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Bonding: Through an Adoptive Mother’s Eyes

by Sarojni Mehta-Lissak August 1, 2004

We mothers must do what is necessary to create trust, regardless of the immediate rewards. And then we must let go and allow our babies to come to us in their own way, in their own time. Our job is to bury deep within them the knowledge that they are loved. This is what creates an everlasting bond.

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Photo by Timothy Meinberg

Preserving the Breastfeeding Relationship: Hypoglycemia in the Breastfed Infant—Fact or Fiction?

by Meredith Goff August 1, 2004

What to do when faced with the issue of whether to allow your asymptomatic, big, healthy baby to be tested for hypoglycemia? Confidently tell the nurse that testing of large-for-gestational-age babies is not supported by the evidence. Then put the baby to breast, knowing this is the best place for a baby to be.

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Photo by Megan McFadden

Meet the Practitioner

by Meredith Goff August 1, 2004

I have been a midwife for 21 years. Midwifery and motherhood have defined my adult life. I was 24 and in nursing school, pursuing an interest in women’s health and what was known then as “preventive medicine,” when I witnessed my first midwife-attended birth. Lightning struck.

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Bearer of Light— Homeopathic Phosphorus

by Peggy Sawyer August 1, 2004

Phosphorus is a major ingredient of not only bones and teeth, but also the human brain. It facilitates permeability of cell membranes, helping nutrients pass in and out of cells. As one of the five elements of DNA, it is a building block for our genes. In metabolism, phosphorus mediates energy.

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Photo by Piyush Taneja

A Candle

by Laine Holman August 1, 2004

The woman my candle burns for tonight has been in labor for 46 hours. She had studied and prepared. She is in surgery now. The birth that she wanted didn’t happen; maybe it never will. I gingerly carry the candle to my room, careful not to smother the flame. Maybe she needs it lit now more than she did before.

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ICP—the Mystery Itch

by Sara Rea August 1, 2004

During the last few days of my second pregnancy I began to experience severe itching. Being the tough cookie I am, I did not complain to my doctor.
Five years later I became pregnant again. When the itching returned, I did some Internet research. Almost instantly I read about Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy.

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Library Displays Spread the Word about Midwives

by Karen E. Wallace August 1, 2004

Some men in my childbirth classes had never heard the word “midwife” prior to the first class. We can all work to make the word “midwife” more common through midwifery displays for exhibition at local libraries. I strongly believe this is an effective way to expose the general public to the Midwifery Model of Care.

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Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography

So, You Want a License, Eh?

by Carol Gautschi August 1, 2004

In joining the world of licensed midwifery, I have stepped into an environment of fear and distrust that threatens what I do and who I am. Who else will suffer before we become who we are called to be—caregivers apart from the medical hierarchy?

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Read more…. So, You Want a License, Eh?

Photo by Jonathan Borba

Extra Special Care for Birthing Women who happen to be HIV-positive

by Nancy Miller August 1, 2004

AJ was the first pregnant woman to test HIV-positive at The Childbearing Center at Morris Heights in the Bronx, New York, in 1996. She was devastated to find out that she was infected with HIV. It was a privilege to care for her. And I know that our specialized care made a difference in her life and her births.

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Traditional Midwifery

by Alison Bastien July 1, 2004

Traditional midwifery cannot be understood on a timeline or through protocols. Nor is it a fascinating compendium of “tricks.” For the same reasons that it seems a lost art, I believe it will never disappear. For wherever a woman plants her spirit and says, “I’m with you,” a tradition is carried on.

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Raven Lang: A Founding Mother of Modern North American Midwifery

by Dina Davidson June 1, 2004

“I set out to be an educator but was called upon by my community to do more, and I could not say no.” Raven’s Birth Book, currently out of print, is considered a classic in North American birth literature. Numerous prominent authors cite Raven’s work and credit her as both inspirational and educational.

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Photo by Toa Heftiba

Hands-On Care

by Jill Cohen June 1, 2004

Nurturing and protecting birth as a normal, natural process is the goal of our care during pregnancy. It is simple, noninvasive, necessary and deserved by pregnant women. Until we provide the care that each woman needs, we will continue to see more intervention and more unhappy families.