When the obstetrician said he would use Cytotec, the woman and her husband said they expected he would use prostaglandin gel but he said that he now uses Cytotec, as it is ‘more modern and reliable.’ They were not told Cytotec is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this purpose… Read more…. Midwives and Cytotec: A True Story
We are mammals. Most mammals birth fine. So what happened to us? We used to birth fine. Women in "primitive" cultures birth fine. What happened to modern women? Read more…. The Battle Is in the Mind
When I arrived, I immediately scanned the quiet tummy. Lydia watched the screen with a worried expression. I could find no cardiac movement. Finally I put away the probe and moaned, “Lydia, I am so sorry, the baby is gone.” Read more…. Fetal Demise: Helping a Mother Cope with Her Pain
I went to a totally beautiful and undisturbed birth today. Five of them, actually! The mother had the most natural births as we looked on, not disturbing her but just being “with woman.” With woman—with kitty. Read more…. Lessons from Kitty Birth: Using Placenta to Control Hemorrhage
Photo by Hal Gatewood
Without adequate testing of Cytotec (misoprostol) for labor induction, obstetricians simply began to use it on their birthing women. They were taking advantage of a huge loophole in our drug regulatory system. Read more…. Cytotec Induction and Off-Label Use
Photo provided by author
The Sally Stockley Maternity Project and its work in Uganda is the subject of this article. The author, a volunteer midwife, shares with us the conditions of life there and what we can do to help improve it.
Photo by Samantha Gades
“Homebirth after cesarean” is a phrase that garners mixed reactions—most of them negative. “Why?” or “Are you insane?” they ask. The people who make these comments, however, usually have no idea about the realities of birth in the US.
Read more…. Homebirth after Cesarean: The Myth and The Reality
Photos provided by the author
Not only has birth itself changed over the years, but birth changes individuals. This birth story illustrates how we can change birth by allowing it to change us.
…why not allow women the option to choose [caesarean section]? Unfortunately, the option to choose (or demand) is not that simple. CS, even when elective, carries serious risks for mother and baby. Read more…. Choosing Caesarean Section
Photo by Caroline Brown
I based the title of my article on the title of a highly influential Ladies Home Journal article from the 1950s. It began in the November, 1957 issue with a letter to the editor from a labor and delivery nurse who gave some examples of abusive treatment of laboring women where she worked. The editors published the letter, saying that they had never heard of such mistreatment, and invited readers to respond. The result was “Cruelty in the Maternity Wards,” an outpouring that Ladies Home Journal published as an article in the May issue the following year.
