Some 250 thorough and thoughtfully written entries, each with plenty of cross referencing and "resource" listings (books, films, articles), make available up-to-date, authoritative information. This is a serious, useful reference much needed in an area crowded with myths and with books that perpetuate misguidance. Neither too medical/technical nor too simplistic in approach, it discusses issues important to parents-to-be and to those who deal with them. Well conceived, and well "birthed," but the inexplicable high cost will unfortunately keep it out of most home libraries and narrow its potentially wide, wide market. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
The subject of this encyclopedia is birth studies, a relatively new academic discipline growing out of feminist studies. Rather than focusing on the medical aspects of childbearing, the work's premise is that "pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood are social constructions, and the practices, imagery, and technology a culture develops, or even in the case of science fiction, imagines developing, grow out of this cultural grounding." Contributors include scholars from such diverse fields as anthropology, art history, childbirth education, ethics, law, nursing, literature, women's studies, and medicine. The tone of the articles reflects the authors' areas of expertise; some entries demand a familiarity with the language of medicine and scholarship, while others are easily understood by the layperson
A wide range of topics is covered in the 250 signed, alphabetically arranged entries that vary from one to three pages in length. Articles are included on such medical issues as "Ectopic Pregnancy" and "Shoulder Dystocia", as well as on such practical topics as "Infant Feeding and Care" and "Shoes for Babies". These are juxtaposed with articles on the treatment of pregnancy and childbirth in art and literature ("Creation Stories in Western Culture", "Goddess Imagery"), legal issues ("Birth Certificates", "Rights of the Pregnant Patient"), caregivers ("Labor Partners", "Witch Midwives"), as well as the clinical and anthropological aspects of couvade (male symptoms of pregnancy). Among the many unique entries are "Childbearing in Prison"; "Amniocentesis, History of"; and "Diapers: Environmental Concerns". Some entries are on specialized, narrow topics, for example, "The Pregnant Therapist" and "Midwives, Southern Black". Several articles discuss childbirth practices in a small number of countries other than the U.S.; the editor selected to profile those that "contrast with American practices, systems, values, or beliefs.
A typical article is the three-page entry "Home Birth" that surveys the history of how the place of birth moved from the home to the hospital; explains why some women are again opting for home birth, most often assisted by a midwife; and advises that a lot of reading and thinking are needed before a mother chooses the option of home birth. All articles end with "see also" references and a "Resources" bibliography for further reading. The preliminaries of the book include a topical guide that organizes related articles under such subject headings as "Contraception", "Infant Feeding", and "New Procreative Technologies". An appendix lists organizations and resources dealing with such issues as adoption and midwifery. A comprehensive index concludes the book
Despite the wide-ranging scope of this interdisciplinary work, absent are some topics that one would expect to find in an encyclopedia of childbirth. For example, no entry discusses multiple births as a medical phenomenon, but twins are covered in "Twins: Myths and Legends". Surprisingly, there is no overview article on abortion, but 10 separate entries on the subject are listed under "Abortion" in the topical guide. These range from a feminist, ethical analysis of the subject to coverage of RU486
The "Encyclopedia of Childbearing" is an interesting compendium of diverse information that will be of use to students as well as general readers. Large public and academic libraries will find it useful as a quick-reference source, as well as a starting point for patron research.