Product Description

This book challanges America's traditional hospital based birth system, the system which has placed the United States at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations with regard to healthy babies and healthy mothers. Dr. Eisenstein explains that birth, for the majority of women, may even be safer without the routine hospital procedures: electronic fetal monitoring, episitomy, iv's, epidurals, etc.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #521697 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From the Author
As I see it there is one major reason to choose home birth for your family. It will change so many other aspects for your life for the positive and affect so many decisions that you make. Childbirth at home is an event which strengthens all those who are privileged to experience it. It empowers the participants with knowledge that they can give birth and enjoy it!!

From the Back Cover
It is so exciting that any couple thinking of having a baby can read about Dr. Mayer Eisenstein's work as Director of the nation's largest home birth medical practice. Dr. Eisenstein has implemented a proven safe plan for home birth appropriate for all women who are pregnant and in good health, regardless of age or past childbirth experiences.

The Home Birth Advantage sets down a completely new birthing system for Americans - a complete system with a name, a philosophy, a structure and an implementation expressed in a winning spirit so appealing to Americans.

Our present birthing system has plunged America to last place among the top twenty industrial nations as a place where healthy mothers can give birth to healthy babies. Healthy women can no longer expect the safe birth of their children within this unsafe system. They need The Home Birth Advantage now!

About the Author
Dr. Mayer Eisenstein is a graduate of the University of Illinois Medical School, the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Public Health, and the John Marshall Law School. Since 1973 he has been in private medical practice and is currently the Medical Director of Homefirst(r) Health Services, the largest physician attended home birth service in the country. In his 27 years in medicine, he and his practice have delivered over 14,000 babies at home, as well as cared for over 60,000 parents, grandparents and children. Now, Dr. Eisenstein and his practice are delivering second generation babies for women who themselve were born at home with his practice.

He is Board Certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners, American Board of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians. He is a member of the National Honor Society. He is a recipient of the Howard Fellowship, Health Professional Scholarship, University of Illinois School of Medicine Scholarship, and is a member of the Dean's List at John Marshall Law School.

He is on the Professional Board of the Family Life League, Council for the Jewish Elderly, Task Force Council on Education for Public Health - Medical College of Wisconsin, and on the Editorial Board for "Child and Family Magazine". He is the author of the award winning book Give Birth at Home With The Home Court Advantage, as well as the editor for the "Family Health Forum" newsletter. His medical film "Primum Non Nocere" (Above All Do No Harm), a documentary on home birth, was an award winner at the Chicago Film Festival in 1987.

Some of his guest appearances include: the "Phil Donahue Show", "Milt Rosenberg Show", "Today in Chicago", "Ask the Expert", "Daybreak", "Oprah Winfrey Show", "Ed Schwartz Radio Show". "WMAQ TV news 'Unnecessary Hysterectomy'", "Chicago Fox TV News - 'Immunizations - Are They Necessary'", CBC Newsworld Canada - "Are Mass Immunizations Necessary".

Since 1987, his weekly radio show "Family Health Forum", has aired in the Chicagoland area. In September 1998 "Family Health Forum" became nationally syndicated. In the live call-in format, all listener's comments, questions or medical experiences are welcome by Dr. Eisenstein.

Dr. Eisenstein integrates into practice his 27 years in medicine, with his 30 years as a husband, father, and grandfather.

Customer Reviews

Where are the midwives?
I can wholeheartedly appreciate Dr. Eisenstein's account of how hospitals and most obstetricians in our country have caused more harm than good to mothers and babies during birth - however...

I did not see one account of homebirth midwives in his book. It is very rare to have physicians attending homebirths - I believe that Dr. Eisenstein's practice the only one of its kind - and most homebirths in the US today are attended by midwives - both Certified Nurse Midwives and direct-entry midwives. Why does he not mention them in this book? Did I miss this reference?

By reading this book, one would assume that homebirth is only safe with a physician in attendance. This is absolutely not true. I would have loved to see more references to midwives, specifically journal articles and statistics that show that homebirth with midwives (and quite possibly physicians) are as safe, if not safer, than hospital births.

Illinois is a very hostile state to homebirth midwives. I would hope that Dr. Eisenstein and his partners are helping homebirth midwives (edited to confirm that NO they are NOT). If not, I would strongly encourage them to remember that midwives are the main reason why homebirth is so nationally recognized and available for most American women. Support of their practices, efforts, and legalization is needed! We cannot continue to criminalize women who are skilled at helping women and providing a safe, reasonable alternative to insitutional childbirth!

Above all, the message that homebirth is safe is great, but it's erroneous to assume that homebirth is only safe with a physician in attendance. I would trust the loving, educated, and skillful care of a midwife for any homebirth.

Where is the bibliography?
I became quite frustrated with this book after a few chapters. Dr. Eisenstein must have plenty of experience to draw on, and must know the homebirth medical literature, but his book reads like a series of assertions with no hard evidence to back it up - no references to specific studies, statistics, etc. Also, his practice is one in which medical doctors attend homebirths. That is not an option in my area, though highly qualified Certified Nurse Midwives are. I did not find it very helpful to me in considering a homebirth with a CNM - not to mention in helping me prove to my near and dear that there is scientific evidence that homebirth is safe! Back to the medical journals and midwife websites...

Perhaps I am biased....
I myself was delivered at home by Dr. Meyer Eisenstein back in 1981. He was also at the homebirth of my older brother in 1977. There was no question in my mind that I wanted to have my second child at home (my first was born a month premature so homebirth was not an option) using the services of Homefirst (Dr. Eisenstein's homebirth practice). Yes, they do bring a lot of medical equipment JUST IN CASE it is needed. I wanted a homebirth because I wanted to have a natural birth in the comfort of my own home surrounded by my loved ones and have no medical interventions. This is exactly what I got. It was the best experience of my life and I felt safe knowing that *IF* something went wrong the Dr. had the necesary equipment on hand. (There is a detailed list in the book as to exactly what the Dr. will bring). I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone interested in homebirth.