Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife

Bought this for a student for a research project. Good book and it was a helpful resource.

WONDERFUL book, perfectly written. I loved the short story form, and I love how it follows the evolvement of birth over Peggy's career and life! It also mirrors my own mother's experience with childbirth as she was having babies from the 60's to the 80's, just as Peggy was working in the industry. I loved hearing the professional perspective. I also lived just outside the bay area where the book takes place, and was born in Marin county in the 80's, which is right near Peggy's turf, while she was active! That made it all the more fun for me, thinking of her humming around town, while I was being born, just over the bridge. :) The book was great, I related to it personally, it was funny, emotional, sad, happy and she's passionate about her topic. All great components of a writer. I'll be sending this off to a friend, which I rarely do! Great book! I couldn't put it down and ripped through it in just a couple days. I was sad when it was over!

This book was recommended to me by one of my nursing instructors, who knew I was interested in entering into Nurse Midwifery. I wish I had read it back then, as it gives some excellent insights about birth. What made this book particularly interesting (and useful) to me, is that it is written by someone who attended many births in many different settings. Vincent was a nurse, a nurse-midwife in a hospital, and a home-birth midwife. This means she gives a very well-rounded view, rather than just promoting one setting over the other. Also, unlike some books about midwifery and natural birth, she doesn't paint all medical professionals as evil. In fact, she is very careful to mention those that were wonderful advocates for the mothers, as well as those that she felt were callous or unethical. Her birth stories are enjoyable to read. Some are endearing, some empowering. She doesn't say that all births were perfect, but she does say that birth itself is perfect, and that is a refreshing point of view when so many people are taking one side or the other about natural birth. I give this book a 5 star review for being honest, concise and entertaining. It is not a how-to book, so don't expect lengthy medical dialog describing the birth process. It focuses on the characters in birth--mother, father, child, attendees. It does however prove that with proper support, birth can be a wonderful process rather than a horror-fest, even when things go wrong.

This book is absolutely amazing. I did not want this book to end so I slowed down my reading hoping to drag it out. The book was a great insight into the beauty of a women being able to bring a person into this world the way god intended. I felt at times as I was there with Peggy the descriptions of the labor and births so perfect, loving and at time hilarious. Each birth to her during the time of her private practice was special in its own way and her ability to remember each of them. I have learned how special midwives are since "Doctors have lost sight of what normal labor looks like and how women really behave when artificial barriers are removed". It was hilarious when she would take the placentas to her kids school. Interesting was the "primal need of women to find a close, dark, protected space in which to bring safely bring forth their babies. Rejecting the prepared king size bed". I did get annoyed and upset with her when she kicked a goose so hard that it beak over tail went 15 feet above the lake vibrating her leg all the way to her hip then laughed about it. unlike how doctors think "childbirth is normal until proven otherwise"

Oh my, this book was amazing. Reading Peggy's book made me seriously consider becoming a Midwife. She is so passionate and has so many stories to tell. It also helped me, as a pregnant woman, feel more confident in my body and in my ability to have a natural unmedicated birth. Definitely a worthy purchase. A note to expectant mothers: Please please skip through reading the chapters titled Spirit Baby and Spirit Baby II. They are both regarding the loss of a child. During Spirit Baby II, I had to put the book down and sob for an hour. It was so incredibly hard to read and had I known what I was about I probably would have skipped it. We all already fear the loss of a child and having to hear a story like such it really struck me hard. Do yourself a favor and avoid the heart-wrenching chapters listed above.

I just finished reading Baby Catcher and have found myself with a new sense of peace and renewed energy as the birth of my first child quickly approaches. After reading about Peggy's experiences with the amazing mothers she had the privelage of working with during her career, I find myself believing even more in a woman's inate ability to have a beautiful, natural, self-controlled birth story. Baby Catcher is inspiring, moving and kept me enthralled from cover to cover. A definite must for anyone who is going to give birth, has given birth, or was born!

I've read all of Peggy Vincent's books and enjoyed every one of them equally. Her books are filled with compelling stories of her experiences as a nurse midwife performing both hospital and home deliveries. Her writing style is down-to--earth and honest. I found the books hard to put down.

Baby Catcher has been an uplifting and informative book for me. I am due within a week and have many wonderful stories and visuals from this book to help me thru my labor. These are stories from her life, her experince, her perspective, and I appreciate that. The Spirit Baby story was my favorite, I found it to be very powerful. The duck kicking story my least favorite, but it is her story to tell. I agree that she should be proud of her work in midwifery, and is brave to share with readers all that she has. I have read it like a novel and look forward to reading the short stories everyday. I have found it much more uplifting than many other midwifery books. A book I highly reccomend.

I'm an avid reader of all things midwifery, and was advised to read this book as preparation for a workshop I was attending. I loved Peggy Vincent's frank and honest memoirs of her career as a midwife in the USA. At times it was harrowing and upsetting, but for the majority it was full of positive, beautiful recollections. Liberally peppered with appropriate humour (the goose incident sticks in my mind and I still chuckle now!), the book is truly addictive and you don't want to put it down. I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in midwifery and/or childbirth.

I must have read this book much sooner. I love it very much. Long time without falling in love so hard with a book. When I grow up I wanna be like Peggy Vincent.

It's a really good book to read for doulas, midwives and any birthworker .

I devoured this extremely readable book. Interesting and well written. Each individual birth story as well as the overall story of Peggys life and development is very well told. I wound up loving this woman and respecting how she stepped up for so many women on their birth/motherhood journeys.

Very nice book!