Coming May 2017

“If we hope to create a non-violent world where respect and kindness replace fear and hatred, we must begin with how we treat each other at the beginning of life, birth. For that is where our deepest patterns are set. From these roots grow fear and alienation or love and trust.”
— Suzanne Arms

FOR BOOK CLUBS

Thank you for choosing Second Chance: A Mother's Quest for a Natural Birth After a Cesarean as your bookclub read. The following are some thoughts and questions to help guide your discussion.

Also, I’m available for book club guest appearances, either in person (if local San Francisco Bay Area) or by Skype/Zoom/FaceTime. I promise to answer all questions about the book, the publishing process, writing in general, and birth from my experience. If you’re interested, send me an email at thais@thaisderich.com.

“Derich's raw and unfiltered writing is riveting and revealing, not only of a medical system that places doctor convenience and economic efficiency over the needs of the patient, but also of how courage, resilience and community can work to resist these forces and ultimately contribute to changing the system. This is a must-read not only for women seeking an intentional, child and mother-centered birth but also for the men supporting these women, who might find it difficult to truly empathize with what it means to give birth. Good and honest writing creates empathy and this is exactly what Derich has produced.” - Neil Chhabra, author

SECOND CHANCE Bookclub Discussion Guide

  1. If you’ve had children, go around the circle and share your birth story. If you haven’t had children, do you know the story of your own birth?
  2. Do women have real informed consent during childbirht?
  3. How are the relationships with our mothers important in childbirth?
  4. Is childbirth more than numbers, time, drugs, and guidelines? How does a woman’s emotional state become a unquantifiable factor?
  5. Do you support more laws written by state governments that restrict a woman’s right to decide with whom, where, and how she gives birth?
  6. What if a woman refuses all interventions but the doctor feels strongly about saving the mother and child. Is it okay, in your opinion, to force a woman against her wishes into a medical procedure that she doesn’t want? 
  7. Is it important to trust a woman’s right to choose what’s best for her and her baby? Is it better to have government, doctors, or mothers as the ultimate decider in childbirth?
  8. Do you think that the high rate of cesareans is a problem? Why or why not? What does the high rate of c-sections say about the quality of care women are being given?
  9. Do you think having a vaginal birth after a cesarean is safe?
  10. Who is looking out for the safety of the baby during childbirth? Is it the doctor, state and national laws, or the mother?