Issue 120
Winter 2016
Theme: Birth and the Microbiome
In recent years, the microbiome has been a hot topic in the world of research. Scientists are realizing its importance in the lifelong health of an individual. Because the details pertaining to birth can have a drastic impact on the microbiome, either positively or negatively, we at Midwifery Today knew that this issue’s topic, “Birth and the Microbiome,” would be of keen interest to our readers. Enjoy the articles within, written by some of the best in the birth field, including Michel Odent, Ina May Gaskin, Sister MorningStar and internationally known herbalist Susun S. Weed.
Cover photo by Paige Driscoll (santacruzbirthphotographer.com). Paige is a birth photographer and doula, as well as a wife and mother to five boys. She is a storyteller of real life moments specializing in birth and motherhood. She is a certified birth doula and has training through Childbirth International as well as DONA® and is a trained Hypnobabies® doula. Her full spectrum of personal birth experiences range from hospital birth to birthing at home. With her extensive experience and expertise as both a photographer and a birthworker, she is able to support women in labor and capture the true rawness and beauty of birth as it unfolds.
Pictured: Not only was Paige the photographer at this birth; she was also the doula for this mama. Paige captured this moment of skin-to-skin contact as mother welcomed baby earthside. Einat was told by many that she would never be able to have a vaginal birth since she is only 4’11”. She didn’t listen to what others had to say. She trusted her body completely, and with the support of her husband, midwife Sunshine Tomlin and photographer Paige, she gave birth to her 7 lb 6 oz sweet baby boy at home.
Departments
- Poetry
- From the Editor
- Tricks of the Trade
- Marion’s Message
- Discussions
- Media Reviews
- Classified Advertising
- Photo Album
Features
- Microbiome and Health—Fernando Molina
To better guide pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, author and physician Fernando Molina helps readers to understand the affect the microorganisms in intestinal flora have on influencing overall health. - Micromanaging the Microbiota—Sister MorningStar
Midwife Sister MorningStar highlights the dangers of artificial processes during birth. - Homebirth vs. Hospital Birth: The Bacteriological Perspective—Michel Odent
Obstetrician and natural childbirth advocate Michel Odent discusses how the place of birth can affect which microbes colonize the baby. - Your Mother Will Help—Susun Weed
A wonderful article on the benefits of motherwort for pregnant and lactating mothers. - Surrounded by Love and Support—Monet Moutrie
Author and birth photographer Monet Moutrie has documented over 125 births through the lens of her camera since becoming a mother. In this article, she tells her story of the birth of her second child. - Of the Community—Nubia Earth Martin.
A mother tells the stories of the births of her children and what she learned through them about a birthing mother’s needs and the importance of community. - Microbiome and Midwives: A Look at Culture—Vicki Penwell
International midwife Vicki Penwell discusses the culture of homebirth in America to see what might be done to improve the life-long health of the baby. - The Microbiome and the Midwife—Marion Toepke McLean
Midwife Marion Toepke McLean discusses what midwives can do to promote optimum health for mothers and babies with regard to the microbiome. - The Microbiome: Important or Not?—Ireena Keeslar
“Does missing out on the microbes from the vagina really make a difference in the health of the child?” - Stop Cutting: The Right to Bodily Integrity—Jane Beal
Author and midwife Jane Beal discusses female genital mutilation and what can be done to eliminate cutting within a community that practices it routinely. - The Cost of Caring: Midwifery and Traumatic Stress—Bonnie U. Gruenberg
In this article, midwife Bonnie U. Gruenberg raises awareness around the issue of mental health stresses associated with the profession of midwifery. - Male Mutedness in Childbirth—Erica Andrews
“How does a man feel during the birth of his child?” - Floreta d’Ays: The Trial of a Medieval Midwife of Marseille, France—Jane Beal
Author Jane Beal gives us another historic account of a midwife, this time one who lived in Medieval France. - Connection and Empathy: Enhancing Pre- and Perinatal Health Care Professionals’ Interpersonal Skills—Antonella Sansone
- Unity: An Elusive but Necessary Goal for US Midwives and Their Advocates—Ina May Gaskin
- A Glorious VBAC—Françoise “Mamacita” Souverville
= Membership Article.
