• Last updated 11/15/12 by Cynthia Mosher

The CDC reported today that homebirths are on the rise in the US.  Michele Deck, President of Lamaze International, responds to this study “Trends in Home Births in the United States: 1990-2009.” Read her response and then tell us why you chose a homebirth.  The nearly 30 percent rise in home births may reflect the growing awareness among women of the gap between evidence-based care and the typical care women receive.  This trend suggests that women are increasingly interested in taking their maternity choices into their own hands. The choice for home... read more

• Last updated 3/18/13 by Melanie Mayo

Related Articles: Sidebar: Medical Indications For Inducing Labor By Nancy Griffin It was a sunny Friday afternoon, and Tracy was three days past the due date for her first baby. After finishing up the tenth call of the day from well-meaning but anxious friends and relatives, she headed out the door for her weekly checkup with her obstetrician. "If you don't go into labor by your next appointment, we may have to induce you," her doctor had advised. Tracy wondered if the slight menstrual-like cramps she'd had the past few days meant that something was happening... read more

• Last updated 12/20/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Dawn Francis-Pester Web Exclusive - October 17, 2008 Jonah's Birth It had been two years since Jonah was born. The family marked the occasion in a quiet, relaxed manner: two candles on a vegan carob cake, a few balloons, and a small gathering of relatives. Around this time, Carrie also decided to honor Jonah's placenta that had been sitting in the freezer since his birth. Carrie describes the birth as "powerful, calm, and beautiful." She refused painkillers, along with the drug Syntometrine, which is routinely used in England to speed up the delivery of the... read more

• Last updated 11/30/12 by Cynthia Mosher

In late October, sixty-eight national and international experts gathered to discuss home birth at the Home Birth Consensus Summit, held in Warrenton, Virginia, an hour outside of Washington, D.C. Yesterday, the group released nine “statements of common ground around home birth and other controversies in maternity care.” The statements are available in full at http://homebirthsummit.org/. In addition to various health care professionals and home birth consumers, stakeholders at the summit included lawyers, policy makers, researchers and ethicists. Chair of... read more

• Last updated 1/7/13 by Melanie Mayo

The Right Livelihood Awards, which gives four awards every year to put the spotlight on solutions to global wrongs, recognizes Ina May Gaskin (USA) “for her whole-life’s work teaching and advocating safe, woman-centred childbirth methods that best promote the physical and mental health of mother and child.” From Right Livelihood’s site: Ina May Gaskin has been called “the most famous midwife in the world.” A pioneer in a millennium-old profession on the brink of extinction in her country, she combines scientific evidence and analysis with her own broad... read more

• Last updated 1/7/13 by Melanie Mayo

Homebirth in the US has increased by 20%.  “At Home in Maine”, a new online film series about homebirth and midwifery care shows us why.  The series features eleven films that present authentic intimate portraits of the homebirth experience and is produced by filmmaker Nicolle Littrell of Woman in the Moon Films.  Several of the films also look at the politics around homebirth, including a campaign for licensure by Maine’s Certified Professional Midwives.  The films can be viewed via rental or as a digital download at: www.mainehomebirth.wordpress.com “At... read more

• Last updated 1/7/13 by Melanie Mayo

For newly arrived refugee women, giving birth in a new country can be terrifying. The IRC’s pregnancy support program helps make the experience easier – and joyful. Baltimore, MD – After surviving a treacherous journey out of Myanmar to Malaysia, Hlawn Kim and her husband, Van Run Sang, were thrilled to arrive in the United States as part of the International Rescue Committee’s resettlement program. But just as they were getting used to their new life in Baltimore, Kim became pregnant with their first child. For newly arrived refugee women,... read more

• Last updated 1/7/13 by Cynthia Mosher

BOLD 2011 Muskoka, Canada   “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” -       Anna Quindlen   I’m a perfectionist, or so I’ve been told. Recently as a mom being perfect has been a tough calling. This summer I’ve felt like the captain of team Loser Mom. The kids are dressed – probably because they are ten and twelve now and dress themselves – but the rest of my household is an utter mess. Perfect started slipping in June.   Now, late... read more

• Last updated 1/17/13 by Cynthia Mosher

Thank you to Jennifer Barton for this guest post. When I found out I was pregnant, I was incredibly excited. And absolutely petrified. In addition to the big, scary questions – Is labor as painful as they say? Am I going to be a capable parent?  - I had another worry. Even though I’m from New York, I live in the United Kingdom. I would be having my baby in London, under a health system I didn’t know or understand. This meant free healthcare throughout pregnancy (score!) and also midwife-led care, unless I developed complications or had a... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

By Doula Giuditta Tornetta Web Exclusive Your question: I'd love to have a natural homebirth, but I feel safer in the hospital. What do you suggest I do to create a homebirth environment at the hospital? Will a doula help me at the hospital? Answers: Many people believe that doulas work with homebirths more than hospital births. Truth is 95 percent of the births I attend are at the hospital. In fact I'd say the majority of doulas work in hospitals, helping women have natural, home-like childbirth experiences. There are five steps to help you realize... read more