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Photo by Samantha Gades

Homebirth after Cesarean: The Myth and The Reality

by Amy V. Haas June 1, 2008

“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.

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Birth Changing US Changing Birth

by Amanda Sanford December 1, 2007

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.

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The Enduring Qualities in Midwifery

by Elizabeth Davis June 1, 2007

As midwifery is poised to go mainstream, we must be very clear on our foundation: What is essential to our work, and what is momentary or temporary? In other words, what about midwifery has endured, and what must endure if we are to continue to provide what women want when they seek midwifery care? Read more…. The Enduring Qualities in Midwifery

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Hope in Uganda

by Carrie Sparrevohn August 1, 2006

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.

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The Battle Is in the Mind

by Jan Tritten June 1, 2005

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

Adverse Events Following Misoprostol Induction of Labor

by Marsden Wagner September 1, 2004

Off-label use of misoprostol (Cytotec) for labor induction has been steadily increasing for 10 years, even though this use is approved neither by the U.S. [FDA], other national drug regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, the Cochrane Library nor a number of national obstetric organizations Read more…. Adverse Events Following Misoprostol Induction of Labor

Midwifery Today Issue 71

Issue 71

by Editorial September 1, 2004

Autumn 2004 Theme: Drugs in Labor While in Germany, Jan Tritten noted that far more babies are worn in slings than in the U.S. Jan took this photo of little Benjamin during a recent visit to Germany. She found him to be quite the charmer. Benjamin is the son of Elizabeth Battenberg Buy This Issue… Read more…. Issue 71

Teaching Respect for Hands-On Care

by Ina May Gaskin June 1, 2004

One of the greatest challenges before US midwives is teaching the value of hands-on care. Our culture’s love affair with machines, contraptions and gadgets has blinded literally hundreds of millions of people to the importance of human contact, feeling, experience and judgment in maternity care. Read more…. Teaching Respect for Hands-On Care

The Ties that Bind – How Belief Creates Birth Realities

by Kim Wildner November 1, 2003

Women believe that birth is a dangerous medical event. The fact is that normal birth is safer than many things we do each day without a thought. Read more…. The Ties that Bind – How Belief Creates Birth Realities

Midwifery Today Issue 67

Issue 67

by Editorial September 1, 2003

Autumn 2003 Theme: Fear in Midwifery and Birth Articles in this issue of Midwifery Today include: Fear, Society and Birth Connecting to Birth Fear of Death During Labor The Role of Fear in the U.S. Birthing Process Cruelty in the Maternity Wards Revisited Cytotec Induction and Off-Label Use Lotus Birth: A Ritual for our Times… Read more…. Issue 67

Photo by Caroline Brown

Cruelty In The Maternity Wards Revisited

by Henci Goer August 31, 2003

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.

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The Assault on Normal Birth: The OB Disinformation Campaign

by Henci Goer September 1, 2002

We seem to have spent the last few years reeling from assault after assault on the concept of normal birth. Have you wondered, as I have, what is going on? This isn’t a matter of chance; it’s a concerted effort. Read more…. The Assault on Normal Birth: The OB Disinformation Campaign