• Last updated 5/9/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Nicole Lundrigan Issue 103, November/December 2000 When I was 15 years old, my sister gave birth to her daughter in a hospital following a 25-hour labor confined to a bed with an IV and an ever-beeping machine. In my mind, I was a terrific labor coach--kneading her lower back, offering her ice chips, and simply being a reassuring and very excited presence during those very long hours. My sister made it clear to the on-duty nurse that I was to accompany her into the delivery room. But after painkillers were administered, my sister got very fuzzy and... read more

• Last updated 5/9/11 by Mothering Editorial

I was just curious as to your opinion on whether or not having a lotus birth is more beneficial than simply delaying clamping and cutting of the cord until after it's finished pulsating?Clamping and cutting the cord when it stops pulsating is undoubtedly an invasive procedure. It implies that a birth attendant behaves like an observer and is repeatedly touching the cord. This is a terrible distraction at a time when the mother is discovering her baby and has forgotten the rest of the world. The main effect of this distraction is to interfere with the release of a high... read more

• Last updated 5/9/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Audrey KhunerIssue 144 - September/October 2007 For the children in our family, there was never any question of where babies came from. My mother never had to buy The Miracle of Life, the goofy cartoon book all my friends were reading. While most parents were waiting until their daughters or sons entered puberty to bring up the old birds-and-bees talk, at age three I was lecturing cashiers at the local supermarket about how the egg can survive in the fallopian tube for about 24 hours while awaiting insemination. The first birth I can vividly recall was my little... read more

• Last updated 5/4/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Elissa Y. SonnenbergIssue 106, May/June 2001 When Tricia Branson moved to Cincinnati from Michigan, she had two children, both of whom had been delivered with the help of midwives. She was surprised by how difficult it was to locate a midwife in her new town. She didn't know that Ohio certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) attend only 6 percent of births (compared to a national average of more than 9 percent) or that Ohio was the last state in the nation to allow CNMs, and all other advanced nurse practitioners, to write prescriptions. Branson's search eventually led her... read more

• Last updated 5/4/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Tom Smith Web Exclusive Sharon's alarm buzzes, and I wait for her to turn it off. Finally I roll over, mumbling that it's her alarm, and would she please turn it off-only to find myself talking to an empty bed. I groan, remembering the 2 a.m. phone call and thinking of the harried morning ahead. When they call, she goes. It doesn't matter what time it is, it doesn't matter where in the movie you are or who's over for dinner. Out the door she goes, and woe to the man who tries to stop her. I did, once. We were having a fight and she got the phone call. It... read more

• Last updated 5/1/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Ina May GaskinIssue 8 - 1978 The following discussion on spiritual energy is based on observations made at more then 750 birthings. We have found that there are laws of physics electricity or astronomy, whose influence on the progress of the birthing cannot be ignored. The midwife of doctor attending births must be flexible enough to discover the way these laws work and learn how to work within them. pregnant and birthing mothers are elemental forces, in the same sense that gravity, thunderstorms , earthquakes, and hurricanes are elemental forces. In order to... read more

• Last updated 5/1/11 by Mothering Editorial

Once you’ve decided on the type of caregiver and chosen several good candidates, it is important to ask very detailed questions about their practices. First and foremost, though, ask yourself if you like this person. Are they too chatty? Or not chatty enough for your taste? Do they smile and make eye contact? In other words, what is your gut response to this person? Then ask them: If you are not available at the time of my labor and birth, who usually covers for you? If I want to meet that person ahead of time, will you facilitate that? Will you help me with... read more

• Last updated 4/26/11 by Jynuine

So many times women who are planning on delivering in a hospital ask, "What should I be packing for my hospital bag?". Many people have different things depending on what they prefer but the expectations are pretty simple for the most part. I have only ever had vaginal births so this article is based around a vaginal birth expectation. First of all, depending on where you are delivering, in the United States hospitals usually provide a lot of items that you and your baby will need for those few days you are staying there. A woman in Canada told me once that the... read more

• Last updated 4/10/11 by Mothering Editorial

What to wear becomes an issue for many women almost right away. You may find that many of your closer-fitting clothes don’t work anymore or are just plain uncomfortable. Most maternity clothes are created for women who are in their second trimester, at the earliest. This leaves some women in a real “I’ve got nothing to wear!” bind.In the past, maternity clothes tended to be quite expensive and often were not very fashionable. In recent years, this has changed. Many of the bigger name stores now offer maternity lines, and most of these offer online shopping. Most give... read more

• Last updated 4/4/11 by Mothering Editorial

Robin MerrillWeb Exclusive - March 13, 2009 While I loved having my babies, I should confess: I make a pretty pathetic pregnant woman. I am not the woman who runs around telling everyone that pregnancy is the best time of her life—quite the contrary. For me, it is a nine-month struggle. Halfway through my second pregnancy, I wondered if I was going to make it. I was desperate. I called an acupuncturist. I didn't know who else to call. With limited knowledge of Chinese culture or traditional Chinese medicine, I climbed onto her table with a weak, "Please help me." I was... read more