Photo by Damir Spanic
I find it mysterious that in some midwifery circles there are endless and passionate discussions about shoulder dystocia, while among other groups there is no interest in this topic.
Photo by Ignacio Campo
I am autistic. I did not think being autistic would make much difference on my experience of being pregnant. I was humbled to learn otherwise. I am fairly typical of a generation of women who are being diagnosed as autistic in adulthood. Of course, autism is a spectrum, so everyone’s experience will be slightly different.
Read more…. Reasonable Adjustments Returned My Joy in Pregnancy
Photo by Phil Hearing
Wisdom of the Midwives – Issue 136
Holly Noelle—instagram.com/hollynoelleart
Fear during labor and birth at home must be addressed with a different scope than what the literature reviews tell us. Let’s go beyond what mind-body medicine has taught us. Now is time for the soul-heart-mind-body connection and the well-known generational transmission of stress response with which, according to midwife Anita Rojas, we now can change the message by transforming the energy of our “mamas” during prenatals or labor.
Read more…. Homebirth: Living a Life-transforming Experience beyond Fear
Tricks of the Trade – Issue 136
It was a normal birth in a large room in a small house in a city neighborhood. The modern hospital where I had midwifery privileges was just blocks away. I could transfer care easily and quickly if needed.
Photo provided by author
Acupuncture is a safe, effective, drug-free treatment for common ailments that can arise in pregnancy such as preeclampsia, breech position, and post-term baby. It has been used for centuries to support a healthy pregnancy and is beneficial throughout the trimesters. Current research shows that pregnancy acupuncture has little to no adverse effects; It is an effective and complementary modality that should be taken advantage of to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Read more…. Why Acupuncture Is Beneficial and Safe during Pregnancy
Esther Edith—estheredith.com
Photo Album — Issue 136
Photo by Tatiana Bernardi
Delphi’s birth was wonderful!
Delphine and her husband Éric are originally from France. They used to live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with their two children, Samuel and Thaïs. We met because of our connection with the dolphins and the sea—first through the Internet and then through letters we sent to each other via midwife friends.
Photo by Annemiek Smegen
Voice of the Womb: A Woman’s Inner Strength – Poetry – Issue 136
Photo by Numan Malik
The power and superiority of homebirth is not in statistics, politics, academia, wimyn’s empowerment, or even the realms of species preservation. The power of homebirth is that it belongs to the Village.
Photo by Jason McCann
I was turning heads.
Here I am in the center of the ultra-orthodox, Satmar Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsburg, New York, jumping out of a bright red jeep with a brown leather birth stool peeking out of my canvas sack. Next to me, Kristen is carrying a bulging briefcase on her back. We walk with purpose, the two of us.
