• Last updated 7/5/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Debby Titlebaum Neuman Issue 141 - March-April 2007 When I was pregnant with my first child, I knew that I wanted to birth at home. I also knew that in Israel, a country with socialized medicine, homebirth was costly. We couldn't afford it. So I became determined to do whatever it took to have a "homebirth" in the hospital. As I began reading natural birthing literature, I resolved to tap into my instincts, connect with my child, and ensure a delivery free of intervention. I realized that my chances of natural birth were greater with the right doula. Luckily, I... read more

• Last updated 10/31/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Moms and Dads, Who Is The Boss of You? The Force of Culture on Birth & Parenting Choices We all remember where we were when certain indelible events have happened in our country. This is because shock comes with biochemicals to make itself unforgettable, so we remember how to escape danger next time (think, saber-tooth tiger). I remember I was standing in my kitchen watching George Bush’s State of the Union address when he introduced as one of the United States’ most laudable figures Julie Aigner-Clark, the founder of Baby Einstein. As I freely... read more

• Last updated 11/1/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Excerpt from the TIME article “Midwife Mania? More U.S. Babies than Ever Are Delivered by Midwives,” June 25, 2012 In other developed nations, midwives are routinely tasked with bringing new life into the world. Not so in the U.S., where delivery is largely presided over by obstetricians. But a new study finds that midwives are getting busier, delivering 8.1% of the country’s babies in 2009 — a record high. Slice the data differently and the proportion rises even further. Consider vaginal births only — midwives don’t do cesarean... read more

• Last updated 12/16/12 by Marcy Axness

It’s hard to think of a baby being violent or destructive, but the seeds of violence may be planted before a child is born, according to research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. A study carried out there and reported last fall in the journal Aggression and Violent Behavior suggests that attention to health factors during prenatal development could prevent violence in later life. Citing recent research demonstrating a biological basis of crime, article author and Penn nursing assistant professor Jianghong Liu explains, “‘Biological’ does... read more

• Last updated 11/2/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Thank you to Shawna for sharing her birth story and slideshow with us–and to her photographer Chanda Willams who took the images found below. You can see more of Chanda’s work on her website at Beauty of Birth.    On September 21st, 2009 I became a mother for the first time after a ‘glowing’ 39 weeks of pregnancy. My son came into the world in a birth pool, in a hospital, after 3 short pushes and 16 hours of labor. It wasn’t easy, but I would not have described it as painful. Intense pressure, that for a short time felt almost unbearable – but... read more

• Last updated 11/2/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Lamaze International Offers Five Tips for Expectant Dads to Prepare for Labor and Birth When it comes to childbirth, popular media often love to portray fathers as helpless and incompetent during labor and birth.  When labor starts, the mother-to-be calmly manages her contractions as the dad sets into a panic, leaving behind the pre-packed bag, taking a wrong turn to the hospital, or running the halls searching for a nurse. In reality, dads often play a critical role in supporting mothers during pregnancy and birth and advocating for safe care.  As... read more

• Last updated 6/11/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Nancy Linnon Web Exclusive I always imagined birthing him in the middle of the night, a velvet midnight-blue kind of experience. Instead, he started into the world at 5:30 a.m., just as the sun drained the light from the moon, and I remember mostly pale shades: the beige interior of my car speeding to the Birth Center; the light peach on the birthing room wall; the egg white tile on the Jacuzzi tub; the ivory lace that hung over a set of French Doors opposite the bed. He is a fire sign, but I think of air on the day he was born. Early on a Wednesday morning, 10 days... read more

• Last updated 6/11/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Louise Rachel QuigleyWeb Exclusive The word “contraction” to describe the working of the uterus during labor has bothered me for a long time. True, it is technically correct: like any other muscle, the uterus bunches itself tight, makes its length shorter, contracts itself in that sense, to do the work of pulling the cervix open. But the connotations of the word “contract” create precisely the wrong psychological effect. Before becoming a childbirth educator, I earned a doctorate in English; I have taught writing at the college level; I am a poet. Many times I... read more

• Last updated 11/2/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Living with failure I shall never know whether within such a peaceful, familiar environment we would ever have achieved a natural birth; I can only say the chances would have been much higher. Instead, I missed the birth of my son and the first hours of his life. I still carry within me unresolved birth trauma, which at unguarded moments suddenly pulls at my heart strings, with it a feeling of inadequacy when I hear of natural birth or see it on the TV. I live with this failure, not helped by some women who believe you cannot truly bond with... read more

• Last updated 11/2/12 by Melanie Mayo

This is a guest blog by Marinah Farrell, Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife, and one of the women featured in Midwives Address Health Disparities—the latest video from the new online series I am a Midwife all about midwives and what they do.  From the Midwives Alliance of North America. Marinah Farrell (far left) and other community activists Currently, in this country, the statistics are abysmal when it comes to maternal health care for communities of color and, correlated, educating maternal health care experts from those... read more