Midwifery Today Articles

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Marion’s Message: A Time to Be Born

by Marion Toepke McLean December 1, 2004

In 2004 I served as midwife for a dear family. I thought a lot about the time to be born, as the due date came and went. Is there a time designated for us to come into the world? “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven,” says the Holy Bible. “A time to be born and a time to die.”

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The Challenge of Doing Nothing

by Katherine Jensen December 1, 2004

Training involves the process of learning to DO things. A much greater challenge is learning to DO NOTHING. The old adage,“If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” is a vitally important concept to internalize. Read more…. The Challenge of Doing Nothing

Photo by Alexandra Gorn

Freedom from Fear

by Piper Martin December 1, 2004

Aconite is a homeopathic remedy used to treat fear. It is such an intense and vivid remedy that situations calling for it are easy to spot. The individual’s response is usually equally vital, so you will know you have chosen the right remedy quickly.

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Prematurity Is Preventable!

by Amy V. Haas December 1, 2004

Adequate nutrition prevents prematurity in many ways: by boosting the immune system to prevent infections that can cause chorioamniotitis and premature rupture of membranes; by supplying the body with the nutrients to support a full-term pregnancy; by supplying the liver with adequate protein, preventing preeclampsia.

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Read more…. Prematurity Is Preventable!

A Circle of Midwives

by Jan Tritten December 1, 2004

As midwives, we are called to serve many kinds of women and families. These may include those with whom we do not resonate for one reason or another. You could be asked to serve a member of an ethnic group that is traditionally hostile to yours, a woman with widely divergent beliefs… Read more…. A Circle of Midwives

Adverse Events Following Misoprostol Induction of Labor

by Marsden Wagner September 1, 2004

Off-label use of misoprostol (Cytotec) for labor induction has been steadily increasing for 10 years, even though this use is approved neither by the U.S. [FDA], other national drug regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, the Cochrane Library nor a number of national obstetric organizations Read more…. Adverse Events Following Misoprostol Induction of Labor

Drugs in Labor

by Jan Tritten September 1, 2004

My soul is flooded with grief. My frustration overwhelms me. I cry for countless mothers and babies—for the births that could be. I am overwhelmed because I have felt the strong light of a powerful birth. Read more…. Drugs in Labor

ICM and Hemorrhage

by Jan Tritten September 1, 2004

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) recently made a clandestine and potentially dangerous decision about midwifery practice. Read more…. ICM and Hemorrhage

Antonina Sánchez Méndez

by Sarah Proechel September 1, 2004

This article in Spanish is excerpted from the book, Voices of Maya Midwives: Oral Histories of Practicing Traditional Midwives from the Mam Region of Guatemala. Este artículo fue extraído del libro, “Voces de las comadronas mayas” Read more…. Antonina Sánchez Méndez

Photo by Khoa Pham

Márti’s Homebirth in Hungary

by Ágnes Geréb September 1, 2004

While driving, I imagine myself a hundred times providing the services I think they expect from me. They probably want me to give my expertise and remain an outsider. I arrive just after dawn. The children and their nanny are asleep. There is fruit on the table. I haven’t eaten a thing for two days.

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Photo by Luis Ordóñez
Esquipulas, Guatemala

Antonina Sanchez Mendez

by Sarah Proechel September 1, 2004

Antonina Sanchez Mendez was born in 1952 in Guatemala. As with most women of her culture, her days are filled with physical labor. She has seven children and 11 grandchildren and is deeply connected to her community. She was 33 years old when she began her career as a midwife.

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Drugs in Labor: An Overview

by Sarah J. Buckley September 1, 2004

Protecting mothers and babies involves prioritising models of care that value drug-free labour and birth and that support laboring women in achieving this. The drugs discussed in this paper include opiates, inhaled analgesics, epidurals, sedatives and oxytocin.