture and religion and hierarchy sometimes ends women's (and/or their children's) lives prematurely.
But the overall impression I get from this book is one of power. Women, you are amazing! Read as many birth stories as you can and you'll see how world peace can be achieved. I'm pretty sure it would be helped along if every man could watch a woman give birth, unmedicated, on her own terms. If we all knew how hard and beautiful and miraculous it is to make a baby, maybe we'd stop sending them to prisons and wars when they grow up.
Peggy Vincent is amazing. Women are amazing. This book is evidence of that, as well as of how wrong-headed and competition-oriented and exploitative and ridiculous patriarchy can be when it tries to get in the way of women making babies. Story after story filled my eyes with tears, and my heart with joy and a deep feeling of proud sisterhood. But again and again these women's lives and labors were marred by the health insurance industry, hospitals, OBGYNs and other doctors, and the legal system. Poor Peggy ended up losing her practice due to these legal and financial machinations, but she's done something wonderful in sharing her story with a new generation of women, who, I hope, will be able to secure more and more lasting changes to our broken health care system. It's a change that's long overdue - as Vincent points out, if we extended midwifery care and demedicalized births in the US we could save $13-20 billion per year.
This book is basically a series of essays or vignettes that span Peggy Vincent's career as a San Francisco midwife. She describes her early days in a traditional hospital, where she felt incapable of helping a low-income woman of color protect herself from a violent intervention by a racist establishment, and takes us through her many years of inspiring and awesome births at the homes of diverse and interesting people in the Bay Area. You'll read about a birth on a boat in a rainstorm, a birth in a restaurant (with appetizers and applause), a Muslim teenager becoming a mother and community leader and prospective midwife, a birth where the father is in the process of becoming a woman, and more. You'll also hear some sad stories about how culture and religion and hierarchy sometimes ends women's (and/or their children's) lives prematurely.
But the overall impression I get from this book is one of power. Women, you are amazing! Read as many birth stories as you can and you'll see how world peace can be achieved. I'm pretty sure it would be helped along if every man could watch a woman give birth, unmedicated, on her own terms. If we all knew how hard and beautiful and miraculous it is to make a baby, maybe we'd stop sending them to prisons and wars when they grow up.
January 21, 2012
I'm giving this three stars because I love the idea of this book, and I love the format of each birth having a little story...but by the end of this book I absolutely hated the author. Why this woman was a midwife is a total mystery to me. She doesn't have compassion for women in labor, doesn't seem to like women in labor (she complains repeatedly about the greeting she gets at various houses--like the time she had to stand out in the rain because no one came to the door--THERE IS A WOMAN IN LABOR INSIDE--GIVE HER AND HER HUSBAND A FEW MINUTES). She complains when people call too early, when people call too late. In a very telling story she kicks a goose out of frustration (and she tells that story in a proud, self justified way). Every birth is about HER.
I was so relieved to read that she no longer accepts patients. The woman had clearly been practicing for too long. So, in short, as a story it's perfectly fine...but I do feel badly for Vincent's patients. Compassion and understanding is not her strong suit.
I was so relieved to read that she no longer accepts patients. The woman had clearly been practicing for too long. So, in short, as a story it's perfectly fine...but I do feel badly for Vincent's patients. Compassion and understanding is not her strong suit.
August 31, 2012
What a magnificent read. Peggy held me enthralled from the first line, the first word. I read half the book in one sitting, didn't finish it sooner simply because life wouldn't get out of the way, but this is one book I'd happily have curled up on the sofa with and shut out the world. It's a celebration of life, like Anne Lamott says on the blurb, and a celebration too of womanhood, the feminine sisterhood. It's a memoir on a deeper side of women's fight for equality during the last half of the twentieth century, one I'd never even considered--children aren't a part of my life. This book is universal because it's so personal, reaches across culture and age because it's so intimate. Peggy has done a fine job of putting a face on the mysticism of giving birth, of underlining the all-encompassing importance of being allowed to choose, and the insidious manner in which the most basic choices for women are taken away--or given away. This is a book that every single woman should read, whether planning to be a mother or not. I'm certainly in the latter camp, and I can't remember enjoying a memoir so much since Shantaram. Kudos, Peggy, for your strength and your humor, for your sensibility and empathy, and for sitting down and writing this absolutely brilliant piece of 20th century literature.
June 4, 2009
My only issue with Baby Catcher was that it was too long and a bit rambling (and I could have done without the Bible quotes that preceded each section). Other than that, it's a lovely memoir of a midwife's life in the (sometimes supportive) (sometimes horrifyingly not) Bay Area.
I think it would be a great book for mothers to read, so that the black box of labour and birth can be demystified a bit (from the sheer number of diverse births she describes), and also presented in a light that isn't clinical or or gross or horrible or dangerous or like an illness or condition -- in the same way that the fabulous documentary "The Business of Being Born" should be required viewing for all moms and those who love them.
I also think it's fascinating (and depressing) to learn about the history and state of midwifery in the US and the challenges that both hospitals and midwives face today.
It didn't make me want to have an epidural free home birth, but it certainly made the possibility of a more natural birth (maybe in a birthing centre attached to a hospital) more appealing. And I'm definitely all for midwives. Every pregnant woman should have one. They're phenomenal human beings.
I think it would be a great book for mothers to read, so that the black box of labour and birth can be demystified a bit (from the sheer number of diverse births she describes), and also presented in a light that isn't clinical or or gross or horrible or dangerous or like an illness or condition -- in the same way that the fabulous documentary "The Business of Being Born" should be required viewing for all moms and those who love them.
I also think it's fascinating (and depressing) to learn about the history and state of midwifery in the US and the challenges that both hospitals and midwives face today.
It didn't make me want to have an epidural free home birth, but it certainly made the possibility of a more natural birth (maybe in a birthing centre attached to a hospital) more appealing. And I'm definitely all for midwives. Every pregnant woman should have one. They're phenomenal human beings.
May 24, 2013
3.5 stars
this book started off fantastic and amazing, then i unfortunately realized she was your general sweetly racist grandma, then i started judging her for "not being nice enough", but ended with me still mostly rooting for her.
i really enjoyed all the midwifery stories, the struggle that midwives had (and still have) to overcome in the medical industry. i appreciated her candor, her use of swear words, her openness to alternate lifestyles and religions.
frustratingly, her descriptions of a number of people (even of these alternate lifestyles) in her stories aren't very flattering. she's judgmental, and not in a funny way - more like in the non-so-sweet grandma way. she's got her opinions about people, and she's gonna say them, so a few of the stories still raised my hackles, sorely on her choice and use of adjectives and storytelling voice.
i'm in a mood.
