March 2009 - Posts

31 March 2009
Why I Became a Homebirth Midwife and Midwifery Today Mother
The one thing that made me want to become a midwife was the birth of my first child. I was having a lovely, natural birth in the hospital. I was laboring wonderfully, loving it. When I got really going, at probably about 9 cm dilation, the staff came in to give me a saddle block. I said, “But I’m... Read More...
1 comment(s)
Filed under:
28 March 2009
Brought to Earth by Birth - A Masterpiece of Birth Photography
Midwifery Today’s imprint, Motherbaby Press, is so blessed to have been chosen by Harriette Hartigan to publish her new book. What I wrote in her book is appropriate here: This book is potent. I suggest you take it to a quiet place without disturbance of phone, television or computer. Absorb its... Read More...
no comments
24 March 2009
On Childbirth Methods
Recently, Gail Hart and I were having an e-mail discussion on the many “childbirth methods.” This led to a decision to start a new one: a sort of “doing it her way” method. It will be the “Gail and Jan Method of Childbirth,” also known as, “She Did it Her Way... Read More...
no comments
21 March 2009
Vaccination Altercation
Who directs our health care—the care of our bodies and our children’s bodies? Why do some nurses believe that only they know what is best for kids? I ask these questions because recently a friend related her experience with her child and vaccinations. On the family’s first visit to... Read More...
1 comment(s)
Filed under: ,
18 March 2009
How is your Prenatal Care? It’s All about Relationship.
Are you preparing for Childbirth or for Medical Intervention? What is the purpose of prenatal care? The most important thing we need is time to develop a relationship and gain trust in each other. One midwife I know who was doing an oral test for taking a test for certification in Oregon said, “Well... Read More...
no comments
15 March 2009
Turn the Tide of Cesareans
I was pleased to learn about a presentation at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting in January, 2009, about a study (albeit small) that showed that by using a sonogram to measure the lower uterine segment (LUS) thickness of the uterus, doctors could successfully predict... Read More...
2 comment(s)
10 March 2009
Midwifery Today and the Internet
I recently signed up for Google Alerts and was astounded when the first item e-mailed to me was my own blog! The Internet is amazing and gets more amazing by the day. No wonder when it is down we are crippled in terms of work. But it’s a good thing that we have things to do when it is down. Cheryl... Read More...
no comments
08 March 2009
Trapped Placenta or Myth
I have so much fun working with our editor Cheryl. We share the same office, which has led to many great conversations about birth: Goat birth compared to human birth. Cheryl has a herd of miniature dairy goats. They are little half-sized goats that still give a lot of milk. One day we were having a... Read More...
5 comment(s)
Filed under: ,
05 March 2009
Cost of Healthcare and Paperwork
The cost of healthcare is skyrocketing; but how much of that cost is for paperwork and not patient care? How much is paid for administration instead of people care? I’m not even taking on the insurance racket here! When I went to a specialist with my husband, the doctor spent all but a minute or... Read More...
1 comment(s)
03 March 2009
Hospitals: Not for Birth
An article in Parade magazine, “Don’t Let a Hospital Make You Sick,” by Dr. Ranit Mishori, reported that 98,000 people die every year from medical error. The article provided suggestions to patients to help them avoid being one of these statistics. Hospitals can be life-savers, or they... Read More...
1 comment(s)
01 March 2009
Back Door Birth Activism; Let Your Community Know about Midwifery
Anita, a midwife friend of mine, and I have been going around our city of just over 100,000 people distributing flyers for her birth center and homebirth practice and Midwifery Today’s Eugene conference programs. We take our flyers with pins and tape and tack them on bulletin boards in health food... Read More...
2 comment(s)