I have been waiting years for Henci Goer's latest book. As expected, it's well-researched, easy to understand, and jam-packed with information that every birthing person should know. I have been a prenatal yoga teacher, birth educator, and support person for new families for 20 years and I am recommending this book to all of my clients. This is the kind of information birthing people are asking for and rarely getting from their health care providers. Thank you Henci, for helping people to be better consumers in their perinatal care!" Goer presents pain relief options and then, simply but in great depth, the evidence-based benefits and risks of each option. A must-read for not only childbearing women but for those who care for them!" "This book is not just for expecting moms, it's for the entire birth team. As a doula and childbirth educator, I am constantly in awe of Henci's ability to present evidence in a non-judgmental way. Plenty of pregnancy and birth books tell you what to expect during birth. This guide, though, is one of the few to delve deeply into one topic, delivering up-to-date access to the best medical research. In this data-driven birth book, award-winning childbirth writer and educator Henci Goer brings her thirty-plus years of experience analyzing the obstetric research to the table, delivering the most thorough synthesis on the market. Yet she structures the book thoughtfully so you can take in information however suits you. Dig into every detail or skip to the summaries. Read about every topic or jump to the ones that interest you most. Henci creates a judgment-free zone where you're in the driver's seat. And she won't just provide the information you need to choose among your options, she'll also give you practical strategies for developing your plan and putting it into action. You'll know what you want, why you want it, and how best to get it-how to have the birth that fits best for you. Inside, you'll find: You're the best person to decide what's right for you. Here's your opportunity to get the data. Make a plan. And TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR BIRTH.