Notes:
"a few hours later, an eight-pound baby slid from between her thighs with the ease of chocolate melting on a Chevy's dashboard in August." (pg. 77) And yes, parents were black.
"Leaving Sandi to supervise Nadine’s shower, I said 'I’ll take this little tar baby into the kitchen.'" - WTF?! baby covered in meconium, super dark, black "pre-poop"
she buys berks to "fit in" with the hippie midwifery community. seriously.
"... Sofia's big baby boy plopped out, looking so Italian I thought we should dress him in something with an Armani label." (pg. 98)
"It hadn't been much of a birth, in my opinion. More like an eviction without due notice." -of a 19 yr old's labor, description of the family seemed to say they were kind of low class. (pg. 102)
i'm amazed at the dichotomy in this book. i'll read something and get all teary, and then:
"but i couldn't get samantha off. desperate, i flopped on my back and smashed her to the floor beneath me, and i didn't get up till i heard something from her that sounded like, 'aagh!'" yes, the cat kept attacking her, so she smashes it underneath her.
"so i took two or three steps back, got a running start, and, using the side of my foot a la women's world cup soccer player, i kicked him, beak over tail feathers, about fifteen feet above the lake." she's frustrated, and then kicks a goose.
this book started off fantastic and amazing, then i unfortunately realized she was your general sweetly racist grandma, then i started judging her for "not being nice enough", but ended with me still mostly rooting for her.
i really enjoyed all the midwifery stories, the struggle that midwives had (and still have) to overcome in the medical industry. i appreciated her candor, her use of swear words, her openness to alternate lifestyles and religions.
frustratingly, her descriptions of a number of people (even of these alternate lifestyles) in her stories aren't very flattering. she's judgmental, and not in a funny way - more like in the non-so-sweet grandma way. she's got her opinions about people, and she's gonna say them, so a few of the stories still raised my hackles, sorely on her choice and use of adjectives and storytelling voice.
i'm in a mood.
Notes:
"a few hours later, an eight-pound baby slid from between her thighs with the ease of chocolate melting on a Chevy's dashboard in August." (pg. 77) And yes, parents were black.
"Leaving Sandi to supervise Nadine’s shower, I said 'I’ll take this little tar baby into the kitchen.'" - WTF?! baby covered in meconium, super dark, black "pre-poop"
she buys berks to "fit in" with the hippie midwifery community. seriously.
"... Sofia's big baby boy plopped out, looking so Italian I thought we should dress him in something with an Armani label." (pg. 98)
"It hadn't been much of a birth, in my opinion. More like an eviction without due notice." -of a 19 yr old's labor, description of the family seemed to say they were kind of low class. (pg. 102)
i'm amazed at the dichotomy in this book. i'll read something and get all teary, and then:
"but i couldn't get samantha off. desperate, i flopped on my back and smashed her to the floor beneath me, and i didn't get up till i heard something from her that sounded like, 'aagh!'" yes, the cat kept attacking her, so she smashes it underneath her.
"so i took two or three steps back, got a running start, and, using the side of my foot a la women's world cup soccer player, i kicked him, beak over tail feathers, about fifteen feet above the lake." she's frustrated, and then kicks a goose.
June 11, 2010
I don't remember where I heard about this book, but I put it on my paperbackswap wishlist and finally scored a copy. It spent a few weeks perched on the corner of our kitchen table, but once I finally picked it up, I couldn't put it down.
I inhaled this book over the course of two days in April, staying up late at night to read, every once in a while stopping to re-read stories aloud to Andrew. Absolutely fascinating, this is a memoir encompassing the legal, societal, and hospital politics of the modern midwife movement, the story of one midwife and the impacts her work had on her family, and a collection of birth stories, told from the midwife's perspective. You'd think I would have had my fill of birth stories by now, but apparently I can't get enough. And seeing these from the point of view of the midwife is fascinating -- even Ida May's book and its collection of birth stories was almost entirely mother-perspective.
Of course, the author, a midwife, has reason to be biased, but after reading this the whole medical establishment anti-midwife attitude seems even more ludicrous and self-serving. And that's saying something, as I was leaning fairly heavily that way before I ever opened this particular book.
Highly recommended to all mommas and other birth junkies.
I inhaled this book over the course of two days in April, staying up late at night to read, every once in a while stopping to re-read stories aloud to Andrew. Absolutely fascinating, this is a memoir encompassing the legal, societal, and hospital politics of the modern midwife movement, the story of one midwife and the impacts her work had on her family, and a collection of birth stories, told from the midwife's perspective. You'd think I would have had my fill of birth stories by now, but apparently I can't get enough. And seeing these from the point of view of the midwife is fascinating -- even Ida May's book and its collection of birth stories was almost entirely mother-perspective.
Of course, the author, a midwife, has reason to be biased, but after reading this the whole medical establishment anti-midwife attitude seems even more ludicrous and self-serving. And that's saying something, as I was leaning fairly heavily that way before I ever opened this particular book.
Highly recommended to all mommas and other birth junkies.
April 27, 2013
In my quest for understanding childbirth better and gaining confidence towards it, I chose this book because it is so highly rated on Goodreads. In retrospect, I'm really surprised by that. The book is thought-provoking in some ways, but overall I didn't feel like I got anything out of it. Ultimately, I think I struggled because the author is very annoying, and since the book is really an autobiography, I just got sick of hearing all about her. I also felt that she distorted a lot of facts about the healthcare system in order to boost the reader's opinion towards midwives, which made me suspicious towards any of her claims for the rest of the book. I definitely do not recommend this book to anyone.
May 31, 2011
I read the first half of this book in one day. It was fascinating to me to read a variety of birth stories while learning about the evolution of nursing/midwifery. I love reading birth stories because they are so varied, personal and interesting. Each time I read a labor story, I thought, "I don't ever want to have another baby. Those ladies are crazy. I can't believe I ever did that." Then, she'd talk about the moments after the baby was born and I'd think, "Man, I really want to have a baby."
I felt like Peggy was a great author for a book like this because her experience spanned so many unique decades. I can't imagine giving birth in the 50s and 60s and not really having any control over my birth or my body. That would be rough.
