Birth Partner's Quick Reference Guide and Planner
Generations of spouses and partners, as well as doulas, nurses, midwives, and other professionals, have relied on Penny Simkin's warm and wise guidance in caring for the new mother, from the last trimester through the early postpartum period. Her book The Birth Partner is the definitive guide to helping a woman through labor and birth, and The Birth Partner's Quick Reference Guide and Planner is a more-concise version of that book. For those who have the original book, it adds a planner component, for hospital or at-home birth plans and for other essential to-dos. It is full of reliable and up-to-date information on:
- Preparing for labor and for the new baby
- Ways to help a woman through each stage of labor and birth
- Pain-relief measures, including epidurals and medications as well as natural techniques
- Ways to induce or speed up labor
- Cesarean birth and complications that may require it
- Breastfeeding and newborn care
- and much more
Penny Simkin, PT, was a physical therapist, childbirth educator, doula, and birth counselor. She was nationally recognized as a premier authority on childbirth, having helped 9,000 expecting women and birth partners in childbirth and attended hundreds of couples through the birth process. Simkin was a prolific author and served on more than 10 different consultant and editorial boards, including the journal Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, The International Childbirth Education Association, and The Seattle Midwifery School, where she also provided training for doulas and lectures to students. She wrote myriad books, journal, and magazine articles. Simkin was also co-founder of DONA International (formerly Doulas of North America) and The Pacific Association for Labor Support. In addition to providing childbirth education, birth counseling, and labor support, Simkin traveled extensively throughout the country, lecturing and presenting at conferences and workshops. For more information, please visit Simkin’s website at pennysimkin.com.