From Beginning Midwifery to Mexican Massage Techniques…

…you'll learn a lot when you attend one of the full-day classes at our conference in Bad Wildbad, Germany, October 2008. Other full-day sessions you can choose from include Improving Your Practice with Research, Insights and Realities; Labor Support for Doulas and Midwives; and Midwifery Skills Update. LEARN MORE…

Save $4 on a one- or two-year Midwifery Today subscription…

…and keep birth information coming to your house all year round! This is just one of the special offers on our Spring into Savings page. [ ARTWORK BY OLIVIA ] LEARN MORE…

Would You Use Ambien in Labor?

Read responses about Ambien in Labor in the current issue of Midwifery Today E-News. Send in your response to the Question of the Week about C-section Recovery. "Midwifery and Chiropractic" is the theme of this current issue: “Since discovery of the Webster Technique, its protocol has been revised to include women of all stages of pregnancy. Doctors of chiropractic reported a greater than 85% success rate in the technique's ability to balance pelvic structures and remove constraint to the woman's uterus, thereby allowing the baby to turn into the vertex position.” [ SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTER ] READ MORE…

“Orgasmic Birth” Topic of 20/20’s Mother’s Day Program

Aloha, Exciting news! On May 16, “20/20,” the acclaimed ABC-TV news show, is dedicating its show to Orgasmic Birth as part of its Mother’s Day program. Debra Pascali-Bonaro, producer/director of the new film “Orgasmic Birth,” will be interviewed, as will women’s health advocate Christiane Northrup, MD, (Mother-Daughter Wisdom and Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom), and Amber Hartnell, whose orgasmic birth is featured on “Birth As We Know It” and “Orgasmic Birth.” One of my mamas whose birth I attended and was in the two films mentioned below is being featured. [ APRIL BAILEY WEAVER ] RESPOND…

Listening to Survivor Moms

“‘I found out I was pregnant in June of ’94 and suddenly everything was different for me. It was as if I had a gun to my head; I had to get better RIGHT NOW. I was convinced that if I didn't I was going to be the worst mother on the planet.’ —from Shakta's story. During the past 20 years talking about the reality that women and children experience abuse and violence in our society and inside their homes has become far less taboo. Breaking the taboo against talking about how intrafamilial abuse and sexual trauma can affect childbearing for some women is taking longer.” READ MORE…

Technology: Stemming the Tide

"When we speak of technology, we are talking about its dangers in normal birth. I think everyone can agree with the necessity of using technology to save lives of mothers and babies when needed. However,…while conceding that some great strides have been made in medical care, we know birth is not a medical event and that when medical care is applied to a social/spiritual event without good reason, horrendous things can happen." READ MORE…

A Modern Midwife Experiences Ancient Massage Techniques

“I was skeptical when I first encountered this treatment, but now after one and one-half years as a practitioner of this technique, I must say that it absolutely works. It works with pregnant women and with women in all stages of the lifecycle.” LEARN MORE…

A Midwife’s Touch

“There is hardly a people, ancient or modern, that do not in some way resort to massage and expression in labor, even if it be a natural and easy one.” The statement above was made in 1884, but it stands the test of time. … Midwives are in a unique position to carry the benefits of touch and massage with them into labor and childbirth. By doing so, they can help control pain, foster deeper relaxation and even hasten labor. READ MORE…

Finding Better Solutions to End Bullying—What a Midwife Can Do

This fourth article in our series on bullying offers solutions for midwives who find themselves the target of a bully. "Many health care professionals now quite commonly participate in and are the recipients of bullying behavior. This has become the norm in our culture and is seen as a way of creating stronger individuals who produce better economic results through the use of power and intimidation of others." READ MORE…

The Library Pack - perfect for an aspiring midwife

Anyone planning to become a midwife will appreciate the books in this package: Wisdom of the Midwives (Tricks of the Trade, Volume II), Birth Wisdom (Tricks of the Trade, Volume III), Sharing Midwifery Knowledge (Tricks of the Trade, Volume IV) and Paths to Becoming a Midwife The Package also includes one free Midwifery Today back issue, your choice of 45, 49, 50, 54 or 60. And all for the low price of just $89. 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

For a woman whose baby is posterior: If you have access to a swimming pool, float the woman belly down with the help of a flotation device for hours, if possible. Follow with one hour of walking. Repeat this every day for several days. The baby should turn and the mother can deliver easily.

— Midwifery Today Tricks of the Trade circle, E-News 1:19

Quotable Quote

Hospital birth turns what should be like an ordinary car journey into a situation resembling a driving test.

— Margaret Jowitt

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure May Slow Children’s Growth

A study of 224 children, over a 10-year period, found that those who were exposed to cocaine during the first trimester of pregnancy were smaller at ages seven and 10. This mirrors some studies that have shown that the drug slows infants' growth, as well as causing developmental delays and behavioral problems. Pediatrics 120: e1017–27