Marlene Waechter

Marlene Waechter, DEM , is a pioneer Catholic midwife who has served in southern Ohio since the 1970s. She is the mother of seven grown children, including five home-born—one of whom was born in water. She is also grandmother to 18 grandchildren, including four VBACs. Besides being a long-time contributor to Midwifery Today, Marlene co-authored the book The Joyful Mysteries of Childbirth, a practical and spiritual guide for Christian families.

A Week of Preemi-um Surprises

It all started on August 21, 1996. The phone rang as I was heading out the door on my way to work the 7 pm to 7 am shift in the ICU of the local hospital. It was a man from the Old Order Mennonite community about an hour away from me. He said baby #8 was due September 20, 1996. He said she was “feelin’ poorly” and they couldn’t get a hold of the midwife they had used before, so could I come “check her out?”

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Fiery Birth

Many years ago, in a galaxy far, far away … I was at Aria’s first homebirth, which was taking its sweet, mellow time. No problems, just a slow, laid-back birth. I was asked to help pass the time telling birth stories.

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The Empty Breast Syndrome

I had been warned of the “empty nest syndrome” that happens when a couple’s youngest child is old enough to leave the nest. No one ever warned me that at least 15 years before that, I would be devastated by the “empty breast syndrome.”

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First Stage of Labor

It may help us to know that an average labor burns over 7000 calories! It’s hard work, hence the name labor. The first stage of labor is divided into three parts: 1) latent, early, or prodromal; 2) active first stage; and 3) transition.

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Babies Put Their Foot Down

This frequent contributor shares the variety of breech births that she has been a part of.

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Labor: Short and Long; Physical and Mental

This great article illustrates, through discussion of actual cases, the many variations that labor may take and how diet, fear, and even religious beliefs may affect it.  Read more…. Labor: Short and Long; Physical and Mental

Concepts of Prenatal Care

When should prenatal care start? What should it look like? How much should it cost? Most importantly, but often overlooked: Who should be doing it? These questions, frequently asked by pregnant women, have no pat answers.

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When Grandma Is a Midwife

When you are a homebirth midwife with a lot of kids of your own, how they choose to give birth may not quite fit with how you had envisioned it. Waechter shares her compelling personal story, with a focus on the need to support your children in their own journeys.

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Bosom Buddies

Long before anyone had thought to coin the term tandem nursing, I was doing it. Back when I started having kids in 1971, breastfeeding was at an all-time low in our country, and so was homebirth. …

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Malnutrition, Unhealthy Lifestyles and Scheduled Deliveries: The Causes of Prematurity

From her many years of experience, midwife Marlene Waechter shares her wisdom of premature birth and what she feels are its main causes.

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Thinking Green

In this truly enjoyable article, Waechter shares what she has learned about hemorrhage through her experiences as a midwife.

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Brewer Babies

Confounded by a client who has already birthed several handicapped children, midwife Marlene Waechter utilizes the wisdom of Dr. Tom Brewer and finds that diet really does make a drastic difference to pregnant mamas and their babies.

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