Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a
Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent
Love It!
In a joyous, often hilarious ode to the Birkenstock-scuffling, tackle box-
toting mobile midwives who flourished in the 1980s, Peggy Vincent
chronicles her abundant life as a professional Baby Catcher. The wild ride
begins during her nurse training years in the 1960s, when laboring women
were expected to lie down, shut up, and submit to whatever drugs and
procedures the doctor ordered. A rebellious patient who chants and
dances through her contractions--and the hell that ensues when
seasoned hospital staffers intrude--lights a permanent fire under Vincent.
Her resolve to serve each laboring woman with compassion and respect
carries her from obstetrics nurse to head of an alternative birth center
within Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, and eventually into her
own private practice as a licensed midwife. Like the most courageous
home births, this collection of delivery experiences refuses anesthesia:
plenty of bellowing, sweating, bleeding, and pushing accompany nearly all
of the more than 40 tales. Tough confrontations with stubborn physicians,
panicky labor partners, and one particularly nasty calico cat are dabbed

with as many keen insights as Vincents quieter, more heart-rending
newborn encounters. Baby Catcher is an inspirational literary gift suitable
for expectant mothers, fellow baby catchers, and anyone who loves
reading about natures greatest magical feat. --Liane Thomas
Personal Review: Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern
Midwife by Peggy Vincent
Peggy Vincent is a licensed midwife who specializes in home births. In
"Baby Catcher" she shares some of her most memorable experiences as a
midwife. This is the second book about midwifery that I have read -the first
one being "Labor of Love" by Cara Muhlhahn. And this one was even
better than the first.
Peggy writes in a very entertaining and honest way. The chapters give
glimpses into her daily midwifery practice, and help you realize what kind
of dedication and compassion it takes to be successful in the business of
home births. Some of her stories made me laugh out loud and some
brought tears to my eyes. Vincent manages to relay the importance of
seeing giving birth as something normal and not a disease that necessarily
needs to be medically treated. Nevertheless she doesn't pass any
judgement on women that choose to go the medical route. But she does
shed some light on how doctors and hospitals view giving birth and how
their interventions can negatively affect women.
I also found it very interesting to read about her experience with
malpractice insurance and how one unjust settlement ended her private
practice.
In the final pages Vincent included a summary with some words of
wisdom, an overview of the contents of a well stocked home birth kit, a
recommended reading list, as well as midwifery economics and safety
studies.
I loved every page of this book and it certainly got me motivated to pursue
this career path some more!
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