Jan Tritten

Jan Tritten is the founder, editor, and mother of Midwifery Today magazine and conferences. Her love for and study of midwifery sprang from the beautiful homebirth of her second daughter—after a disappointing, medicalized first birth in the hospital. After giving birth at home, she kept studying birth books because, “she thought there was something more here.” She became a homebirth midwife in 1977 and continued helping moms who wanted a better birth experience. Jan started Midwifery Today in 1986 to spread the good word about midwifery care, using her experience to guide editorial and conferences. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies in the United States and around the world. Meet Jan at our conferences around the world!

Photo by Brytny

Midwives’ Roles

by Jan Tritten March 21, 2022

I remember when I first started midwifery in 1976—after my second child and first homebirth—I realized that being a midwife included so much more than prenatal care, birth, and postpartum care. We were counselors, nutritionists, life coaches (for a year, sometimes more). We were also childbirth educators and doulas (although that was not a word we knew back then). Our roles are many, diverse, and unique, depending on the mom we are working with. Read more…. Midwives’ Roles

Photo by Liv Bruce

From the Editor: Birth Evangelism

by Jan Tritten and Harriette Hartigan December 24, 2021

So many women go into their birth experience with fear, rather than believing in the strength of their bodies or the matter-of-factness of birth. Jan and Harriette illustrate this changed view of women’s bodies with an example seen at an art showing. Read more…. From the Editor: Birth Evangelism

All four babies born and happily nursing.

Enthusiastic About Birth

by Jan Tritten September 19, 2021

What is it about midwives and doulas that we just love birth, all kinds of birth? When we are around birth we are just over the moon and mostly ready to tell the story of that birth. Read more…. Enthusiastic About Birth

Photo provided by author

It’s Conference Planning Time Again!

by Jan Tritten June 11, 2021

Jan tells us about the conferences—US and international—being planned now that the pandemic has settled down. Read more…. It’s Conference Planning Time Again!

Photo by Nyana Stoica

From the Editor: Complications and Fear

by Jan Tritten March 18, 2021

A midwife is responsible for knowing and recalling all she is able about any complication that may arise. We have lives in our hands, so we want to know as many techniques for any given situation as we can. Most do not happen very frequently. Shoulder dystocia is one of our big ones; learning all we can and reviewing our knowledge base often is very important. Read more…. From the Editor: Complications and Fear

Photo by Scott Webb

Homebirth Changed My Life

by Jan Tritten December 11, 2020

Having my second baby at home truly changed the trajectory of my life. I had had an traumatic hospital birth the first time and was totally traumatized and guilt-ridden by it. I was planning to have a much better, un-interfered-with birth in the hospital when I met Dr. Tom Duncan. He talked me into having a homebirth. Imagine a doctor talking you into having a homebirth! It was providential. He ultimately did only three homebirths in Eugene, my hometown. It proved to be too far for him to travel, at about an hour-and-a-half. Read more…. Homebirth Changed My Life

Placenta, Membranes, and Cord to Stop Bleeding

by Jan Tritten September 16, 2020

If all midwives and birth attendants had known about using the placenta, membrane, or cord for hemorrhage control, many lives could have been saved. If all midwives learned about this and were willing to use it, so many more would be saved. Hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death globally. Think of all the maternal deaths that could be and could have been avoided. These resources are always present at a birth. Membranes and cord can be used if the placenta is not born yet. Gail Hart taught me that. She said that the membranes and cord have even more oxytocin and other useful hormones than even the placenta. Read more…. Placenta, Membranes, and Cord to Stop Bleeding

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon

Honoring Birth Visionaries

by Jan Tritten June 10, 2020

What are our politics? There is so much division in the US and the world right now. I believe we should get behind our politics—that is, the politics of midwifery and birth. Let’s put our energy into what really matters to us—birth. We want to make sure, as much as we are able, to help every motherbaby have the best birth possible. There are so many ways to do that: midwifery, being a doula, working abroad, and educating both parents and practitioners. Read more…. Honoring Birth Visionaries

Let’s Keep Making Birth Better

by Jan Tritten March 31, 2020

Midwifery Today is now an online publication—which is very exciting to us! This change allows us to include value-added material with articles. You will find links that provide further information, videos, or sounds, and there is no limit to the length of articles—long or short. We can include photos without coming up against page limitations that prevent us from fitting them in. I think that offers a lot to our readers. Read more…. Let’s Keep Making Birth Better

The Journey of International Midwifery

by Jan Tritten December 24, 2019

Midwifery Today has been trying to influence birth for the better throughout the world since our first issue came out in 1987. It took us a long time from idea to publication: to get the first one done, we started a full year before. We had a column called Working Abroad in the first issue and then began to receive contributions from other countries. Henny Ligtermoet, from Australia, wrote “My Mother was an Elderly Primagravida.” She talked about how if she were born today (then 1987) the OB would put fear in her mother, but since she was born at home in 1921 that did not happen. International issues and ideas have been a great journey and I have enjoyed it immensely! Read more…. The Journey of International Midwifery

Interview with Anita Rojas at the 2019 Eugene Conference

by Jan Tritten October 1, 2019

This video is about the fascinating life of Anita Rojas. She is from Mexico and lived on a remote mountaintop village without a grocery store or drug store. The countryside provided the villagers with both food and medicinal herbs. Her grandmother taught her about birth and herbs. Come watch, listen, and fall in love with her, as we have!

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Illustration by Gerd Altmann

For the One, For the Many

by Jan Tritten September 17, 2019

Editor Jan Tritten shares thoughts about the uphill battle to respect birth, women, and babies and what keeps her moving forward in this quest. Read more…. For the One, For the Many