Category: Read - Part 3
Marijuana and Pregnancy: What are the Risks?
The use of marijuana (cannabis) has become a widely debated topic in the United States in recent times, and most have strong opinions about the medicinal or recreational use of this powerful plant. As some women consider using marijuana to treat issues such as morning sickness they are left wondering about the effects of marijuana…
Work as A Midwife Abroad: A Midwife’s Tale
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a well-known international humanitarian organization that provides medical support where the need is greatest. Every year, the organization provides emergency medical care to millions of people caught in disaster or crises in some 70 countries around the world. To meet the needs of these populations, MSF seeks out…
Managing Anxiety During Pregnancy and Birth
Anxiety can have have a detrimental impact on women during pregnancy and birth, yet it often goes undetected or untreated. Chinese Medicine practitioner Rebecca Mar Young shares 5 pieces of advice for discovering hidden anxiety, and treating it using holistic measures such as acupressure. Interested in supporting women through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum both…
Helping Midwives Help Women: The Importance of Childbirth Education
It is critical that an expecting family has a strong, supportive team that works together to ensure the family’s desired birth outcome. In this piece, childbirth educator Sarah Clark illuminates how that team goes beyond the midwife, doula, doctor and/or family. She shows us how a childbirth education class informs and prepares the family for…
“If I am free within, nothing can hold me down”
Not every pregnancy is a welcomed miracle at first. For some women, the daunting task of motherhood is faced with a sense of burden and sadness. Yet, in this piece, Corinne Andrews, founder of Birthing Mama® Prenatal Yoga and Wellness, shares how she transformed this feeling into freedom and joy. Through her story, we learn…
Herbs for Pregnancy III: The Mint Family
Green blessings, plant medicines, are everywhere and are instrumental during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum. In this edition of the series called “Herbs for Pregnancy written for Midwife International, Susun Weed describes the usages of three herbs for labor in the mint family: catnip, skullcap, and motherwort. Natural remedies like herbal medicine are a welcome…
CPM vs. CNM: What’s the Difference?
Whether you are interested in hiring a midwife for the delivery of your child or you think you might want to become a midwife, it’s important to know the difference between the various kinds of midwives. cpm vs. cnm The difference between a certified professional midwife and a certified nurse midwife is by degrees—as in,…
Homebirth: Safe and Sane
The rate of homebirths in the United States has remained below 1% for nearly half a century, but why? Peggy O’Mara, former editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine, dives into the statistics, the research, and the reason more and more women are choosing homebirth to safely bring their babies into the world. My parents were…
Vaginal Steams: Q&A; With Rosita Arvigo
Are you interested in learning about natural remedies for women’s health issues including painful menstruation, infertility, uterine fibroids or cysts? Vaginal steams are an amazing universal treatment! Birth Institute recently had the pleasure of conducting a follow-up interview in response to Rosita Arvigo’s article Vaginal Steams: Forgotten Ancient Wisdom for Women’s Healing, originally posted on…
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss
Forever twinned, birth and death represent two of the most transformational and powerful experiences known. Yet, when encountering miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of an infant, birth professionals so often feel overwhelmed, sad, and scared. In this piece, Amy Wright Glenn invites us to become skilled at navigating not only the terrain of joy but…