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Viral Hepatitis: Some Considerations for Midwives

by Kathleen McDonald September 1, 2009

In the US alone, at least five million people are infected with hepatitis B or C, and the majority don’t even know it. There is a good chance that most midwives will work with women who are unaware that they are infected. This article discusses the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of viral hepatitis from a midwife’s perspective.

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There and VBAC Again

by Kelcey Boyce September 1, 2009

The author describes her journey from expected repeat c-section to joyous VBAC.

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Trip to the Congo

by Jennifer Vanderlaan September 1, 2009

The author describes her journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she and another doula teach the basics of healthy pregnancy and postpartum care to over 55 women from the surrounding regions, who will go on to serve as midwives for their communities.

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The Midwife and the Partograph

by Marion Toepke McLean September 1, 2009

Marion discusses the use of the partograph in developing countries.

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Becoming Tradition

by Nechama Wildanah September 1, 2009

The author explores the concept of tradition as something that is fluid and conscious, by drawing on her own evolving relationships with two tradition-rich cultures: midwifery and the Orthodox Jewish community in which she was raised.

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My First Doula Birth in a Ukrainian Birth House

by Anne Sokol September 1, 2009

This bittersweet story demonstrates how two cultures clash on the issue of birth. Sokol describes the experience of attending a Ukrainian couple’s birth in a birth house as a doula-in-training. This piece is one of four articles in this issue describing different aspects of birth in Ukraine.

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Traditional Midwifes of Caruaru, State of Pernambuco, Brazil

by Regine Marton September 1, 2009

Author Regine Marton reports on the state of traditional midwifery in Brazil, including efforts to integrate traditional midwives into the health care system. In the town of Caruaru, she describes a strong active association of traditional midwives, leaders of the community, who are working hand in hand with the city and the state in order to achieve their goals.

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Stories of Extraordinary Central American Midwives

by Marie Lynne Tyndall September 1, 2009

From the 1970s to the 1990s, a series of long, violent and bloody civil wars raged in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Marie Tyndall paints a portrait of two extraordinary traditional midwives who, in the midst of tragedy and violence, remained grounded figures of love and nurturance for their communities. Read more…. Stories of Extraordinary Central American Midwives

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The Dream

by Denise Thompson September 1, 2009

A midwife’s story of attending a beautiful Ukrainian homebirth. This piece is one of four articles in this issue describing different aspects of birth in Ukraine.

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Bumi Sehat Aceh Traditional Village Midwifes Sharing Ilmu, the Spiritual Authority, Skill and Magic of Midwifery

by Robin Lim September 1, 2009

In this update from non-profit Bumi Sehat, author Robin Lim describes their work with a group of village midwives in Aceh, Indonesia. These traditional midwives provide an invaluable service to local villagers, survivors of the 2005 Tsunami.

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Photo by Martha Dominguez de Gouveia

What I Have Seen

by Denise Thompson September 1, 2009

The author describes the horrors of the hospital births she has witnessed in Ukraine, recounting scenes where the laboring women are treated inhumanely and ridiculed for showing signs of pain. This piece is one of four articles in this issue describing different aspects of birth in Ukraine.

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Doña Cuca, Wise Elder and Midwife

by Sister MorningStar September 1, 2009

In this excerpt from Sister MorningStar’s upcoming book from Motherbaby Press, The Power of Women, Sister MorningStar remembers Doña Cuca, Mexican village healer and midwife, and through her story, honors the gifts of experience and wisdom that are passed down to a new generation of midwives. Read more…. Doña Cuca, Wise Elder and Midwife