• Last updated 3/27/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Christina Erl-Daniels Web Exclusive When I went into labour three months ago with my firstborn I was ready for a battle. I had heard the horror stories: women shackled down to foetal heart monitors in the hospital bed, psychologically coerced into having epidurals, abandoned by their obstetricians as an advocate, separated from their partners, and threatened by medical staff and social workers when they attempted to follow through on their intervention-free birth plans. The only midwife in our town didn't have space for me - I was devastated. I wanted a natural... read more

• Last updated 10/25/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Cynthia Mosher Steps Toward a Healthy Lifestyle Here is a four-point plan that can get you started and lay a foundation for phasing out substances and habits that could harm your baby:   Commit Yourself 100 percent: Pick a day to start: it may be tomorrow, or another day. Muster up all your determination. Most of all, be prepared to spend some concentrated time and energy on making this change. If it helps, try to adopt a “one day at a time” mindset. Evaluate Yourself Honestly: Exactly how much do you smoke or drink right now? What factors trigger the ... read more

• Last updated 3/27/11 by Mothering Editorial

Carrying On After a Miscarriage By Lisa Schrader Web Exclusive I was eleven weeks pregnant when I miscarried, just about the time when experts agree that your pregnancy is "safe" and you can spread the good news. I'd already done that. I don't do well with delayed gratification. Besides, things like that didn't happen to me. After I "lost the baby" (a phrase that reminded me of the nightmares I'd had during my first pregnancy, about forgetting the baby in grocery carts or at the mall), I learned how common this experience is. One in every four pregnancies... read more

• Last updated 1/26/13 by Cynthia Mosher

Birth Altar set up on hospital metal tray with a sheet & a scarf Hi Friends, I had homebirths with my first two children and then, unexpectedly, found myself in need of a hospital for the birth of my third child. (Cholestasis of Pregnancy, a failure of the liver to remove toxins which can cause the placenta to collapse, especially at the end of pregnancy, thereby necessitating an induction of labor.) I entered the hospital having had two prior unmedicated five-hour homebirths, one of which was unassisted until the last two hours. I knew from... read more

• Last updated 1/30/13 by Cynthia Mosher

The International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) continues their unique Full Circle Doula Training Program nationwide.  This program is grounded in the legacy of the African America midwife and public health, and its’ commitment to empower women of color in an increased effort to reduce maternal and infant mortality and increase positive birth outcomes in the black community. Since 2007 ICTC has trained over 300 doulas, 85% being women of color. They have continued their trainings since; strengthening the number of black doulas and doulas of... read more

• Last updated 6/27/11 by Cynthia Mosher

  In response to many forum member's questions regarding maternity clothes that fit moms of multiples, I wanted to let you know of an option I found.   I gave birth to boy/girl twins in September and I bought maternity clothes from formultiples.com.  It was the only company I could find that offered maternity clothes for mothers of multiples.    I was HUGE so I was not sure they would fit.  They fit great.  I was almost 50" around the belly when I delivered at 37 weeks. The pants covered my belly without cutting into me and the shirt had plenty of room in the... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Mothering Editorial

The Womb: A Child's First School By Thomas R. Verny with Pamela Weintraub  Issue 132, September/October 2005 From Tomorrow's Baby by Thomas R. Verny, MD, with Pamela Weintraub. Copyright 2002 by Thomas R. Verny and Pamela Weintraub. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York. Where do we first experience the nascent emotions of love, rejection, anxiety, and joy? In the first school we ever attend—in our mother's womb. Naturally, the student brings into this situation certain genetic endowments: intelligence, talents, and preferences. However, the... read more

• Last updated 3/15/11 by Mothering Editorial

Subscribe here to have Mothering's newest audio content delivered to you as it is published. Please enjoy this teleseminar on childbirth by BOLD founder Karen Brody. And don't miss Karen's Mothering Community birth course for a unique chance to discover support and information on your birth journey. Karen Brody is a mother of two boys, born in 1999 and 2001. In 2005 she wrote a documentary-style play called Birth, offering a portrait of how low-risk mothers are giving birth in America. As a consequence of Birth Brody founded BOLD, a global movement inspiring... read more

• Last updated 2/1/13 by Cynthia Mosher

The Shape of a Mother a guest blog post by Asha Baisden, of the Meta Mom blog. A year after childbirth, my best friend pulled her dress over her head. She cupped a few inches of extra skin that hovered across her belly. It was skin stretched by the pregnancy of her second child at age 36, her son, born a year before. Fifteen years her minor, none of my pregnancies carried to term, I stood, flat bellied, underweight from a stressful college semester, and muted by our physical differences. I felt like any comment I could make would be... read more

• Last updated 2/1/13 by Cynthia Mosher

Subscribe here to have Mothering’s newest audio content delivered to you as it is published. Please enjoy this teleseminar on childbirth by BOLD founder Karen Brody. And don’t miss Karen’s Mothering Community birth course for a unique chance to discover support and information on your birth journey. Karen Brody is a mother of two boys, born in 1999 and 2001. In 2005 she wrote a documentary-style play called Birth, offering a portrait of how low-risk mothers are giving birth in America. As a consequence of Birth Brody founded BOLD, a global... read more