Personally, with my two babies' births, I had a couple doctors and a couple midwives (we moved a few times) and I'm definitely a midwife advocate. While I chose to have my babies without drugs in a hospital, and it's hard for me to imagine a home birth, I appreciated knowing an open-minded midwife would be attending each of my births. Granted, you can get doctors that advocate a women's freedom and choice in a birth plan, but often there are some restrictions placed on a woman by a doctor that wouldn't be considered by a midwife (i.e. eating and drinking during labor).
Some of the stories were pretty interesting and take an open mind to even read. I definitely don't consider myself a "hippie home-birther" like some of the stories seemed, but I could relate to other feelings and desires the women had in choosing a midwife and natural childbirth.
I would definitely encourage people to consider many healthcare providers (including doctors and midwives) when giving birth. I think people are "scared" of midwives or think they're weird or something. However, I think it's awesome they promote a women's choice (medicine or not) and know that a woman can have a natural birth if that's what she chooses. A woman's body is built to pop out babies. (Hello, women have been having babies for thousands of years without any kind of drugs! But that doesn't mean there won't ever be complications.) But, ultimately, I think a woman needs to make the best choice for herself and her baby and do what SHE feels comfortable with (not her parents or friends, etc). And she also should understand, that even if a birth doesn't go exactly as planned, it doesn't make you a failure! I've been blessed with two amazing births and it saddens me to think some women are disappointed by their births when a lot of the labor/delivery process is out of their control.
All-in-all, a good book by a good author with some really interesting and varied experience!
PS: My favorite chapter was "Spirit Baby I"...a tear-jerker for sure!
I felt like Peggy was a great author for a book like this because her experience spanned so many unique decades. I can't imagine giving birth in the 50s and 60s and not really having any control over my birth or my body. That would be rough.
Personally, with my two babies' births, I had a couple doctors and a couple midwives (we moved a few times) and I'm definitely a midwife advocate. While I chose to have my babies without drugs in a hospital, and it's hard for me to imagine a home birth, I appreciated knowing an open-minded midwife would be attending each of my births. Granted, you can get doctors that advocate a women's freedom and choice in a birth plan, but often there are some restrictions placed on a woman by a doctor that wouldn't be considered by a midwife (i.e. eating and drinking during labor).
Some of the stories were pretty interesting and take an open mind to even read. I definitely don't consider myself a "hippie home-birther" like some of the stories seemed, but I could relate to other feelings and desires the women had in choosing a midwife and natural childbirth.
I would definitely encourage people to consider many healthcare providers (including doctors and midwives) when giving birth. I think people are "scared" of midwives or think they're weird or something. However, I think it's awesome they promote a women's choice (medicine or not) and know that a woman can have a natural birth if that's what she chooses. A woman's body is built to pop out babies. (Hello, women have been having babies for thousands of years without any kind of drugs! But that doesn't mean there won't ever be complications.) But, ultimately, I think a woman needs to make the best choice for herself and her baby and do what SHE feels comfortable with (not her parents or friends, etc). And she also should understand, that even if a birth doesn't go exactly as planned, it doesn't make you a failure! I've been blessed with two amazing births and it saddens me to think some women are disappointed by their births when a lot of the labor/delivery process is out of their control.
All-in-all, a good book by a good author with some really interesting and varied experience!
PS: My favorite chapter was "Spirit Baby I"...a tear-jerker for sure!
July 29, 2019
Some people think childbirth is icky. Some people feel it's awkward and uncomfortable to think or talk about. Some people approach it with anxiety and fear of the pain and possible complications. One doctor in this book told the author, Peggy Vincent, that (a paraphrase) "every birth is complicated until proven otherwise."
Peggy Vincent spent her entire professional career combating those preconceptions, one birth at a time. Her approach is the exact opposite of that doctor's: she believes that every birth is straightforward until proven otherwise. She talks openly about the things some people feel grossed out by: blood, amniotic fluid, afterbirth, vaginas, labia, and perineums. She talks openly about the screaming, moaning, and groaning of women in labor and the tendency of most laboring women to take off one piece of clothing for every centimeter of dilation until they're naked on the floor. She talks about all these things as if they're the most natural things in the world--because they are.
Our society has medicalized birth (and death, but that's for other book reviews) to the extent that it does more harm than good. I think that's for a lot of reasons, most of them stemming from the patriarchy and from our culture's complicated relationship with modern medicine, but that's probably for other book reviews too. Of course there are appropriate, life-saving measures that sometimes need to be taken during labor. Peggy discusses a few stories in her book where the outcomes would have been tragic without emergency medical intervention. But home births or non-medicalized, midwife-assisted births in birthing centers generally lead to healthier, happier babies and moms, and fewer Caesarians and other interventions. Experienced and trained midwives don't just show up empty handed and without a clue. I learned from this book that they carry their own arsenal of medical supplies to home births, including the equipment necessary to monitor for problems such as a dropping fetal heartbeat. They also, of course, have the knowledge necessary to know exactly what red flags to look for.
Anyway, this book touches on a lot of big social and cultural ideas, but the soul of it is really in the (can I say this without sounding cheesy? I'm going to try) ~miracle of childbirth~ and how it can actually be an empowering experience. This book consists mostly of the stories of the many, many babies Peggy delivered, and it's pretty great. One woman gives birth on a leaky sailboat in a rainstorm. One has a cat who relentlessly attacks Peggy. One gives birth surrounded by her clan of lissome, chanting, zen friends. Some give birth so quickly that Peggy arrives to find the baby already born, and some have labors that last for 30+ hours. Some of these women are teenagers, some are in their 40's. It was Berkeley in the '70s and '80s; it seems that Peggy delivered babies to families of any race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, age, and socioeconomic status you can imagine. When Kansas-born Peggy became a certified midwife, she went and bought her first pair of Birkenstocks just to fit in.
The stories are great: funny, uplifting, and always unexpected. Some of them are extremely sad, too. To me, the book felt joyful and meaningful, but it may not be for everyone because of those sad moments. My favorite birth story is probably the one about the birth of Peggy's own youngest child; reading an experienced midwife's own recollection of giving birth gives a very unique perspective.
There's a very strongly feminist, woman-power angle here that personally made me feel more confident and sure about what I want when I have my own children. I really can't recommend this book enough.
Peggy Vincent spent her entire professional career combating those preconceptions, one birth at a time. Her approach is the exact opposite of that doctor's: she believes that every birth is straightforward until proven otherwise. She talks openly about the things some people feel grossed out by: blood, amniotic fluid, afterbirth, vaginas, labia, and perineums. She talks openly about the screaming, moaning, and groaning of women in labor and the tendency of most laboring women to take off one piece of clothing for every centimeter of dilation until they're naked on the floor. She talks about all these things as if they're the most natural things in the world--because they are.
