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This is most especially a book for those who are already massage therapists familiar with human anatomy, physiology and massage technique, yet the committed birth practitioner can benefit hugely from the author's careful explanation and instruction.

The author seems to cover all the bases- what's going on in the woman's body, how to listen, what kind of touch to use, how to help the woman express and process feelings, positions to use, structural rebalancing, sculpting, breath work, releases, relaxation, and much more.

What a successful job Osborne-Sheets has accomplished by integrating facts about pregnancy and birth, massage and bodywork techniques, and compassionate emotional care. This is a well referenced, comprehensive book that no massage therapist who is considering working with pregnant women and no birth practitioner should be without.

Review by Carolan McFarland in The Hospital-Based Massage-Network Quarterly, Winter 1998/1999

Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy: A Comprehensive Practitioners' Guide to Pregnancy, Labor, Postpartum is skillfully written, well-researched, well-organized, and easy to follow.

Osborne-Sheets explains the physiological, psychological, and spiritual aspects of pregnancy with knowledge and caring. Clear instruction is given for client body positioning, manual techniques, and therapist body mechanics. Detailed descriptions of each trimester and important contraindications are included. Osborne-Sheeets clarifies when to use what technique during pregnancy. The information is also useful for working with midwives and the medical profession.

An impressive reference and resource list indicates the amount of research that went into this book. Pictures, diagrams, and personal testimonies from clients provide anecdotal support. Differing views are addressed. For example, in the information on positioning for third trimester massage therapy, a midwife's and childbirth educator's argument against the semi-reclining position are included.

This book will be of great assistance to any massage therapist working with women from the beginning of pregnancy, through childbirth, to months after the birth. I highly recommend this be in every pre-, peri- and postnatal massage therapist's professional library.

Carolan McFarland taught health and physical education for 23 years before starting her career in massage therapy. She received training and worked in Kansas City for the Jewish Community Center, Puritian-Bennett Corp., and Life Work Ctr. In 1995, she took her training in Hostipal-Based Massage Therapy at Boulder, and moved to Central Kansas where she now provides massage therapy to patients and staff at St. Luke's Medical Clinic in Marion, KS. McFarland works with pregnant women and infants in the hospital.

Review by Cindy McNeely, who supervises a perinatal hospital based massage therapy program in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Reviewed in Massage Magazine, May/June 2000

Carole Osborne-Sheets should be commended for Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy. This book is an excellent addition for massage therapists working with women in their childbearing years. She has pulled together a tremendous mass of information and has coherently framed it into a comprehensive overview of important concepts. It is clear from the outset that Osborne-Sheets has the well-being of childbearing clients foremost in mind, and this work indicates an appreciation of the need for a holistic attitude that considers the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a woman's experience during this life-changing time.

The book begins by addressing the benefits of prenatal massage. Osborne-Sheets has included an impressive array of data and excellent resources to support what those of us working with childbearing clients know- that bodywork is beneficial for pregnant, laboring and postpartum clients. Since research has become an increasingly important means for supporting our work, the reader is reminded to pursue some of the resources mentioned while maintaining the attitude toward critical analysis of each study examined.

Perhaps the most important section of this book is the second chapter, "Guidelines and Precautions for Prenatal Massage Therapy." Osborne-Sheets adopts a valuable, conservative approach to guidelines that underscore the motto "Do No Harm." This is an attitude that any practitioner dealing with the vulnerabilities of pregnancy could benefit from adopting. Her coverage of positioning, depth of pressure, and usage of particular methodologies and their possible effects on the pregnant client are very important to understand, and she clearly cites the rationale for each consideration mentioned.

The third chapter delves into each trimester with specific information about the anatomical and physiological changes that occur, and the techniques and approaches that will maximize bodywork for that particular time of the pregnancy. The fourth and fifth chapters address issues related to labor, birth and postpartum bodywork.

Photographs, charts and diagrams serve to augment the infromation cited in each chapter, and offer clear summaries for quick reference. Additionally, Osborne-Sheets gives excellent tips with respect of particular bodywork applications.

With respect to the continuing development of pre- and perinatal bodywork, there are several areas of the book which warrant further collegial dialogue. There is no mention in the section on contraindications and adaptations about utilizing bodywork over the sacrum and possible concerns regarding reflex stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. The application of bodywork techniques in this area is especially important to consider when working with clients who are in their first trimester or who fall into high-risk categories due to obstetrical complications. Also, the information on leg massage for the childbearing woman and the possible risk of clot formation warrants special attention, particularly when working with clients who are on prolonged bed rest.

For practitioners wishing to gain new insights into their work with childbearing women, or for those who have been hungry for a well-orchestrated text on the matter, this book is excellent. Osborne-Sheets helps provide a foundation of information that can only further the work we do within the pre- and perinatal clinical setting.

Cindy NcNeely is a registered massage therapist and co-owner of Trimesters: Massage Therapy Education, which offers accredited courses in pregnancy, labor support and infant massage. She also supervises a perinatal hospital-based massage therapy program in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.