Labor support

We’ve written in the past about a pregnant woman’s lowered immunity. Good nutrition, sanitation habits, rest, and exercise all help to strengthen the pregnant woman’s immune system—yet she will inevitably be exposed to viruses and other immune challenges. Pharmaceutical remedies may prove too strong or be contraindicated in pregnancy, so we wondered about herbal remedies. […]

Birth is often a mystery—at least that’s what we’re led to believe. But closer examination reveals basic physiological truths that underpin normal birth for both the mother and baby. Certain truisms can indicate risk, such as a pregnant woman’s prenatal nutrition and medical history, but, in the end, birth is a complex orchestration of hormones, […]

Each woman arrives at a new pregnancy from a different starting point. One woman may have planned for months to get pregnant, taking vitamins, eating healthy, and exercising. Another might be classified as medically obese and is worried about how that will affect her pregnancy—should she lose weight or focus only on eating healthy? […]

Get ready for a major soapbox post. I get it. Those of us who choose to birth outside the box are different. We make choices that don’t necessarily follow mainstream society norms. Our choices may not be in alignment with what is embraced by the obstetrical model of care. Our choices may make medical professionals […]

People who have never given birth outside of a hospital may have no idea of the differences between hospital and out-of-hospital birth. What’s the big deal? You can have a natural birth in the hospital. Why would someone want to have their baby at a birth center or (gasp!) at home? The answer is not […]

…asking a midwife why you would also need a doula is like asking a schoolteacher why you would also need books. No, you wouldn’t absolutely have to have books in order to learn. You could use the Internet. You could listen to stories your teacher recites from memory. But, you would be limited to your teacher’s perspective.

I posted this question on Facebook: “People ask us what to bring to their birth center birth or to have at their home birth. What is the one thing at your birth that helped you the most?” The women who responded had a wide variety of answers, but there were some common themes. 1. The […]