Our society has medicalized birth (and death, but that's for other book reviews) to the extent that it does more harm than good. I think that's for a lot of reasons, most of them stemming from the patriarchy and from our culture's complicated relationship with modern medicine, but that's probably for other book reviews too. Of course there are appropriate, life-saving measures that sometimes need to be taken during labor. Peggy discusses a few stories in her book where the outcomes would have been tragic without emergency medical intervention. But home births or non-medicalized, midwife-assisted births in birthing centers generally lead to healthier, happier babies and moms, and fewer Caesarians and other interventions. Experienced and trained midwives don't just show up empty handed and without a clue. I learned from this book that they carry their own arsenal of medical supplies to home births, including the equipment necessary to monitor for problems such as a dropping fetal heartbeat. They also, of course, have the knowledge necessary to know exactly what red flags to look for.
Anyway, this book touches on a lot of big social and cultural ideas, but the soul of it is really in the (can I say this without sounding cheesy? I'm going to try) ~miracle of childbirth~ and how it can actually be an empowering experience. This book consists mostly of the stories of the many, many babies Peggy delivered, and it's pretty great. One woman gives birth on a leaky sailboat in a rainstorm. One has a cat who relentlessly attacks Peggy. One gives birth surrounded by her clan of lissome, chanting, zen friends. Some give birth so quickly that Peggy arrives to find the baby already born, and some have labors that last for 30+ hours. Some of these women are teenagers, some are in their 40's. It was Berkeley in the '70s and '80s; it seems that Peggy delivered babies to families of any race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, age, and socioeconomic status you can imagine. When Kansas-born Peggy became a certified midwife, she went and bought her first pair of Birkenstocks just to fit in.
The stories are great: funny, uplifting, and always unexpected. Some of them are extremely sad, too. To me, the book felt joyful and meaningful, but it may not be for everyone because of those sad moments. My favorite birth story is probably the one about the birth of Peggy's own youngest child; reading an experienced midwife's own recollection of giving birth gives a very unique perspective.
There's a very strongly feminist, woman-power angle here that personally made me feel more confident and sure about what I want when I have my own children. I really can't recommend this book enough.
April 28, 2016
I finally finished it! I really didn't mean to take so long reading it but this has been a busy month. That, and after each birth story I felt like I needed a break. Reading about labor is emotionally draining!
I loved hearing birth stories from the perspective of Peggy, the fearless, compassionate, endlessly intuitive midwife. I read many of the stories in utter disbelief. Some of them are almost too outrageous to be real! How was it that so many of the babies seemed to come so fast?! I especially appreciated Peggy's own birth stories. She really highlights the fact that you can never predict how a woman will labor - even for herself.
I love birth stories. Before reading Baby Catcher I had read only a couple home birth stories, both of which did not involve a midwife. Honestly, the only stories I've heard about home births are the ones that ended in complications and tragedy. I believed that home births were for people who distrusted modern medicine and didn't care about getting blood everywhere. I feel completely differently about it now. ("Childbirth is normal until proven otherwise.") The only birth story narratives I grew up with were my mom's four cesarian deliveries. The narratives in this book did not fit with the birth stories I have heard all my life.
I certainly did not understand that having a midwife as was a realistic option when I was having my babies. I remember wishing that I could meet or choose my labor&delivery nurses ahead of time so that I could have a relationship with them before I showed up at the hospital in labor. I ended up loving my L&D nurse with Ruby but I got lucky. (And I had an epidural so I pretty much had it easy even though she was posterior and wouldn't come out.) Still, I longed for the type of patient-practitioner relationship that Peggy had with her patients. I'm completely convinced that I would have a third baby at home if Peggy could be with me.
[unanswered questions: 1- Peggy never talks about having to suture a woman's perineum post-delivery. Did none of them rip or tear and require stitches? The women in the stories seemed to pop up and resume normal life within minutes of delivery. 2- She also didn't include any stories of delivering preemie babies or having complications with the babies post-delivery. How much pediatric care did she give the newborns? 3- Did she ever get calls from moms with postpartum depression? So many questions.]
I loved hearing birth stories from the perspective of Peggy, the fearless, compassionate, endlessly intuitive midwife. I read many of the stories in utter disbelief. Some of them are almost too outrageous to be real! How was it that so many of the babies seemed to come so fast?! I especially appreciated Peggy's own birth stories. She really highlights the fact that you can never predict how a woman will labor - even for herself.
I love birth stories. Before reading Baby Catcher I had read only a couple home birth stories, both of which did not involve a midwife. Honestly, the only stories I've heard about home births are the ones that ended in complications and tragedy. I believed that home births were for people who distrusted modern medicine and didn't care about getting blood everywhere. I feel completely differently about it now. ("Childbirth is normal until proven otherwise.") The only birth story narratives I grew up with were my mom's four cesarian deliveries. The narratives in this book did not fit with the birth stories I have heard all my life.
I certainly did not understand that having a midwife as was a realistic option when I was having my babies. I remember wishing that I could meet or choose my labor&delivery nurses ahead of time so that I could have a relationship with them before I showed up at the hospital in labor. I ended up loving my L&D nurse with Ruby but I got lucky. (And I had an epidural so I pretty much had it easy even though she was posterior and wouldn't come out.) Still, I longed for the type of patient-practitioner relationship that Peggy had with her patients. I'm completely convinced that I would have a third baby at home if Peggy could be with me.
[unanswered questions: 1- Peggy never talks about having to suture a woman's perineum post-delivery. Did none of them rip or tear and require stitches? The women in the stories seemed to pop up and resume normal life within minutes of delivery. 2- She also didn't include any stories of delivering preemie babies or having complications with the babies post-delivery. How much pediatric care did she give the newborns? 3- Did she ever get calls from moms with postpartum depression? So many questions.]
February 3, 2013
An autobiographical account of a Berkley midwife, focusing heavily on the 80s and 90s, which was the heyday of her career. The stories are interesting and loving, and though I've read criticisms of Vincent for her lack of political correctness, I think she mostly does a great job of acknowledging and working to overcome her own personal bias. The stories are riveting and sympathetic. You can tell Peggy loves birth, loves the moms and her career.
There is a point at the end of the book where Vincent gets very defensive and displays a lack of empathy. However, the situation (at least from her point of view) effectively ended her career as an insured, licensed midwife, despite the fact that she refused to deliver the baby and only agreed to be a labor coach. I think she's got a right to be defensive, but I do understand how some can see her point of view as unfeeling and self-righteous. It was a horrible situation only a few lawyers benefited from.
