Issue 135
Autumn 2020
Theme: Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage in or after pregnancy is a leading cause of perinatal death around the world. This issue focuses on this important topic, including articles on how to avoid it and how to deal with a hemorrhage once it starts. We also include important articles related to Covid-19 and birth, midwifery education, and other topics.
Cover photo by Paige Driscoll (bayareabirthphotographer.com). Paige Driscoll is an award-winning photographer and doula, as well as a mother to five boys. She is a storyteller of real-life moments, specializing in birth and motherhood. She captures the most transformative time of your life in an artful way. The birth of her five boys were the most empowering experiences of her life, which led her down the path to becoming a birth worker. She is a certified doula and has training through Childbirth International and Dona International, and is a trained Hypnobabies doula. She holds a BA in Child and Adolescent Development from San Jose State University and was an elementary school teacher before becoming a mother. She has documented over 250 births, each one so beautifully unique. Her full spectrum of personal birthing experiences ranges from hospital births to birthing at home and she is supportive of all birthing methods. Her goal is to help birthing parents feel confident, safe, and supported during their prenatal, birth, and postpartum journey while documenting their story. With her passion for birth and her extensive experience and expertise as a mother, photographer, and doula, she is able to support women in labor and capture the true rawness and beauty of birth as it unfolds.
Pictured: Jalecia Olden and Faryi Lincoln at Full Moon Family Wellness and Birth Center in Santa Cruz, California.
Columns
- Editorial: Placenta, Membranes, and Cord to Stop Bleeding, Jan Tritten
Midwifery Today’s Editor discusses using placenta, membranes, and cord to stop hemorrhage, with references to her articles on Kitty Birth, her own experiences, and suggestions from other midwives. - Tricks of the Trade
- Quote of the Quarter
- Media Reviews
- Wisdom of the Midwives
Midwives and other birthworkers on Facebook share how they prevent postpartum hemorrhage and answer related questions. - MT 135 Midwifery and Childbirth News
- Photo Album
- Marion’s Message: Hemorrhage in Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postpartum
Marion provides a lesson in understanding hemorrhage and why it is important for midwives to have this knowledge.
Features
- Why Is the Birth Door Not Being Assessed? by Lynn Schulte
This article discusses body mechanics needed to ensure a successful birth—focusing on assessment of the abdomen, pelvic joints, and pelvic muscles. This is an area that is sometimes lacking in ensuring a successful natural birth. - Silent Hemorrhage, by Sister MorningStar
Through her unique method of storytelling, Sister MorningStar tells us about hemorrhage, how its causes may be different than we are aware, and some of the outcomes. Each case is different and the solution may be different as well. - Honoring Birth and Babies, by Jo Anne Lindberg
“Mothers and babies matter. Families matter, as they are the foundation of a society. Midwives are the cement that helps build the family by helping them have the best possible births.” These truisms are the basis of honoring birth, as so artfully described in this article. - Some Blessings for the Homebirth Community during Covid-19 Times, by Naolí Vinaver
Covid-19 has made us rethink how we provide services and how we can best serve women. In this thoughtful article Naolí discusses ways we have had to adapt and shares some of her teachings related to homebirth. - Putting an End to the Global Slaughter of Women Bleeding to Death, by Michel Odent
Contributing writer Michel Odent discusses how belief systems and interference in the birth process is often responsible for hemorrhage in birthing women. - Mothers as Artists, by Jane Beal
Frequent contributor Jane Beal shares an essay on mothers and art. - Building Strong Foundations for Midwifery Education: The World Needs Midwives, Now More Than Ever! by Vicki Penwell
As we face a pandemic, and other crises around the globe, midwife and teacher Vicki Penwell shares important principles for ensuring that midwives are educated to meet the future and present needs of birthing mothers. - A Midwife’s Covid-19 Gift, by Judy Ribner
A short vignette about how a midwife’s homebirth practice was launched in the midst of a pandemic. - My Path to Midwifery, by Joanna Wilder
A meandering path to the kind of midwifery she now practices is the backdrop for this article that advocates for all types of midwives. - Giving Birth High, by Marina Lembo
This script for a Tedx Talk by the author compares and contrasts births with natural drugs produced by the body to those that are given as interventions to allow others to manage those births. It ends with a plea to not intervene unless it is necessary. - The Future of Homo In the Age of Question Marks, by Michel Odent
This short piece gives you an overview of what to expect in Michel Odent’s latest book and how Covid-19 has shored up interest in it.
= Membership Article.
