Reclaiming My Birth Rights: A Mother’s Wisdom Triumphs Over the Harmful Practices of Her Medical Profession

As a board-certified urologist, Adrienne Carmack has spent lots of time deep in the traditional medical community. But as time went by, certain things began to feel wrong to her. It began when she questioned the practice of routine infant circumcision and uncovered information that went against everything she had been taught in school. From there, her interest expanded to include modern birth practices, an interest that became much more pronounced when she found herself pregnant. Reclaiming My Birth Rights follows Carmack’s path from busy medical student through residency, fellowship, private practice, and her eventual decision to leave traditional urology altogether. She shares a good deal of the information that has influenced her beliefs and tackles complex topics that also include breastfeeding (and making it work while working), vaccination, balancing work with family time and personal health, and unassisted childbirth.

This book is not for the faint of heart (some readers would likely tear Carmack down for her views on vaccination alone), but it IS for anyone who is interested in learning more about some of these ideas and in better understanding the mindset of people who believe in them. Part memoir and part manifesto, Reclaiming My Birth Rights is an interesting and inspiring read about educating yourself about options and learning to trust in your own intuition.