Mostly, the diversity of life in Berkley and all of the different stories and ways mothers handle childbirth is heartwarming and life-affirming. It can be a great encouragement to those who want to know what childbirth outside of the obstetrical norm can look like. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in midwifery and natural childbirth.
Incidentally, this book was everything that I had hoped The Midwife of Hope River would be. You can read what I thought of that book here. I think I'll add a note at the end of that review to send people here for a much more satisfying look into the life of a midwife.
There is a point at the end of the book where Vincent gets very defensive and displays a lack of empathy. However, the situation (at least from her point of view) effectively ended her career as an insured, licensed midwife, despite the fact that she refused to deliver the baby and only agreed to be a labor coach. I think she's got a right to be defensive, but I do understand how some can see her point of view as unfeeling and self-righteous. It was a horrible situation only a few lawyers benefited from.
Mostly, the diversity of life in Berkley and all of the different stories and ways mothers handle childbirth is heartwarming and life-affirming. It can be a great encouragement to those who want to know what childbirth outside of the obstetrical norm can look like. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in midwifery and natural childbirth.
Incidentally, this book was everything that I had hoped The Midwife of Hope River would be. You can read what I thought of that book here. I think I'll add a note at the end of that review to send people here for a much more satisfying look into the life of a midwife.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2016
I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would! I love babies and labor stories, so I totally got my fix for a while. Peggy's accounts of her baby deliveries as a midwife are fascinating, funny, tender, sacred, sad, and nerve-wracking. She is a master storyteller and weaves her own life story as a midwife into the book. By the end, I was binge-reading to find out what became of Peggy the Midwife! I enjoyed hearing about the mothers she cared for from all walks of life. Berkeley, CA is truly one of the most diverse places I've read about!
My favorite chapter is "Sneak Attack", which tells the story of a protective cat. It had me laughing out loud the entire way! I'm going to make my husband read this chapter because we have a pet cat....
This book almost made me want another baby, and even had me entertain the idea of having it at home (not happening; I don't like messes).
People who should read this book:
1. Midwives (certified nurse and lay)
2. Labor and delivery nurses and obstetricians
3. Women who have home births or unmediated births
4. Women who have had babies
5. NOT women (and their partners) who are pregnant for the first time, unless considering an unmediated or home birth
6. Any man or woman interested in childbirth. This is not for the feint of heart, but having been through childbirth three times myself, nothing was too graphic for me.
My favorite chapter is "Sneak Attack", which tells the story of a protective cat. It had me laughing out loud the entire way! I'm going to make my husband read this chapter because we have a pet cat....
This book almost made me want another baby, and even had me entertain the idea of having it at home (not happening; I don't like messes).
People who should read this book:
1. Midwives (certified nurse and lay)
2. Labor and delivery nurses and obstetricians
3. Women who have home births or unmediated births
4. Women who have had babies
5. NOT women (and their partners) who are pregnant for the first time, unless considering an unmediated or home birth
6. Any man or woman interested in childbirth. This is not for the feint of heart, but having been through childbirth three times myself, nothing was too graphic for me.
January 25, 2012
Wow what an addicting read! So sad it's over, wheres the sequel? Oh wait this isn't a series ;(
I laughed out loud, cried heavy tears and learned a ton. Peggy is a wonderful writer who just sucks you right in starting with her early days as a nurse in training and then through discovering her love for obstetrics and then her desire to go into midwifery to see women having the birth experience of their choosing. This is a great read for any expecting mother, woman who ever wants children or has already had them even as it truly reminds you to appreciate the process of bringing babies into the world. It's a natural thing, but not easy and not always successful without knowledgable assistance. I like that while this book does give a wonderful view of what unmedicated, natural labors and births look like, it isn't completely one sided as to assume that doctors aren't needed and shows many instances in which doctors saved the baby and/or a doctors advice should be heeded.
Great read highly recommend!
I laughed out loud, cried heavy tears and learned a ton. Peggy is a wonderful writer who just sucks you right in starting with her early days as a nurse in training and then through discovering her love for obstetrics and then her desire to go into midwifery to see women having the birth experience of their choosing. This is a great read for any expecting mother, woman who ever wants children or has already had them even as it truly reminds you to appreciate the process of bringing babies into the world. It's a natural thing, but not easy and not always successful without knowledgable assistance. I like that while this book does give a wonderful view of what unmedicated, natural labors and births look like, it isn't completely one sided as to assume that doctors aren't needed and shows many instances in which doctors saved the baby and/or a doctors advice should be heeded.
Great read highly recommend!
February 20, 2018
I expected this book to cruise, Grey’s Anatomy style, on the built-in drama that accompanies labor and birth. There’s plenty of that drama, but also really wonderful figurative language that made me sit up in my seat, a trip in time through the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, and a narrative about a woman with Wooden-like levels of unflappable Kansas-bred excellence. The fact that it is structured as a series of vignettes made it really easy to read in stolen fragments of time in the middle of the night while I rocked my own newborn to sleep, and in this way, reading about the range of birth experiences of so many real women, I think I did a bit of passive processing of the experience of the birth of my own child.
December 16, 2011
The story of one woman's time spent as a nurse and as a midwife. Vincent has an engaging, friendly voice; I felt like we were friends within a chapter. The ways of thinking about and serving pregnant women have changed a huge amount since the 1960s, and Vincent documents it all from the front-line. The stories she tells are moving and sometimes hilarious, and the history she documents is fascinating.
September 24, 2008
Wonderful revealing glimpse inside the life of a midwife. Each chapter a new tale, amusing, touching.
February 23, 2024
wasn't too bad. and WOW were people misogynistic af back then. holy crap. round-of-a-plause 👏👏👏
April 6, 2021
I loved reading this leading up to Felicien’s arrival and in short bursts in the few weeks after he was born. Peggy Vincent had quite a career. I found the history of midwifery woven into her stories to be so interesting. Who knew that access to midwives and birthing centers and home births is largely dictated by midwives’ access to malpractice insurance!?
