Photo by Naomi August
Working with women in a very difficult period as a doula and counsellor, I see it as integral to not neglect the unresolved effects of the past on the needs, behaviour, and emotions of my clients. While some of my clients are open, have a positive view of the future, and are filled with joy, others are tied to their old traumatic experiences and belief systems. Read more…. Becoming a Trauma-sensitive Birthkeeper
One in three women in the US has experience childhood sexual abuse. This article provides information key to supporting these women during all parts of the childbearing year. Read more…. Supporting Sexual Abuse Survivors in Childbirth
Photo by Rudy and Peter Skitterians
Midwives can not only help to prevent birth trauma, but can provide therapeutic healing. Learn about how you can be a valuable support person. Read more…. Breaking the Silence
Photo by Denis Oliveira
With mass incarceration in the US, we now have more women of childbearing age in prison than ever before. Lieser discusses the shortcomings of giving birth behind bars, and how doulas can help support these women to have a better birth. Read more…. Birth Behind Bars: The Difference Trauma-informed Doula Care Can Make
Rebekah Alice—lilaccitymidwifery.com
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Midwifery Today, Issue 132, Winter 2019.Join Midwifery Today Online MembershipVulnerability during pregnancy has harmful consequences for the child in the first years of life. There are various initiatives in Flanders, and abroad, to more efficiently identify and support vulnerable pregnancies. Nevertheless, there are still many possibilities in Flanders to enhance the pre- and postnatal care path to meet the needs of vulnerable pregnant women. In this article, we present the results of the first phase of a project-based scientific research of the Artesis Plantijn (AP) University College Antwerp. The project developed a detection tool and a prenatal care pathway, tailored to the needs of vulnerable pregnant women. A crucial starting question was what vulnerability means in pregnancy. Because the literature is inconclusive, we asked experts in the field about the concept of vulnerability in pregnancy and the operational possibilities of using a detection tool by midwives. We organised focus groups and interviews with midwives and with representatives from the social services. The combination of both of these professional areas provides similar, but also dissonant, insights about the concept of vulnerability. Introduction A preventive approach, proper health monitoring, and appropriate care provision can deliver health benefits to vulnerable groups (Viergever 2013). The ways in which vulnerable pregnant women receive care was subject to several recent studies in neighbouring countries (De Groot et al. 2016; Barlow et al. 2016). In Flanders, too, in recent years, increasing attention has been given to the care process for vulnerable pregnant women and young mothers (Fobelets et al. 2014; Beeckman, Louckx, and Putman 2010). The practice does not fall behind, with projects such as Child and Family, Public Centre for Social Welfare, maternity care expertise centres and local networks such as the Perinataal Antwerps Netwerk Zwangerschap in Armoede (PANZA)… Read more…. Considerations for a Prenatal Detection Tool for Vulnerable Pregnant Women
Read more…. Considerations for a Prenatal Detection Tool for Vulnerable Pregnant Women
Sophia Williams—sophiabirth.com
From her many years of experience, midwife Marlene Waechter shares her wisdom of premature birth and what she feels are its main causes.
Read more…. Malnutrition, Unhealthy Lifestyles and Scheduled Deliveries: The Causes of Prematurity
Jen Otey—moonbowartworks.com
In honor of Midwifery Today’s 100th
issue:
We asked you, our readers and Facebook friends,
to share the midwifery-related people, places and things you love.
Photos provided by the author
This bittersweet story demonstrates how two cultures clash on the issue of birth. Sokol describes the experience of attending a Ukrainian couple’s birth in a birth house as a doula-in-training. This piece is one of four articles in this issue describing different aspects of birth in Ukraine.
Photos by April Hallwood
Women who have been abused and traumatized may experience a variety of issues related to pregnancy and birth. Maryl Smith discusses developing awareness of signs and triggers, as well as how to work with such women and help them feel safe. Read more…. Creating the Space for Healing: Antepartum Care in Women with Trauma History
Photo by Larm Rmah
A companion article to “Creating a Safe Space for Healing,” this article gives tips on how to make essential medical procedures as non-threatening as possible for women trauma survivors.
Read more…. Modifying Medical Procedure for the Trauma Survivor
Photo by Jenna Norman
One of the authors of the pathbreaking book, When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women, describes many of the ways early abuse or trauma may negatively affect the survivors’ later experiences with childbearing and offers some tips for midwives for providing sensitive and effective care and support. Read more…. Early Trauma, Its Potential Impact on the Childbearing Woman, and the Role of the Midwife
Photo by Maxime Caron
One of the authors of the new Motherbaby Press Book, Survivor Moms: Women’s Narratives of Birthing, Mothering and Healing after Sexual Abuse, provides a snapshot of types of trauma exposures reported by first-time mothers in the Midwest and how they relate to risk of PTSD.
