Mary L. Cooper has been a direct entry midwife since 1978, with 4000+ babies. Mary believes in all aspects of the birthing process, birthing women, and the full circle of birth (which at times includes death). At workshops, Mary shares this “sacred ground,” which includes: VBACs, twins, breeches, uterine death, birth anomalies, and healing births. She is a “caretaker” for elderly people, as all lives come to an end. Mary is thankful for the wisdom shared with her by women and babies she has helped.
Photo by jeshhots.com
The term “medicalization” refers to the process in which conditions and behaviors are labeled and treated as medical issues. Medicalized birth came about in the early 1900s with advances in pain relief, antiseptic and aseptic surgical practices, and surgical techniques and outcomes, alongside a rapid rise in people’s faith in scientific medicine. Read more…. The Medicalization of Midwifery and Birth
Photo provided by Colleen Uszak
On February 4, 2020, I had the privilege of helping Vincent and Colleen with the birth of their second-born child. Their firstborn, a son, was born by c-section, due to his breech position and her bicornuate uterus.
Milena ViVenzio—memoriesbythesmile.com
Let’s talk about the first stage of labor, especially for a first-time mom. I love helping women have their first babies; it’s such a special journey. A journey to bring a couple closer together and to show a woman how strong she is—physically, emotionally, and instinctively. I include in this group women who had prior babies in a hospital setting and do not understand the difference in having a baby at home—in the same environment where the baby is usually created. They are first-time moms, too, in having their babies at home.
Monet Moutrie—monetnicole.com
A humorous, sad, and interesting story about a variety of births.
Author Cooper shows us what a day of prenatals looks like in her rural practice among five Amish and Mennonite communities.
Emily Robinson—emilyrobinsonphotoblog.com
Midwife Mary Cooper shares some of her most memorable stories of newborns from the births she has attended.
Photo by Jenny Everett King
Midwife Mary Cooper has a wonderful way of sharing her wisdom with the readers of Midwifery Today. In this article, she highlights waterbirth.
Tammy Bradshaw—tammybradshawphoto.com
Let’s talk about those sweet babies who decide to present posterior in the uterus and then go on to either change position in labor or be born in a posterior position. I believe it is normal in a baby’s gestational life to be in transverse, breech, posterior, LOA and ROA positions. (There are even other positions our little darlings can get into.)
I have been a midwife for over 36 years and many of my clients come from Amish communities. What follows are two very different stories of preeclampsia in pregnancy.
We all grew up learning about the power of words, but sometimes in adulthood we forget this wisdom. Midwife Mary Cooper reminds us that it is even more important to stay away from negative words when working with a woman pregnant with twins.
Read more…. Helping a Mother with Twins: Choose Your Words Wisely
What seems to be a precariously unhealthy start to pregnancy ends happily thanks to the dedication to health by a pregnant mother and her midwife.