June 5, 2013
I have had two high-risk pregnancies. Before, during, and after, I never would have considered a home-birth and thought that anyone who did was crazy and really asking for trouble. But, reading this book definitely changed my mind. Sort of. I delivered my children at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California - the same hospital where the author of this book worked before becoming a licensed midwife. At Alta Bates, women labor (and usually deliver) in individual rooms. Only when there is an issue, or a need for a c-section, is the woman moved to a more sterile operating room. I was moved both times - the first because they thought I might need a c-section, and the second because I was delivering twins (which by protocol are always delivered in the OR). But, each time, before I was moved, I appreciated being able to labor in a room with my friends and family, where I could watch TV or listen to music, have my blankets from home, and generally try to be as comfortable as possible. So, given that during this process I wanted to have all my creature comforts, why wouldn't it make sense to labor and deliver in my actual home, where I am the most comfortable? Vincent's memoir chronicles the birth of many many women - most go smoothly and seem much less difficult than I felt my birth was - but perhaps it was the attitude of these women that helped it go more smoothly? Or perhaps it is self-selective in that the women who can afford to deliver at home (not financially, but logistically) are the ones who have not suffered any difficulties in their pregnancies. Of course there were times when Vincent did have to take her patients to the hospital when complications arose - and I felt she laid out the interesting and ever-changing dynamics between the doctors and the midwives well. This book definitely opened my eyes to the beauty of the home delivery - and in working with a midwife (or doula or other such person). There is so much that is very personal about pregnancy and delivery - the choices that one wants to have, a birth plan, and contingencies - in this area I feel like there is a lot of pressure to be "all natural" and that women are often made to feel "less than" when medical conditions or unforeseen complications necessitate the use of drugs or a c-section. It is unfortunate because every birth, no matter how it comes about, is an amazing, difficult, and treasured experience. I think Vincent did a good job in her book of not being judgmental, but of presenting an option for women, with all the pros and cons that come with it.
November 5, 2023
I’m a little obsessed at the moment with reading birth stories. Honestly, I can’t get enough of them especially natural and home birth stories because I don’t know that many women personally who have given birth without medication. I am fascinated with the timeline, the pain, what happened, where it happened and how they handled it. Hospital and medicated birth stories are interesting too; I’m just really interested in the honest truth about the un-medicated pain all the way through and methods for dealing with the pain when there are no meds involved.
Peggy Vincent’s Baby Catcher was the perfect solution to my quest for birth stories. She covers almost every kind of birth or situation possible—even some situations I had not even considered: quick births, slow births, seemingly painless and quiet birth, loud crazy births and giving birth in a moving car. Her book also offers a prospective on birthing and being a midwife in America.
I found myself rapt with attention to every detail, holding my breath during exciting births and crying at the joys and triumphs of birth. There are also many passages that had me laughing so hard I cried, like this one from the chapter titled, “Pragmatism in Action.” After a very exciting emergency delivery at the hospital, a woman who just gave birth, Susie, has a friend named Teri, a large lesbian woman wearing dock martin’s and a noisy key ring hanging off her belt loop who offers to run home and get a few things for her while she has to wait an hour to be checked out. Susie’s list goes on and on, and the friend listens to her requests, nods and smiles and then turns to leave…
“…I whispered to her at the doorway,
‘Can you really remember all the stuff?’
Speaking from the corner of her mouth with a deadpan expression, she muttered,
‘Shit no. She’s gonna be home within ten minutes of my getting’ back here. Chenille bathrobe, my ass. I’m gonna bring whatever the she’ll I think she might need to survive a ten-minute ride in a pre-headed car…”
If you love a good non-fiction, with true stories about real women giving birth and the challenges and obstacles facing midwives then you would enjoy this easy to read and informative chronicle of a modern midwife.
Peggy Vincent’s Baby Catcher was the perfect solution to my quest for birth stories. She covers almost every kind of birth or situation possible—even some situations I had not even considered: quick births, slow births, seemingly painless and quiet birth, loud crazy births and giving birth in a moving car. Her book also offers a prospective on birthing and being a midwife in America.
I found myself rapt with attention to every detail, holding my breath during exciting births and crying at the joys and triumphs of birth. There are also many passages that had me laughing so hard I cried, like this one from the chapter titled, “Pragmatism in Action.” After a very exciting emergency delivery at the hospital, a woman who just gave birth, Susie, has a friend named Teri, a large lesbian woman wearing dock martin’s and a noisy key ring hanging off her belt loop who offers to run home and get a few things for her while she has to wait an hour to be checked out. Susie’s list goes on and on, and the friend listens to her requests, nods and smiles and then turns to leave…
“…I whispered to her at the doorway,
‘Can you really remember all the stuff?’
Speaking from the corner of her mouth with a deadpan expression, she muttered,
‘Shit no. She’s gonna be home within ten minutes of my getting’ back here. Chenille bathrobe, my ass. I’m gonna bring whatever the she’ll I think she might need to survive a ten-minute ride in a pre-headed car…”
If you love a good non-fiction, with true stories about real women giving birth and the challenges and obstacles facing midwives then you would enjoy this easy to read and informative chronicle of a modern midwife.
July 21, 2009
Near the middle of The Baby Catcher, Peggy Vincent describes two births that ended in C-section; one where the mother waited too long and one where the mother didn't. For the one that ended poorly (in extreme brain damage including blindess and deafness), the mother ignored all the advice she had been given even though she had a history of fetal distress deliveries resulting in C-section.
One detail that stood out for me in both births was the activity of the baby prior to birth. The children had the tendency to flip around or move their heads up from the head down position. Vincent says that late positional activity like that dramatically increases the changes of cord wrap or prolapsed cord. Sean went into fetal distress with an erratic heart beat shortly after getting to the hospital and after only a couple hours of labor I was raced off for a C-section. He had all the signs of things going horribly wrong: the heart beat problem and the meconium. I've wondered if Sean's distress was a fluke or something that had been on-going. Now it seems that it was an on going problem. I'm glad I was such a worry wart and didn't labor for long at home.
Instead of either having a still birth or a brain damaged baby, I have a healthy son who is at the head of his preschool class. The only trade off was a bit of adominal surgery which I will gladly repeat for Harriet. Speaking of baby number two, she so far is not following in her brother's foot steps. While she does respond to the world around her, she does it now mostly with her feet and sometimes her hands. She seems to have figured out that she should be head down and should stay head down. I could probably VBAC with her but given other issues like being over weight and being monitored for PIH (although my blood pressure is lower with her than it was with Sean), I am opting for a C-section. At least this time I will be awake for the experience and will be able to hear her first cry.
