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Elis Freitas—elisfreitas.com
“Is the head out?! Oh, MorningStar, is the head out? It has to be out because I feel it out!”
Researcher and birth activist Zalka Drglin takes you inside Slovenia for a first-hand look at a country very much at the crossroad. Read more…. Transitional Phase of a New Childbirth Paradigm: Slovenia on the Crossroads
Cultural imperialism can have a pervasive, sometimes subtle influence on the work of a midwife. Marion Topeke McLean discusses how to detect imperialistic attitudes and practices, and ways to nurture cultural sensitivity. Read more…. Working Internationally: How to Identify (and Avoid) Cultural Imperialism
Many rural women in the Andes that used to give birth…based in their ancestral midwifery knowledge are now being forced to give birth at public health centers. Most of them have hospitalized births now, in cold environments and with routine practices that do not respect the natural process of birth. Read more…. Midwifery and Women’s Health in Peru: Visions and Dreams
A Michigan midwife shares her experiences attending an Old Order Amish community who have no cars and no electricity but an abundance of faith and family support.
Photo from the author’s book, The Power of Women
It is easier to see how a woman’s culture affects her than to face how our culture affects us in relating to her. What if our cultures have moral differences? What if we identify with a birth culture that saves mothers and babies? Read more…. Culture within Culture
Homebirths and scheduled c-sections are all the rage in Hollywood, but how do celebrity birth practices affect pregnant women?
Read more…. Celebrity Births: The Good, The Bad, The Influence
The author, who served as a missionary midwife among the urban poor of metro Manila for 20 years, recounts the highs and lows of working in a matriarchal society rife with superstitions and radically different standards of care for the rich and the poor. Read more…. Birth the Filipino Way
Another hopeful sign is that we are closer to reaching critical mass. When 15 percent of the people know the truth about birth and will tell their friends, then the whole world will know. How can we not have a violent society when the violence begins at birth? Read more…. Our Decade of CHANGE
Birth activist Suzanne Arms responds to recent legislation threatening to outlaw homebirth in France.
The author considers how diverse family dynamics and cultural practices inform her work as a childbirth educator.
Illustration by Robyn Sheldon
Author Robyn Sheldon shares a technique that utilizes a unique blend of writing, visualization and intuition to help parents connect with their babies in the womb.
Read more…. The Soul’s Knowing: Connecting with Our Babies in the Womb
