Midwifery Memoirs

I recently finished reading and reviewing a great new midwifery memoir, The Blue Cotton Gown by Patsy Harman. This book was written by a CNM who no longer attends births, so it was about the rest of midwifery--the well woman care side. It was very good and I really recommend it.

A few months ago, I also read the very excellent Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart, another new midwifery memoir (this one had lots of births and also lots of drama!). It is was extremely good and I really loved it. The author, Carol Leonard, was also one of the founding members of MANA, so the book chronicles the birth of MANA as well as her journey as a midwife. Interestingly, her husband was a doctor as is Patsy Harman's in the book above. Perhaps that pairing is more common than what I might expect! See www.badbeaverfarm.com for more information (my full review is reprinted there as well).

Also newly released in 2009 is Labor of Love, written by the CNM who was shadowed in the film The Business of Being Born.

If you get the opportunity to read any of these books, I think you'll enjoy them!

--Molly Remer