Pregnancy and Birth: The Best Evidence

Leila I. Wallenius is a reference librarian in the J.N. Desmarais
Library at Laurentiana University.

Barrett, a family practitioner with 29 years of obstetrical and
pediatrics experience, and Pitman, a childbirth educator and doula, have
produced a superb summary of the scientific knowledge regarding
pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for a newborn. The book is divided
into six parts: “Growing a Healthy Baby,” “Tests During
Pregnancy,” “Pregnancy Problems,” “Giving Birth to Your Baby,”
“Childbirth Challenges,” and “Your Baby’s First 48 Hours.”
Appendix 1 provides the reader with a summary of the research method,
while Appendix 2 features a list of resource organizations.

This clear and concisely written book does not provide easy answers.
Rather, it is intended to supplement the advice of a caregiver. In their
conclusion, the authors write: “[I]t’s up to you to decide how to
apply the results of that research to your individual situation. This is
your baby, your body, your family and you are the ones who will live
with the consequences of the decisions you make.”