Even the healthiest of mother’s diets can cause trouble for young babies who are breastfeeding, as certain foods may cause issues like gas, allergic reactions, colic, and cradle cap, among others. Ebeth Johnson (aka. The Breastfeeding Chef) shares insight on how new mamas can change to improve the comfort and health of their babies. As…
How can birth workers provide meaningful support while preserving the power of the people we serve? In this piece, Stephanie Lynn Tanner shares the importance of holding safe, intimate space while maintaining professional boundaries that support the autonomy and agency of our clients. She gives a few tips for creating a practice that is healthy…
In this presentation, you will learn about the practice of Family Centered Cesarean, a new, exciting approach to Cesarean birth that fosters a gentler, more client focused birth experience for families who must undergo surgical birth. Jen will introduce you to the evidence-based underpinnings of the Family Centered Cesarean movement as well as discuss practical…
When it comes to birth, we like to talk about the choices that women and families have to decide how and when the bring their precious new life into the world – but many women are in situations where the choice is not all theirs. In this piece, doula Sandra Maurer sheds light on the…
Sister MorningStar has dedicated a lifetime to the preservation of instinctual birth among native people, having helped thousands ofwomen find empowerment through this transformational experience. In this piece, she gives us a glimpse of the intimate bond she forms with the women she works with, highlights the importance of preserving traditional midwifery skills, and explores…
Mother Earth provides us with an extraordinary assortment of natural tools, such as plant medicines, to maintain the health of ourselves and one another. In this edition of the series called “Herbs for Labor” for Birth Institute Susun Weed gives an explanation of the properties and uses of Blue and Black Cohosh. Herbal knowledge, the…
As an ethnobotanist in Central America for the past thirty years, Rosita Arvigo has met some fascinating people, many of whom are healers. One of the most memorable to her was Miss Hortence Robinson, (1922 – 2009), a Belizean herbal midwife and shaman. In this piece, Rosita shares the story of Miss Hortence, from her…
For many women, the thought of their birth experience resulting in a cesarean section may be terrifying or disappointing, but it doesn’t have to be. In today’s world, births through cesarean sections are part and parcel to a ever-more medicalized system, but there is more we can do than simply avoid this surgical process. Whether…
Castor oil has been used by healers throughout history who understood its benefits in supporting wellness. In this piece, Certified Clinical Herbalist Christina Bertelli explores some of the new scientific research that verifies what healers have known for centuries, shares the impact castor oil has on PMS, fibroids, fertility, and postpartum recovery, and provides us…
Learn about the ancient wisdom of vaginal steaming with Rosita Arvigo, DN, a naprapathic physician, herbalist, international lecturer, author and teacher of Maya medicine. Find out how vaginal steaming can be used to treat fertility challenges and prepare the womb for a baby, as well as how vaginal steaming can support women after giving birth….