Review: En Route Baby by Jennifer A. Slater

En Route Baby
written by Jennifer A. Slater
published by Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: I was asked by the author to review this book. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: You know, I read a lot of books while I was pregnant.  Most of them, instead of calming my nerves, filled my head with a million terrifying birth scenarios – exactly what a pregnant, emotional woman needs, right?  I remember writing draft after draft of a birth plan because one book told me to, and then trashing it because another book told me I’d alienate hospital staff if I gave them one.  I remember telling my husband that IF NOTHING ELSE, I was darn well going to bake cookies for the nurses so they’d take good care of my baby and not secretly slip him any formula while I was sleeping.  I remember my loving husband hiding one of my “here’s what’s going to happen when you give birth” books after finding me weeping and ranting about not being able to channel my inner goddess.

This is not one of those books.

This book is short, sweet, and filled with information that will actually be useful should your baby decide to make his debut before you reach the hospital (or birthing center, or before your midwife reaches you).  Slater provides simple, straightforward tips that, despite my 20 hour labor, I wish I’d known, and reminds us that, contrary to much of the information out there, having a baby is a natural, normal event that you can definitely handle (even if it happens in the back of your Jeep).

Would I recommend it: Yep.  It’s a no-brainer.

Will I read it again: It’s doubtful, but I’m certainly going to refer to the website if there’s ever another baby in my belly.

About the book – from Goodreads: Ever imagined having to deliver a baby by yourself? Could you do it? When Jennifer Slater unexpectedly had to deliver her own baby in the back of a jeep as her husband raced toward the hospital, the mistakes she made that morning could have cost her son his life. Jennifer realized how little we’re taught about the few crucial steps that need to be taken if ever surprised by an extremely fast labor-it happens more often than you might think-so she compiled this small, but powerful book from experience, research, and interviews with others who delivered “en route.” In this book readers will learn: what to expect if contractions suddenly race from 5 minutes apart to mere seconds what to do every step of the way until reaching the hospital the best position a mother should get into if she starts delivering the baby in the car what to do if the baby doesn’t start crying new information about cutting the umbilical cord from the first contraction to their arrival at the hospital with a 5-minute old baby surprising similarities other parents experienced during their last trimester that resulted in unusually short (one hour or less) labors.