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This article first summarizes some of the history of how midwifery has been taught and advocates for individualized, personalized instruction and some expected conflicts with the current system and how it is still evolving Read more…. Midwifery Education: A Brief History and Thoughts for the Future

This 17-year-old doula from Colorado shares her experience and insights from spending a summer working in the public hospital system in Sydney, Australia, where a public homebirth program is currently available to expecting mothers. Read more…. A Midwifery Success: Homebirth in the Australian Public Hospital System

It is astounding how much midwives and doulas love and appreciate the placenta, while the general public treats it with an “eewww” attitude. We think of it as an incredible though short-lived organ that through it produces a beautiful baby. Most of us teach our families the beauty and function of the placenta. Before or after we have checked it for missing Read more…. Jan’s Corner: The Gorgeous Placenta

All my life I had been interested in psychology because I wanted to know what made me suffer, what makes people in general suffer, and how suffering can be alleviated or even healed. Finally, I discovered the new field of prenatal psychology. “The secret life of the unborn child,” as Professor Thomas Verny so brilliantly described, offered satisfying answers to my manifold questions that any other school of psychology had not been able to so far. Read more…. Bonding Analysis: Bonding-related Support in Pregnancy to Promote Prenatal Bonding

Mother’s bodies are generally made to birth their babies. And babies come in all sizes—the same as pelvises. Mostly, the baby and the pelvis fit well together, so during contractions in active labor we see a progressive, smooth, and gentle birth process. Every woman takes time to birth her baby, connecting to her strength, reinforcing her inner power, and learning to dive into her path toward motherhood.  Read more…. Opening the Pelvic Outlet in Labor

We focus on two reasons why the human placenta is special. First, it is highly effective at transferring maternal antibodies toward the fetal bloodstream. Second, it is not eaten by the mother. Read more…. Two Particularities of the Human Placenta

Midwifery Today needs your help so we can continue to help others become midwives or doulas, provide worldwide birth education, and lead more women to have better births. Read more…. Midwifery as a Gift

We have a problem! Labor induction in the United States has more than tripled since 1990.
A first-time mom told me on social media, “It wasn’t even a discussion, it was: ‘this is what’s happening.’ It’s really hard to disagree with doctors or people in positions of authority—in particular when you’re in such a vulnerable position.”  Read more…. Calling All Midwives….

Hannah was 39 weeks and a few days pregnant with her first child one summer when she went to her scheduled prenatal appointment with her obstetrician/gynecologist. As a part of her examination, a late ultrasound was performed, and she was diagnosed with “low amniotic fluid.” Read more…. To Induce or Not to Induce? That is the Question