“…[the mother] will work her baby out as if she were on an island by herself. Confidently, she will twist and turn, bellow or moan, breathe deeply, squat or lie, drink or seek a corner. The most important thing for the midwife during the pushing phase of labor is to refrain from engaging the mother’s thinking brain. Stay sensual with her. If you feel she needs to slow her breathing down or to breathe more deeply, sit nearby and do that. Breathe the way you want her to breathe. She will do exactly what you do.”—Sister MorningStar Undisturbed Birth is the theme of this issue. READ MORE…

Review by Elise Hansen. “As a companion to the classic Williams Obstetrics textbook, the streamlined manual is concise and easy to use. … While some of the material is obviously geared to hospital practice, the book will also be a useful tool for out-of-hospital birth. Birth attendants will appreciate the easy-to-carry reference format. As a homebirth midwife I found the manual to be both informative and riveting reading.” READ MORE…

Review by Michele Klein. “Call the Midwife reveals a district midwife’s training by Anglican nuns, her spiritual journey and a gripping eye-opener on the challenges of midwifery among the urban poor, without running water or electricity.” READ MORE…

Check out our Spring into Savings page to find out how. Books in this series include Postdates and Postmaturity, Tear Prevention, Prolonged Labor and Hemorrhage. You’ll also find coupons for other Midwifery Today products as well as special offers from other birth-related businesses. LEARN MORE…

“Whether a mother is left to care for herself and her new baby during the postpartum time or is working to recover from her loss, she is in almost all cases expected to “bounce back on her feet” in a few days. Is our approach to postpartum falling short?” [ PHOTO BY CAROLINE E. BROWN ] READ MORE…

Read this editorial by Jan Tritten from Midwifery Today Issue 105. “The most important thing I can say about hemorrhage is, “Don’t cause one.” If the body is well fed and mom is low on stress and feels loved, motherbaby and their process of labor and birth work well. Our first and most important job is to facilitate what is already a beautiful process.” READ MORE…

Review by Kelly Moyer. “With more than 45 years experience in maternity care, Perez has been writing about doula issues since the word first popped up in the US birth scene in the mid-1980s and is a recipient of the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association Lifetime Achievement Award.” READ MORE…

If you’re studying to become a midwife, you need General Skills for the Student Midwife. This 2-DVD set is packed with demonstrations by experienced midwives and nurses and gives you the opportunity see hands-on skills being performed. Topics covered include Sterile Technique, Basic Treatment of Shock, Maternal Temperature Assessment, Maternal Skin Assessment, Newborn Temperature Assessment and much more! VIEW PRODUCT…

Are you an aspiring midwife who’s looking for the right school? Are you a practicing midwife who would like to learn more? Visit our Education Opportunities page to discover ways to start or continue your education. LEARN MORE…

For women with unexplained elevated blood pressure, take the blood pressure at a location other than at the caregiver's office. The caregiver's office can make a client tense and nervous and cause increased pressure.

To respect the instinctual nature of birth, we must allow the process to unfold for each unique individual. As midwives it is our job to facilitate, not control, this process.