10,000 BABIES
MY LIFE IN THE DELIVERY ROOM
By: Silvio Aladjem M.D.
Published: March 1, 2013
This book is a compilation of stories from Dr Aladjem’s years of practice as a Fetal Medicine Specialist. His stories contain antidotes of patients from their prenatal visits all the way through delivery. There are stories that will make you cry, some that will be jaw-dropping, and others that will make you laugh. But, as a mother, all of them made me sentimental for my own delivery stories and caused me to look back on those times fondly.
In 10,000 BABIES, Dr Aladjem begins by walking you through the labor and delivery process, the history of women having babies, and as the stories permit, a bit of the cultural background related to delivering babies. Since, Dr Aladjem is a Fetal Medicine Specialist, he gets referrals and sees those patients that are at high risk. There are women who have had multiple miscarriages, women who are carrying multiple babies, women who are diabetic, and even one woman who made her body believe she was pregnant.
I think the sharing of our birth stories is one that ties women together. It is something that mothers can identify and relate to. The day we gave birth to our child is one of the most memorable and significant days of our lives and being able to hear about another woman’s struggle, complications, and joys validates our experience as well. As you read through this book, you will feel like you are hearing the stories from friends.
Not all the stories in this book are joyous, and there were a few that broke my heart. But, the way Dr Aladjem tells their stories gives respect to the parents and shows his concern. This book reminds us what a miracle it is for life to form and grow inside a woman’s body and the critical nature of delivering the baby. It is nothing short of a miracle each and every time.
There was a lot that I learned about the labbor and delivery process as well. I had never heard of pica, a disease where a pregnant woman has cravings for dirt, chalk and paint chips. I had never heard of a women believing so strongly that she was pregnant that she tricked her body into believing it too. I was also intrigued by the cultural aspects of labor and delivery, especially involving the placenta.
With each chapter being it’s own story, you can read this over a long period of time, or at once. There is some repetition as you go through the book, explaining medical situations and reasons for type of care, but having the chapters each being their own individual story, I can understand why this was done.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the birth stories from the doctor’s perspective. He was absolutely a very caring, attentive doctor and the women in this book were lucky to have him. There is no question that he loved his job every single day and felt it a privilege to help bring new life into this world. He also gave much credit to the nurses both in the delivery room as well as in his office. He was proud of the staff he worked with each day. Dr. Aladjem found his calling and has contributed enormous knowledge and care to the world. He has blessed many women over the years and I hope his life is immensely blessed as well.
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| Dr Silvio Aladjem |
Dr. Silvio Aladjem is an obstetrician/maternal-fetal medicine specialist. He is Professor Emeritus in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University in Lansing, MI and Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is Board Certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and the sub-specialty of Maternal Fetal Medicine. He is the author of several textbooks in the field of obstetrics and perinatal medicine. For more on the book, visit the website http://www.deliveryofthebaby.com/.
Posted Under Book Review, medical, memoir, non-fiction, Silvio Aladjem M.D.