Survivor Moms Receives ACNM Best Book Award

Motherbaby Press has landed another award: ACNM Best Book Award for its second book, Survivor Moms: Women's Stories of Birthing, Mothering and Healing after Sexual Abuse. Previous recognition had been received for its third book, Brought to Earth by Birth, a stunning collection of photographs by Harriette Hartigan, one of the world's master birth photographers. READ MORE…

Fathers Who Were Abused

Read this editorial by Jan Tritten from Midwifery Today Issue 90 Jan discusses how midwives can help with a problem that is rarely discussed: the impact of becoming a father on men who were abused. “While the effects of trauma on women are now being studied and shared, little is known about men who have been sexually abused and how it affects them when they become fathers. READ MORE…

Rio de Janeiro Birth Center Shut Down

Dear Friends: We are in a very difficult moment in Brazil. Our Rio de Janeiro Birth Center…was closed down today. The authorities found a state law that prohibits a health institution from existing without doctors! We know it's political: new persons in the government and big pressure for our local doctors. … We are organizing to go to the streets and tell them that we want our Birth Center back! —Heloisa Lessa, Brazil READ MORE…

The 10 Commandments of a Good Birth

June 20 entry: “1. A good midwife is worth her weight in gold if you want a good birth experience. Shop carefully and pay her well. 2. Thou shalt eat a healthy diet: 80–100 grams of protein, salt food to taste and lots of fruits and veggies and eat seafood; and be happy.”
 
Read Jan’s blog! The Midwifery Today Community is open and ready for your participation. The Community includes blogs, forums, and downloads, with more to come! GO TO BLOG…

Prenatal Massage: A Textbook of Pregnancy, Labor, and Postpartum Bodywork

What factors determine whether it is safe to massage a pregnant client? How does the specific trimester affect the massage approach? Elaine Stillerman demystifies the art of pregnancy massage with the comprehensive reference Prenatal Massage. … The author, as an expert instructor on the subject, dispels older, pervasive pregnancy myths that remain in the massage world. She emphasizes the reasoning behind specific indication and contraindication decisions and describes short simple tests to help bodyworkers determine whether a massage should or should not be performed. [ REVIEW BY BENJAMIN BARBIER ] READ MORE…

Birth As We Know It (DVD)

“This stunningly beautiful film by one of the co-founders of the “Conscious Birth” movement in Russia features 11 natural births—in the water (waterbirth), at home, breech and the birth of twins. Some of the most amazing scenes are of women birthing in the Black sea.” READ MORE…

Childbirth without Fear

This classic book has been reissued, after having been first set in print in 1959. I have to wonder how many babies it saved from the ravages of 1950s', 60s' and 70s' obstetrics, before midwifery in all its wisdom reemerged. This wonderful wise man acknowledged the “dignity of motherhood” and that “mother love is a power that must be the centre of our work as obstetricians.” READ MORE…

Midwifery Knowledge Spread Around the World

"When the Western medical model subsumes the practice of midwifery, we have to look to the old midwives in the culture to find the pearls of practice. This is not to say that we accept all of their ideas without discernment. There are, of course, many myths woven through the pearls of wisdom." READ MORE…

Placenta Medicine: My Story

"I remember the day my midwife told me about placenta medicine, I cried. I loved that birth had so many blessings to offer our family, and this was completely new to me. I was so excited when Patricia told me she would gladly encapsulate my placenta for me and that taking it would ease the symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) after the birth." READ MORE…

You’ll delight in the bold images of pregnancy and birth, parent and child!

The Perceptions, Reflections and Connections DVD Slide Show features 50 photos of multi-cultural families in a variety of poses and situations. Inspiring and educational, it's the perfect DVD to show to your clients. The photos on the DVD are reprised in the companion booklet, along with inspiring and informative words. Plus, the booklet is small enough to fit into your purse or birth bag, so you can carry it with you where ever you go. VIEW PRODUCT…

Learn about midwifery education!

Are you an aspiring midwife who's looking for the right school? Are you a practicing midwife who would like learn more? Visit our Education Opportunities page to discover ways to start or continue your education. LEARN MORE…

Trick of the Trade

The best advice my midwife gave me in the last days of my pregnancies when I was beginning to feel impatient was, 'The baby will come out when the baby is ready to come out.' I think in most cases we must stop hurrying the poor babies and give the mom some love and emotional support. My midwife also told me that during those last weeks and days, the baby's brain is developing. Realizing that it was an important time for the baby's development made it much easier for me to be patient.

— K.L.M., E-News 1:49

Quotable Quote

It wasn't long before I could see that there was a lot more to being a midwife than doing deliveries.

— Gladys Milton

Flu epidemic concerns an opportunity to push for inclusion of birth in preparedness planning

National and state disaster preparedness plans have not given much attention to childbirth in the midst of any disaster, including an epidemic. The Big Push has addressed this issue in a new “PushNews.” You can read it here. With health care reform around the corner, this is a great time to write letters to the editor, or op ed pieces for your local newspaper, and this is a newsworthy angle. If you haven't already, to take a look at the Big Push website here. The Big Push for Midwives is “a nationally coordinated campaign to advocate for regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.” [ from Susan Hodges, Citizens for Midwifery ] GO TO SITE…