Midwife Marion Toepke McLean discusses the most essential midwifery skill of them all: to be able to recognize and support normal birth and to keep it normal.
The fourth stage of labor, the time after the baby has been born (second stage) and after the placenta is safely delivered (third stage) has been defined medically as one to two hours postpartum. Culturally, I define it as the first 42 days following childbirth. I believe the fourth stage never really ends, as a postpartum woman is forever transformed by the significant rite of passage of childbirth. Read more…. The Fourth Stage: Sharing the Asian Way
Monet Moutrie—monetnicole.com
A thought-provoking article about the biases found in birth research. Read more…. Outside the Evidence: Births Missing from the Research
It’s always important to be reminded of the basics, such as using the placenta to stop a hemorrhage. Hollie S. Moyer does a fine job of doing just that in this article. Read more…. The Power of Placenta for Hemorrhage Control
Lynsey Stone—dfwbirthphotographer.com
This is an article that teaches classic midwifery, bringing back some sadly forgotten tricks for the midwife’s tool kit.
Read more…. Rings, Lines, Folds, and Other Old-time Tools to Assess Dilation
Emily Robinson—emilyrobinsonphotoblog.com
A great discussion surrounding the use of infants’ cord blood. Midwife Robin Lim primarily works in Indonesia where many women suffer from postpartum hemorrhage. As a preventive measure, she teaches people to wait an extended amount of time before severing the umbilical cord.
Synthenia Rosa — synethiarosa.com
The maternal mortality rate in the United States is rising. What does that mean to those of us who live in this country?
The blood in the heart and blood vessels must remain in a liquid form to maintain life. To achieve this, there is a balance between various elements, some that cause the blood to clot and others that allow it to flow freely.
Photo by Kelly McIlvenny and Sarah Thompson
Sandberg and Carnahan have put together a helpful document giving readers an overview of different birth models around the globe. Read more…. Global Birth Models
istockphoto/Shaferaphoto
Midwife Aubre Tompkins shares her experience with waterbirth at her birth center in Colorado.
Lynsey Stone—dfwbirthphotographer.com
After seven years of being a doula, midwife and childbirth educator in a huge urban Indian city, I have started to see a difference. Times are changing. Women and their partners are standing for what they believe in.
“When assessing the dietary needs of any pregnant woman, a care provider must analyze each woman individually, taking into account her activity level.”
