Issue 96

Midwifery Today Issue 96 Theme: Waterbirth

The ever-increasing popularity of waterbirth warrants a fresh look at an old practice. This issue examines new research on the benefits of waterbirth for babies and takes a look at how waterbirth can make the work of mamas and midwives easier. Craniosynostosis, belly mapping and the role of spirituality in midwifery are also explored, along with birth stories from around the globe.

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Waterbirth and GBS

by Judy Slome Cohain December 1, 2010

The literature suggests that low-risk women who give birth in water may have a far lower rate of newborn GBS than women who have a dry birth. Author, midwife and researcher Judy Slome Cohain culls through the research and delivers an in-depth look at waterbirth and GBS in this eye-opening article.

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Human Rights for Breech Mamas

by Marion Toepke McLean December 1, 2010

Marion reviews research on vaginal breech birth, defending access to safe, vaginal birth for breech babies.

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The Second Was A Gift

by Lydia M. Josephson December 1, 2010

The author overcomes her fears during her second birth and doesn’t let the string of “what ifs” overcome her determination to birth naturally, at home and in the water.

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My Waterbirth

by Simone Snyder December 1, 2010

Water plays a key role in this sweet story of a home waterbirth.

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A Motherless Mother

by Rea Bochner December 1, 2010

A mother shares a bittersweet tale of birthing her second child naturally and beautifully in the comfort of her own home — the same home in which her mother had recently died.

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A Tale of Two Births: The Healing Power of VBAC

by Kimberly Kovach Trout December 1, 2010

A CNM professor discovers the usefulness of the Foley Bulb when her own daughter wishes to birth vaginally after a cesarean.

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Unusual Foetal Positions: Hand beside Ear

by Jean Sutton December 1, 2010

Jean Sutton, an expert in baby positions, offers sound advice for midwives facing the unusual “hand beside ear” position.

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The Birth of Jocelyn Mary

by Erin Moyen December 1, 2010

The author is reminded of the incredible importance of a natural, uninterrupted birth process while birthing her daughter, Jocelyn Mary.

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Birth As A Shape-Shifter

by Melissa-Marie Marks December 1, 2010

A quick, stirring retelling of a birthing woman who “sings her song of life and death, courage and fear, the end and the beginning.”

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Manisha’s Birth Experience

by Lee Mantini December 1, 2010

The author discusses birth in India and highlights the tale of Manisha, a 16-year-old in an arranged marriage who experiences an extended labor.

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Read more…. Manisha’s Birth Experience

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Is That the Placenta?

by J. Page December 1, 2010

A humor-infused take on natural third stage labor by an experienced homebirth midwife.

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The Same in any Language

by Jane E. Drichta December 1, 2010

A US midwife working in the Philippines experiences the sharp pain of telling a young mother that her baby has died in utero and realizes some human experiences are “the same in any language.”