The best childbirth book as recommended by midwives, obstetricians, childbirth educators, men and their partners.

Cheers to Childbirth is a birth guide, originally written for men but which quickly became a favourite with pregnant women who love the straight-talking style of author Lucy Perry. This childbirth book offers a mix of hilarious and tear-jerker birth stories together with practical information on childbirth and how to support a woman for the best labour and birth experience possible. This book is relevant to those birthing at home or in a hospital setting.

Lucy is a doula, childbirth educator and mother of three young children. She is also the founder of Beer + Bubs: childbirth education for men which is run in pubs all over Australia.

The best childbirth book around - and it's written for men

What do you NEVER say to a woman in labour? Why should you be speaking less rather than more when a woman is “in the zone”? Why is texting your mother a bad, bad idea? What should you pack for yourself to be prepared for what could take a good couple of days? How can a bloke effectively help with pain relief? Most importantly, what does a man need to know to make childbirth FASTER and EASIER for his partner? On the flip side of that, what does it take for a man to influence the birth so that he is personally responsible for making the labour harder and more painful? How does a man act as advocate for his partner in the foreign environment of a maternity hospital? What should an expectant father be doing during each stage of labour to support his partner best? Why on earth does poo play a part in childbirth? How can a dad-to-be help his partner push his baby out? Seriously. And what can a father expect from the moment of birth? What’s the big deal with skin to skin contact with a newborn and how does a dad play a part in this? What are those first few hours like with the baby?

Childbirth book - including birth stories from some high profile Australian men

Together with specific how-to content, this childbirth book includes birth stories from a number of high profile Australian fathers. Boxer Danny Green tells how he shadow-boxed between contractions in preparation for a world-title fight; neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo admits that he stopped his wife from having the epidural she wanted and she’s never forgotten it; broadcaster Adam Spencer (whose dicky eye is the result of a botched forceps delivery) was worried about the shape of his daughter’s cone head in the moments after the birth; world champion surfer Mark Occhilupo says the birth of his son eclipsed winning the world title; Olympic rower James Tomkins cheered his wife to the finish line; and news presenter Mark Ferguson who has reported from war zones felt unprepared for the challenge of supporting his partner. Together with these well-known men, Lucy interviewed some not so well known fathers: father of two and Qantas Captain Paul Treseder who compares the composure of a captain in a crash incident to the calmness required to support a woman through birth, father of five and emergency specialist Digby Hone who found the experience to be an emotional one and Army Warrant Officer David Maxwell who felt he needed a military-style debrief after the birth of his two sons. These stories show that no matter what a man does for a living or what he has achieved during his life, all men face the same challenges when their partner gives birth. “Expectant fathers are usually surprised to hear that they can have a profound impact on the birth,” says Lucy. “When they learn that they can influence the pace of the birth and take advantage of a woman’s natural pain management chemistry, most men realise that this is not a spectator sport, that’s it’s not just about ducking punches and that they are a critical part of the birth team"

Soft cover – 288 pages – 153 x 234mm
Published by Pure Publishing, September 2010
Cheers to Childbirth – ISBN 9780980413212

$29.95 plus half price postage (only $2.50) anywhere in Australia!