Theme: Second Stage
The “second stage” of labor can be quick and painless, or long and threatened by potential complications that require quick action on the midwife’s part. This informative issue critically examines both the medical and midwifery models of care in attending second stage. Therapeutic bodywork techniques for motherbaby, globetrotting birth stories and new articles from Michel Odent, Cornellia Enning and Jean Sutton are also included.
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Take a trip to 19th century Ireland, where the village midwife was truly a “Jill of all trades.”
Jan Tritten reflects on second stage complications and the midwife’s role. Sometimes patient waiting, tempered with wisdom of when, and how, to act is the safest, healthiest way to bring new life into the world. Read more…. Waiting Can Be So Hard
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Starting in her native Mexico and ending up in London, England, doula and mama Indira Lopez-Bassols birthed three children—and herself—through a transformative birth journey.
Read more…. Three Stories, Two Continents, One Birth Journey
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Midwifery Today, Issue 98, Summer 2011.Join Midwifery Today Join Midwifery Today Online MembershipAuthor’s Note: All names have been changed to protect the privacy of the women whose stories are shared here. In recent years, 20,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Israel from Africa, by way of the Egyptian desert. Many more refugees did not survive the journey, were caught by the Egyptian authorities en route or were turned back from the Israeli border in fear of infiltration by potential terrorists. Eighty-five percent of Israel’s asylum seekers are from Sudan and Eritrea. They flee famine and war in their homelands and set out on a long, difficult and dangerous journey in hope of securing a more promising future for themselves and their children. Many were interned in prison for illegal entry before being granted sanctuary in Israel. The women, as primary caregivers to their families, are not always able to work, certainly not while birthing or during the first few months after childbirth. They are not entitled to social welfare benefits, including the routine prenatal care that Israeli citizens receive, and most have no medical insurance. However, they are provided with basic aid, including medical care in hospital emergency rooms. In light of this situation, some local non profit organizations, such as the Carmel Shelter for women and children, are helping the refugees. Women and their children can stay in this shelter as long as they need—until they recover, find work and a place to stay. Most of the refugee women are in their childbearing years, so pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care are recurrent issues. A small group of volunteer midwives provides professional medical assistance to these women and their newborns on a regular basis. They address the women’s special needs, with support from local organizations and other volunteers. What follows… Read more…. In Search of Hope for Rita
Photo by Lisa Tucker
A student midwife takes on state governments’ encroachment of women’s rights to birth where and how they choose.
One midwife. Three babies. Thirteen hours. Happy Father’s Day!
Not only do upright positions work with gravity, offering numerous benefits to mother and baby, but they also have an interesting history. Layer uncovers the story behind their wane in popularity during the 18th century and relatively recent resurgence.
Read more…. An Overview of Upright Positions During Second Stage Labor
Learn how therapeutic bodywork techniques can help baby achieve the optimal position prior to birth, as well as address Torticollis and Plagiocephaly after birth.
The positive presence of the midwife, and her belief in the abilities of the laboring woman, can affect birth outcomes. Carol Gautschi considers the influence of the midwife’s believes and attitudes on labor.
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To prepare for an autonomous waterbirth, a woman should know the specific quality of contractions in each stage of birth. Read more…. How to Support the Autonomy of Motherbaby in Second Stage of Waterbirth
Lora Denton—loradentonphotography.com
In this thoughtful article, author Kate Prendergast discusses the use of management techniques for a prolonged second stage.
Read more…. Labor Pattern and Management during a Prolonged Second Stage
Michel Odent covers the importance of the fetal ejection reflex as it relates to the second stage of labor.
Read more…. Understanding Stages of Labour after the Paradigm Shift
