Summer 2017

Theme: Homebirth

Homebirth is a topic that our readers can never get enough of, so we made it the theme of this issue. The offerings range from four unique birth stories, two articles that advise what to take to a homebirth, midwives’ thoughts on homebirth in the past and present, and a number of other articles dealing with related subjects, such as complications and prolonged second stage.

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Departments

• Poetry
• From the Editor
  Jan discusses the microbiome and how home is the best place for a baby to be born. She shares her own birth story and the various reasons that homebirth is the ideal kind of birth.
• Tricks of the Trade
• Marion’s Message: Learning from Each Other with Midwifery Today
  In this column, Marion reflects on what she learned from Elizabeth Davis’s presentation on brainwaves and what they reflect in unborn babies, birthing babies and mothers in labor.
• Media Reviews
• Wisdom of the Midwives
  In this column, midwives discuss what the term “traditional midwife” means to them.
• Midwifery & Childbirth News
• Photo Album
• Classified Advertising

Features

• Why Choose Homebirth—Maryl Smith
  Midwife Maryl Smith interviews a hospital L&D nurse who gives her perspective on why she chose homebirth for her babies.
• Choosing Freedom Means Taking Responsibility—Ina May Gaskin
  Well-loved midwife Ina May Gaskin discusses the state of homebirth in the Netherlands.
• Birth at Home vs. Birth “Elsewhere”—Michel Odent
  A thought-provoking article discussing the placenta, the microbiome and why homebirth is the ideal.
• Three Cases of Prolonged Second Stage Labor: Lasting 14, 17 and 24 Hours—Judy Slome Cohain
  The author challenges the status quo of time limits in labor. With illustrative photos, she shares her personal experiences with long second stage labors with moulding—noting the lack of documented causation between the status quo and adverse outcomes.
• My Journey into Homebirth: A Midwife’s Perspective—Debra Fiore
  A midwife shares the winding path through her journey to becoming and being a midwife.
• Homebirth—The Power of One—Sister MorningStar
  shares some of her inspirational stories from around the world, through which she advocates for undisturbed homebirth.
• Homebirth Herbal First Aid Kit—Susun Weed
  Learn about the herbs to have on hand when attending a homebirth or giving birth at home.
• “The Sainted Ann Hutchinson”: Midwife of Grace (1591–1643)—Jane Beal
  Another of Jane Beal’s series of stories about midwives in history. This story features Anne Hutchinson—who figured prominently in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
• Homebirth Stories
• Sweet Surrender—Cherrie Lynn Fors-Newman
  Drawing from the power of her descendents and her desire to birth at home, the author surrenders herself to powerful birth.
• Amish Birth—Ireena Keesler
  Like all of her stories of midwifing to the Amish community, this one is a joy to read. Keeslar has a gift of painting a picture of the setting and how homebirth amazing yet mundane.
• Rainbow Baby—Debbie Brown
  After her sixth delivery and loss of a baby, the author finally gets the homebirth she dreamed of.
• It Takes a Team: A Sunrise Homebirth—Amber Coleman
  The author shares her homebirth story, focusing not only on the powerful experience but on how her birth team was integral to it.
• The Homebirth Midwife’s Portable Office: Her Car!—Regina Willette
  This practical article covers important items that a homebirth midwife should keep in her to car so she is prepared for anything.
• Homebirth: Now and Then—Diane Goslin
  Midwife Diane Goslin highlights how homebirth has not changed, but the culture of birth has.
• A New Relief Technique for a Common Pregnancy Complaint—Joseph A. Kleman
  Did you know that pain in the hands can be a common symptom in late pregnancy? This massage therapist shares his solution for hand pain in pregnancy, avoiding the need for common medical or surgical intervention.
• Managing GBS—Jane Beal
  This well-researched article provides midwives with up-to-date information on how to deal with group B strep in pregnancy..
• Where are the Future Midwives?—Elise Larson
  Larson argues that midwives have the power to change the current culture that does not value their role in birth. She suggests that mentoring and spreading awareness of their role will help to accomplish this.
• An Itch That Can Kill—Hilary Boyer
  Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a liver disorder that can lead to adverse outcomes for the baby—including stillbirth. Learn about how to identify it early and ensure that the mother receives treatment to minimize risk.

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