The Birth Book - by Jennifer Lincoln (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Essential, empowering medical information and advice to help you prepare for your labor and delivery journey--from a leading OB-GYN and social media educator.

"The Birth Book covers everything you really need to know about labor and delivery--including all the details you might need on your big day. Read it to ensure you feel more satisfied with your experience."--Ari Brown, MD, author of Baby 411

Birth is a transformative, remarkable process, but it can also be incredibly daunting and traumatic--especially if you don't have the medically-sound information you need to advocate for yourself. With misinformation rampant on social media and a dearth of trusted medical resources on the birth process, pregnant people feel left behind in a system that is failing them. Thirty-six percent of counties in America are labeled "maternity care deserts" where there is no or limited access to obstetric care--and it's only getting worse. We need a concise and comprehensive primer on the birth experience, whether that means a low-intervention birth or a complicated emergency c-section.

In The Birth Book, OB-GYN hospitalist and educator Dr. Jennifer Lincoln delivers exactly that. Dr. Lincoln answers all your questions, big and small, about labor and delivery, providing crucial insight and understanding. Questions like:

- What is "normal" labor?
- What can I say no to?
- What are my options if baby is breech?
- How long does an induction take?
- And many, many more.

Backed by research and personal experience and including enlightening illustrations, The Birth Book gives you agency over your pregnancy and birth, along with context for the many choices you'll need to make. With Dr. Lincoln's help, readers will have an evidence-based resource at their fingertips for a better, safer, more informed birth.

Review Quotes

"Your most pressing, and often unspoken, questions about birth, finally answered by a doctor who listens."--Jen Hamilton, BSN, RN, CEN, RNC-OB, author of Birth Vibes

"The Birth Book pulls back the curtain on labor and delivery. With humor, warmth, and the expertise of a practicing OB-GYN, Dr. Jennifer Lincoln tackles the questions every parent-to-be has but doesn't always know how to ask. Covering topics like choosing a provider, navigating interventions, sorting through advice on social media, and even the realities of U.S. healthcare, this book has it all. It is clear-eyed, compassionate, and backed by real evidence. It will help you navigate pregnancy informed, prepared, and ready to advocate for the birth you deserve."--Jen Gunter, MD, author of The Menopause Manifesto

"The Birth Book covers everything you really need to know about labor and delivery--including all the details you might need on your big day. Read it to ensure you feel more satisfied with your experience."--Ari Brown, MD, author of Baby 411

"Written by an experienced and actively practicing physician, this book distinguishes the facts from mere recommendations and misinformation. This transparency ensures you have an evidence-based resource at your fingertips for a better, safer, more informed birth."--Stella Dantas, MD, FACOG, past president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

About the Author

Jennifer Lincoln, MD, IBCLC, is a board-certified OB-GYN who practices clinically as an OB hospitalist, which is an obstetrician with expertise in handling obstetrical emergencies and making labor and delivery a safer place for all birthing patients. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is dedicated to developing evidence-based health content that is easy to understand and uses social media to educate millions of followers by meeting them where they are. Her voice is sought after in the reproductive health space, and she has been an invited guest in the White House and at the United Nations. She is married to a pediatrician, and together they have two boys and reside in Portland, Oregon.