One detail that stood out for me in both births was the activity of the baby prior to birth. The children had the tendency to flip around or move their heads up from the head down position. Vincent says that late positional activity like that dramatically increases the changes of cord wrap or prolapsed cord. Sean went into fetal distress with an erratic heart beat shortly after getting to the hospital and after only a couple hours of labor I was raced off for a C-section. He had all the signs of things going horribly wrong: the heart beat problem and the meconium. I've wondered if Sean's distress was a fluke or something that had been on-going. Now it seems that it was an on going problem. I'm glad I was such a worry wart and didn't labor for long at home.
Instead of either having a still birth or a brain damaged baby, I have a healthy son who is at the head of his preschool class. The only trade off was a bit of adominal surgery which I will gladly repeat for Harriet. Speaking of baby number two, she so far is not following in her brother's foot steps. While she does respond to the world around her, she does it now mostly with her feet and sometimes her hands. She seems to have figured out that she should be head down and should stay head down. I could probably VBAC with her but given other issues like being over weight and being monitored for PIH (although my blood pressure is lower with her than it was with Sean), I am opting for a C-section. At least this time I will be awake for the experience and will be able to hear her first cry.
January 4, 2012
A quick and easy read, this book follows the several decades of the career of Peggy Vincent who was first a nurse, and then a licensed midwife in Northern California. She delivered over 2,000 babies, mostly in and around Berkeley. Sometimes being a midwife was wonderful, empowering, lucrative and exciting, and other times it was an uphill battle against The Man, Big Insurance and women's own fear. Almost every chapter is a stand-alone birth story, which is great since she has plenty of material to draw on and the sheer diversity of birth stories is fascinating. Overall, I wouldn’t say that this is the best-written or most enthralling book ever, but it is fascinating, smart, and occasionally funny. The struggle of midwives and women to provide/experience birth without intervention is both exuberant and infuriating. It’s worth the effort of reading it.
Good things: I liked how much respect and appreciation Peggy had for the women in her care. She seemed to be genuinely in awe of some of them, and it’s nice to think that some medical providers really feel that way. The variety of birth experiences made for interesting reading, and Peggy hammered home the point that you absolutely cannot predict how a laboring woman will behave based on your experiences or perceptions of her before her labor starts.
Less good things: Because it is so many birth stories, the storytelling becomes repetitive at times. The stories would have benefited from sharper editing, as some bits reappear too many times. I was a little uncomfortable when the stories were negative, for example, a story about a woman who was mean to her husband during labor. Overall, though, negativity was the exception; the book is mostly a triumphant, glorious series of funny, happy, incredible birth stories.
Good things: I liked how much respect and appreciation Peggy had for the women in her care. She seemed to be genuinely in awe of some of them, and it’s nice to think that some medical providers really feel that way. The variety of birth experiences made for interesting reading, and Peggy hammered home the point that you absolutely cannot predict how a laboring woman will behave based on your experiences or perceptions of her before her labor starts.
Less good things: Because it is so many birth stories, the storytelling becomes repetitive at times. The stories would have benefited from sharper editing, as some bits reappear too many times. I was a little uncomfortable when the stories were negative, for example, a story about a woman who was mean to her husband during labor. Overall, though, negativity was the exception; the book is mostly a triumphant, glorious series of funny, happy, incredible birth stories.
September 8, 2014
Rounding up from 2.5 (ala Amy Green style). I was really excited to read this book about midwifery, I love birth stories, talking about pregnancy and babies in general. This book is filled w/ those stories, which is why I gave it 3 stars. What I didn't like is the (surprise surprise) holier than thou attitude regarding home births/sans drugs births versus any other kind of birth. Superiority regarding whether you want to/can get through a birth without drugs or medical intervention or whatever is completely ridiculous to me. I don't care if people want to give birth at home, in a tub in the middle of their living room - but to feel judged (And believe me, I wish I had a highlighter on hand to bring to light all the phrases that are SOOO self-righteous) for being in a hospital at ALL because a real woman can shed her "weakness" and squat on her couch to have a baby if she's just awesome enough was really distracting to me in reading this book. If you're into natural birth/home birth/midwifery and like to believe you are a much more awesome person than everyone else because you want to or did give birth w/ a midwife and sans drugs then this book is for you. Too bad it ruined all the awesome birth stories for me :)
July 13, 2017
LOVED it!!!
Emotional, moving, and REAL. I deeply appreciated sharing the thoughts, feelings, and birth stories that Ms. Vincent was able to recount. Much more profound than "I laughed, I cried," my summary reaction would be more like, "I burst out in joyful laughter, smiled wryly in sympathy, scowled in scorn and disappointment, and felt my heart rip open while its pieces leaked out in tears." The author has a real gift for bringing the reader not only into her mind and heart, but into the sacred event of birth.
The book is relatively simply-written, and it's a quick read. Vincent's style generally enhances the telling, rather than obscuring it; and she covers everything from birth stories to her feelings about midwifery and how she decided to take the path she did.
One reviewer mentioned a "language alert," and yes - be aware that some stories involve more (dramatically) colorful characters than others. It didn't exactly offend me.
I really, REALLY recommend this book to those who are interested in real-life birth stories and/or the general history, philosophy, and practice of midwifery. After reading her story, I can't help but love her!
Emotional, moving, and REAL. I deeply appreciated sharing the thoughts, feelings, and birth stories that Ms. Vincent was able to recount. Much more profound than "I laughed, I cried," my summary reaction would be more like, "I burst out in joyful laughter, smiled wryly in sympathy, scowled in scorn and disappointment, and felt my heart rip open while its pieces leaked out in tears." The author has a real gift for bringing the reader not only into her mind and heart, but into the sacred event of birth.
The book is relatively simply-written, and it's a quick read. Vincent's style generally enhances the telling, rather than obscuring it; and she covers everything from birth stories to her feelings about midwifery and how she decided to take the path she did.
One reviewer mentioned a "language alert," and yes - be aware that some stories involve more (dramatically) colorful characters than others. It didn't exactly offend me.
I really, REALLY recommend this book to those who are interested in real-life birth stories and/or the general history, philosophy, and practice of midwifery. After reading her story, I can't help but love her!
September 14, 2016
I'd had this on my "to read" list for quite some time, and finally picked it up. I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy a birth worker memoir, despite the fact that I love all things birthy. I guess I was nervous it would be dull. This was anything but!
I really enjoyed Vincent's writing style - each story flowed and she even created some extended plot suspense (which is hard to do in an autobiography). I enjoyed hearing about each birth story. Though I'm not a midwife, I understand her perspective (as a doula): calls at all hours, driving on empty streets in the dark, women laboring not in the way you'd expect, all sorts of personalities!
