Birth Day - The Journey of Childbirth

It seems like I'm doing a lot of book recommendations lately; but, seriously, there's some really great new books out there for expecting mommies! This morning on my metro area's local morning show, Dr. Mark Sloan appeared to talk about his new book Birth Day: A Pediatrician Explores the Science, the History, and the Wonder of Childbirth.

Sloan has delivered nearly 3,000 babies over the last 30+ years and draws on that experience to further deliver, with humor and wonder, the science, history and culture of this very fundamental journey that all of us have taken.

Birth Day is put out by Random Press and, being book publishers, they have written a spectacular summary of topics covered in the book. I'm not even going to attempt to outwrite Random House, so the following is directly from their website...

Some of Birth Day’s many topics include

• The evolution of human childbirth—or, why do gorillas have it so easy?
• The first five minutes of life—scuba divers, astronauts, and the amazing adaptations that transform a fetus into an air-breathing, out-in-the-world baby
• Cesarean section—a look at its origins, its future, and how it came to be the most frequently performed operation in American hospitals
• Pain and politics—the age-old quest for painless childbirth, starring Adam and Eve, Queen Victoria, a nineteenth-century medical brawl, and the rise of today’s “epidural monoculture”
• Daddies—raging paternal hormones, hidden anxieties, and the emotional evolution of men (including the author, his father, and grandfather) as they approach fatherhood
• The five senses at birth—does light enter the womb? how loud is it in there? what is a newborn baby searching for with those first anxious glances?
• A tour of the newborn body—springy skulls, hairy ears, innies and outies, the advantages (and disadvantages) of looking like your father, and why the United States is one of the world’s most circumcised nations

So, if you're expecting or know someone who is, pick up a copy of this fabulous book. It's entertaining while still being instructive and would be a great gift for Mother's Day!