Elizabeth Davis, CPM, is a renowned expert on midwifery and reproductive health issues. She has been a midwife, reproductive health care specialist, educator, and consultant since 1977. She is internationally active in midwifery education/legalization, and she lectures widely on reproductive rights, sexuality, and birth trauma. She served as regional representative to the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) for five years and as president of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC). She is co-founder of the National Midwifery Institute, Inc., a MEAC-accredited, apprenticeship-based midwifery program leading to licensure in California and the CPM credential. She holds a degree in Holistic Maternity Care from Antioch University and is certified by the North American Registry of Midwives. She is the author of the classic Heart and Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, 5th edition, in addition to several other popular volumes. Elizabeth lives in Sebastopol, California, and is the mother of three children. [PHOTO BY JENNIFER ROSENBERG]
Elizabeth is the author of Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth Experience, Women’s Sexual Passages: Finding Pleasure and Intimacy at Every Stage of Life, and co-author of The Circle of Life: Thirteen Archetypes for Every Woman.
Visit Elizabeth’s website at http://elizabethdavis.com for info on the new edition of Heart & Hands, other publications on women’s Blood Mysteries and sexuality, and the National Midwifery Institute, Inc.
Photo by Alissa De Leva
This article first summarizes some of the history of how midwifery has been taught and advocates for individualized, personalized instruction and some expected conflicts with the current system and how it is still evolving Read more…. Midwifery Education: A Brief History and Thoughts for the Future
Elizabeth Davis shares more on the interconnection between birth, orgasm and the sexual nature of women.
Esther Edith—estheredith.com
One might argue that prenatal care is necessary for critically evaluating overall health status, charting vital signs on an ongoing basis, and making sure all essential laboratory tests are performed during pregnancy.
Monet Moutrie—monetnicole.com
One of the easiest ways for a student to frame this question is to ask, “What kind of midwife would I want at my birth?” And then, “Is my educational program preparing me to be this kind of midwife?” Read more…. Midwifery Education for Autonomous Practice: The Time Is Now!
An excerpt from Midwifery Today’s new edition of the book Paths to Becoming an Midwife: Getting an Education, this article guides aspiring midwives toward an educational program that will “midwife” them in a way that prepares them fully and totally to midwife others. Read more…. Midwifery Education: Trauma or Transformation?
As midwifery is poised to go mainstream, we must be very clear on our foundation: What is essential to our work, and what is momentary or temporary? In other words, what about midwifery has endured, and what must endure if we are to continue to provide what women want when they seek midwifery care? Read more…. The Enduring Qualities in Midwifery
Mostly I was taught by instructors attached to deep cover, who expected me to collude with the illusion that we were being open and wise. But we midwives know the difference between covering up and peeling off, loosening, letting go – birth language that needs to become our language of education. Read more…. The Flowering of Midwifery Education
Photo by Gigin Krishnan
Considering the troubled past and challenging present of midwifery, its survival is something of a miracle. What makes midwifery so desirable to women? Simply put, midwifery promotes well-being. It is an art of service, in that the midwife recognizes, responds to and cooperates with natural forces. In this sense, midwifery is ecologically attuned, involving the wise utilization of resources and respect for the balance of nature.
Alsea Falls Oregon. Photo by Jennifer Rosenberg
Midwifery knowledge is knowledge of woman and nature. We must remember that all we know about birth comes from these primary sources. Increasingly, we rely on our opinions to tell us what is true about birth, or we quantify our experiences of assisting labor to find meaning in the face of its potential chaos.