There were some critiques that she was too anti- the typical biomedical approach to birth. I think that she spent a long time as a labor nurse before she became a midwife and had plenty information to base her perspective on. Also, she wasn't anti-Doctor (she praised her backup and partner OBs), nor was she anti-hospital (naming several instances where they were an essential part of her previously-planned home births).
I laughed and I learned and I would recommend this book to anyone, not just birth junkies!
I really enjoyed Vincent's writing style - each story flowed and she even created some extended plot suspense (which is hard to do in an autobiography). I enjoyed hearing about each birth story. Though I'm not a midwife, I understand her perspective (as a doula): calls at all hours, driving on empty streets in the dark, women laboring not in the way you'd expect, all sorts of personalities!
There were some critiques that she was too anti- the typical biomedical approach to birth. I think that she spent a long time as a labor nurse before she became a midwife and had plenty information to base her perspective on. Also, she wasn't anti-Doctor (she praised her backup and partner OBs), nor was she anti-hospital (naming several instances where they were an essential part of her previously-planned home births).
I laughed and I learned and I would recommend this book to anyone, not just birth junkies!
March 1, 2009
A pregnant friend lent this to me. At 34 weeks, she listened to her heart and ditched her doctor, finding some midwives she liked much better, ladies who didn't scoff at reasonable questions about her plan. If you think hosptial deliveries (epidural, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am) are a given, this book will totally change your perception. Vincent, who spent decades catching freshly-minted human beings as they tumbled into our world, describes highly personal birth experiences, ones that reach a level of meaning appropriate for such an event. Births here happen on storm-tossed sailing boats, with neighbors pounding on the roof next door, singing with friends, surrounded by parties and feasts, family and friends, in the bathroom, in closets, with cats and kids and birds looking on, walking and shouting, laughing and talking. These are births in the midst of life, as they should be. Every chapter is a little adventure story, most ending happily, a few ending otherwise, but all completely unique.
August 30, 2013
I loved this book! I was completely riveted, and moved by so many of the stories. I think it was incredibly well-written and portrayed many aspects of birth that are not often discussed in American society.
While I loved this book, I was also uncomfortable with occasional judgements I felt Vincent was making about her patients, and a few off color comments that she made. She referred to one baby (covered in tarry mecomium) as a tarbaby which made me a uncomfortable ... And she also seemed a little judgmental or hung up on transgendered partners, skin color and disabilities. At the same time, she exposed these types of partnerships and births and that was fantastic to be aware of. Overall I loved it, judgments/faux pas and all.
***spoiler alert: I was incredibly uncomfortable when the author volunteered to doula a birth for a high risk mother. It taught me a good lesson: she took on all of the liability of a midwife without having any authority or power and it killed her career as a home birth midwife.***
While I loved this book, I was also uncomfortable with occasional judgements I felt Vincent was making about her patients, and a few off color comments that she made. She referred to one baby (covered in tarry mecomium) as a tarbaby which made me a uncomfortable ... And she also seemed a little judgmental or hung up on transgendered partners, skin color and disabilities. At the same time, she exposed these types of partnerships and births and that was fantastic to be aware of. Overall I loved it, judgments/faux pas and all.
***spoiler alert: I was incredibly uncomfortable when the author volunteered to doula a birth for a high risk mother. It taught me a good lesson: she took on all of the liability of a midwife without having any authority or power and it killed her career as a home birth midwife.***
June 10, 2014
This book was recommended by a friend and I was a little timid in picking it up. Birth is something that so many women feel passionate about, and in the process it can be alienating. It's easy to fall into the pattern of judging women for their decisions instead of being supportive.
I loved the variety of her experiences. It's cheesy to say, but I really did cry and laugh. It almost was enough to motivate a home-birth next time around. I mean, someone making me soup and doing my laundry while I'm in labor? Sounds great!
I appreciated getting a peek into the world of home births without feeling preached to. I felt like I was sitting around with a friend who was simply telling good stories. Definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy memoirs or want to learn more about midwives and home birth.
I loved the variety of her experiences. It's cheesy to say, but I really did cry and laugh. It almost was enough to motivate a home-birth next time around. I mean, someone making me soup and doing my laundry while I'm in labor? Sounds great!
I appreciated getting a peek into the world of home births without feeling preached to. I felt like I was sitting around with a friend who was simply telling good stories. Definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy memoirs or want to learn more about midwives and home birth.
January 10, 2016
I really really enjoyed this book. I love stories of births! This was well written, easy to read quickly as each story was fascinating.
Some of my favorite quotes were
Page 61 Well, I certainly hope you're not going to do home deliveries. Pizzas should be delivered at home, not babies. Pretty soon, people will want to die at home.
Page 66 She put her arms around my neck before answering, and I felt her shoulders lift as she heaved a sigh fit for Broadway. Oh, Mom, I'm going to have twenty-five babies.
Twenty five? I asked. Are you sure?
Oh yes. But only if you can be there. Okay?
Page 102 I turned and saw them, looking like a Norman Rockwell illustration as they crowded the doorway to watch the birth. It hadn't been much of a birth, in my opinion. More live an eviction without due notice.
Some of my favorite quotes were
Page 61 Well, I certainly hope you're not going to do home deliveries. Pizzas should be delivered at home, not babies. Pretty soon, people will want to die at home.
Page 66 She put her arms around my neck before answering, and I felt her shoulders lift as she heaved a sigh fit for Broadway. Oh, Mom, I'm going to have twenty-five babies.
Twenty five? I asked. Are you sure?
Oh yes. But only if you can be there. Okay?
Page 102 I turned and saw them, looking like a Norman Rockwell illustration as they crowded the doorway to watch the birth. It hadn't been much of a birth, in my opinion. More live an eviction without due notice.
August 13, 2009
This book completely changed my perception about the birth process. I wasn't sure I could stomach this book - much less the pain of giving birth without an epidural. Yet somewhere within these funny and touching birth stories my framework shifted.
Peggy Vincent presents birth as a natural, mysterious process that is highly unique and beautiful - something to be experienced, not simply a means to an end. In her hands, birth becomes a ritual, a celebration of life.
Baby Catcher is a wonderful book for women, mothers and those that hope to be.
Peggy Vincent presents birth as a natural, mysterious process that is highly unique and beautiful - something to be experienced, not simply a means to an end. In her hands, birth becomes a ritual, a celebration of life.
Baby Catcher is a wonderful book for women, mothers and those that hope to be.
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