Jan Tritten is the founder, editor, and mother of Midwifery Today magazine and conferences. Her love for and study of midwifery sprang from the beautiful homebirth of her second daughter—after a disappointing, medicalized first birth in the hospital. After giving birth at home, she kept studying birth books because, “she thought there was something more here.” She became a homebirth midwife in 1977 and continued helping moms who wanted a better birth experience. Jan started Midwifery Today in 1986 to spread the good word about midwifery care, using her experience to guide editorial and conferences. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies in the United States and around the world. Meet Jan at our Complications are why we need midwives. If birth were
completely normal all the time we midwives would
not be needed—but, indeed, we are needed. It is so
important that we all learn and gather the necessary skills
and didactic and emotional knowledge we can before we take
responsibility for a mother and baby. One of the great keys
to a good birth outcome is knowing when and how to act
and to do so quickly. Otherwise, we can keep hands off and
be the quiet midwife in the corner—unobtrusive and loving.
We need to be careful not to disturb the process.
