Labor Pains

In this data-driven birth book, award-winning childbirth writer and educator Henci Goer brings her 30-plus years of experience analyzing the obstetric research to the table, delivering the most thorough synthesis on the market. Yet she structures the book thoughtfully so you can take in information however suits you. Dig into every detail or skip to the summaries. Henci creates a judgment-free zone where you're in the driver's seat. You're the best person to decide what's right for you. Here's your opportunity to get the data. Make a plan. And take charge of your birth.

Ever wonder why being the independent woman we are told we should be oftentimes simply leads to us battling our problems alone, or worse, competing with other women? Why, at every single baby shower, so many women share their harsher tales of labor and delivery in unnecessary one-upmanship? Why most women are left with feelings of unworthiness? Join women from different backgrounds as they come together to share their own experiences of pain, perseverance, and encouragement, firsthand and in heartwarming detail. We hope that through their stories, you find you are not alone.

The world is filled with mixed messages about pregnancy. Popular books and well-meaning family and friends offer you unsolicited advice about what to expect and how to stay healthy - sometimes resulting in joy and excitement but other times leading to discouragement and fear. The Bible, too, has a lot to say about childbirth - offering real hope that nothing in this world can match.

Weaving together over 100 years of history with scenes from the contemporary landscape, Labor of Love offers a fresh feminist perspective on how we came to date the ways we do. This isn't a guide to "getting the guy". There are no ridiculous "rules" to follow. Instead Weigel helps us understand how looking for love shapes who we are and hopefully leads us closer to the happy ending that dating promises.

“Joyce Maynard is in top-notch form with Labor Day. Simply a novel you cannot miss.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of My Sister’s Keeper and Keeping Faith “Maynard has created an ensemble of characters that will sneak into your heart, and warm it while it breaks.”...