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Pregnancy and Birth with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

by Jennifer Vanderlaan December 1, 2008

For many women, giving birth causes stress and anxiety. For women with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the stress of giving birth can trigger panic attacks. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about 6.8 million American adults are affected by GAD (USDHHS 2007). Anxiety disorders affect women twice as frequently as men and usually are first diagnosed in early adulthood, which makes their effects relevant when caring for childbearing women.

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The Birth of Sage—A Homebirth Reflection

by Analeah Lovere December 1, 2008

One year ago this week our son Sage was born. As I sit and watch the morning winter sky come to life, shades of pink and golden hues reveal themselves through the light mist of the recent rains. I feel a sense of peace. Deep gratitude fills my heart as I reflect on our family experience over the past year.

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Photo by Mae Mu

Understanding Plastics

by Blue Bradley December 1, 2008

News about the adverse effects of plastics has been abundant in the media lately, causing many consumers to alter their purchasing habits. Many of the chemicals used to make plastics today were grandfathered into the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 without testing for safety. However, more and more research is showing adverse effects from some of these chemicals.

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The Call to Midwifery

by Diana Janopaul December 1, 2008

Every calling to midwifery is different. This essay describes the author’s transformation to the profession she likes best of all. Read more…. The Call to Midwifery

Illustration by Robert Smale

Mars Attacks

by Judy Slome Cohain December 1, 2008

Abstract: “Mars Attacks” is a new term coined to describe unjustified violation of women by care providers at the time of birth, as well as the purposeful abandonment of the peer review system by major obstetric journals and the abandonment of the use of research evidence by ACOG in their latest protocols, in order to justify continued use of this form of violence against women.

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Mollie and Mary

by Jan Tritten December 1, 2008

Jan tells two amazing midwives serving the Amish and Mennonite communities. Read more…. Mollie and Mary

Supporting Pregnancy with Massage Therapy

by Carole Osborne September 1, 2008

Even in a midwifery practice, technology often displaces the soothing touch of skilled hands in the care of expectant women. Busy schedules and task-oriented appointments can leave little time to offer relief from pregnancy’s common companions: back and hip pain and swollen extremities. Midwives can offer their moms the tactile attention they need by including a massage therapist on their referral list of maternity health care providers.

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Chiropractic Evaluation and Management of the Pregnant Patient: An Update from Recent Literature

by Lindsey Zerdecki and Steven R. Passmore September 1, 2008

Pregnancy should be a time of joy for the expectant mother. However, it’s also a virtually unparalleled period of rapid change in one’s morphology. The stresses placed on a human’s anatomy and physiology result in compensatory altered biomechanics and gait to perform even the most basic activities of daily living. These changes to an individual often result in the onset of a myriad of musculoskeletal issues that can develop during pregnancy. This article details the current explanations of these changes as well as the potential role of chiropractic therapy for the pregnant woman. Read more…. Chiropractic Evaluation and Management of the Pregnant Patient: An Update from Recent Literature

Dispelling the Disempowering Birth Vocabulary

by Michel Odent September 1, 2008

Before considering what makes the birth of human mammals special, we must first understand universal mammalian needs in the perinatal period. These needs are easily summarised and interpreted in the current scientific context. When giving birth, all mammals have strategies to avoid feeling observed: Privacy is one of their basic needs. At the same time, all mammals need to feel secure. For example, in a wild environment, a female cannot give birth as long as a predator is around. Physiologists easily explain that in such a situation the female releases hormones of the adrenaline family. This activation of the “fight or flight system” blocks the release of oxytocin, the key hormone in childbirth: The birth is postponed until the time when the female can feel secure. We are in a position to claim that today the priority is to “mammalianize” childbirth.

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My Traumatic Birth in India

by Ruth Malik September 1, 2008

The author shares how her birth experiences in India led her to create Birth India, a birth network that aims to promote the benefits of natural childbirth and best practices to achieve normal birth. Read more…. My Traumatic Birth in India

Womb to Learn

by Joni Nichols September 1, 2008

After climbing into the oversized uterus that San Diego midwife Celesta Rannisi used as part of a kids’ childbirth class at the Gentle Birth World Congress (September 2007) I came home to Guadalajara, Mexico, and created one of my own.