• Last updated 10/4/12 by Mothering Editorial

May 03, 2011 by Geradine SimkinsPresident, and Interim Executive Director, Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) This article is excerpted with permission of editor, Geradine Simkins, from "Into These Hands: Wisdom from Midwives." Published by Spirituality & Health Books, April 2011. Every new member of the human family arrives on Earth through the body of a woman. Each day on our planet, the majority of babies emerge from the waters of their mother’s womb into the hands of a midwife. Since the dawn of time, midwives have been receiving the generations into their... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by Melanie Mayo

A special thank you to Anni Dautler for writing this guest blog post on the sacredness that is pregnancy and birth! When I was pregnant with my second child, Lotus, I became obsessed with trying to find women I could connect with that knew about the sacredness of birth and the rite of passage process that every mother goes through, but few mark. My pregnancy craving was for that sisterhood that used to exist back in the day when women lived in tribes and pregnancy wisdom was passed down from mother to mother. Not being able to find what I was truly looking... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by Melanie Mayo

Photo by Christy Scherrer When you hear the words calm birth, do you picture a zen-like setting?  Do you imagine experiencing as little labor pain as possible or having a birth that follows a scripted plan? Ready for a surprise? Studies show that your confidence in yourself and your ability to make your own decisions about your care has a much greater impact on your birth experience than even how much labor pain you experience.  As birth doula Wendy Fowler, CD(DONA), says, Feeling in control and [being] part of the decision... read more

• Last updated 9/21/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Henci GoerWeb Exclusive - November 27, 2006 “The trouble with people is not that they don’t know but that they know so much that ain’t so.”-- Josh BillingsHenci Goer, author of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, skewers a recent, ripe-for-the-deconstructing article in the New Yorker on the rise of cesarean sections. If you read Atul Gawande's article with mounting dismay, this brilliant, research-based riposte will leave you thoroughly restored. Gawande’s history of obstetrics begins with the premise that childbirth is a complicated, dangerous business... read more

• Last updated 4/2/13 by Monica S

One thing to realize is that a Doula is very schooled in the knowledge of Childbirth - labor, all its phases and stages, its nuances.  Also all the terms and measurements the Doctors will be using to decide how ready you are for labor, such as your Bishop's Score, which includes the station of the baby in the pelvis, the situation of the cervix, it's effacement, & dilation and what all that means in concert.  She knows what labor positions to use when, to help keep labor moving forward, to help keep the baby in an optimal position, to alleviate some of the pain you're... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by emilyfrischmann

I have been thinking a lot about birth advocacy lately. There is a national rally coming up this Labor Day- The National Rally for Change (go here to find a location near you.) A friend of mine is hosting one near me- THANKS RUTHIE! And I bet there is one near you too. Change in birth is in the air- all that needs to happen is WOMEN need to get things rolling. This will have to be a grass roots movement, driven by the consumer. Ladies- that consumer is you and me. I teach birth classes and I blog a lot- for me that is my small way of having... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by emilyfrischmann

Anna Melzer at Bellyrama 2011 Thank you to Alisa Blackwood for the guest post. When Anna Melzer’s water broke at 41 weeks pregnant, her contractions were manageable. She faced two choices: go to the hospital early or drive to Minneapolis’ Lake Harriet, where an outdoor yoga festival for pregnant women and mothers was about to begin. She chose the yoga festival, aptly named “Bellyrama.” “I was so happy with my choice… mamas, sunshine, the lake, the breeze, yoga, squats, dancing… heaven! Best yoga practice ever!” Melzer says. She spent... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Mothering Editorial

Mothering the Mother: The Importance of Postpartum Care by Rev. Pilar (Ma’at) GrantNov 02, 2011 What is the Postpartum Period? As a midwife, I have worked with pregnant mothers and their families for over twenty years. I myself am a mother of seven amazing and beautiful human beings. During this time, I have witnessed as well as experienced how women are almost forgotten after the birth of their babies.  Postpartum, also called the fourth trimester, puerperium and postnatal is recognized as the period just after birth and the subsequent six weeks that follow.... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by Melanie Mayo

  How about some African dance to get in the spirit of the last trimester and to prepare for labor? African dance is particularly grounding during pregnancy-it allows you to be present in the moment and to forget about everything else. You learn to focus your thoughts, a technique that has been proven to be helpful in labor and in dealing with pain. You also learn to follow the rhythms of the drum as you dance improvisationally - in much the same way, you will follow the rhythm of the contractions during labor. African dance instructors encourage the class to... read more

• Last updated 8/24/12 by Mothering Editorial

When you think of childbirth education classes, you may automatically think about being taught how to cope with labor by learning breathing techniques and how to control pain.Most childbirth education courses offer much more than this. You will find a broad range of them with different focal points and philosophies. Here are some of the things a childbirth class might offer:        Nutrition. You may be taught the basics about eating during pregnancy, or your class might go into a lot of detail about recommended vitamins, calorie requirements, and even recipe... read more