Author and Visionary Amy Richards gives us a glimpse of the New York-based event “Feminist Camp”, a week long immersion in which women and girls have a chance to intimately explore the realities of religion, incarceration, media, philanthropy and, of course, reproductive justice. At this biannual event, participants confront their own beliefs and assumptions related…
American moms and their babies are being undermined by corporate interests at an alarming rate. In this riveting piece, Jennifer Margulis, Ph.D., award-winning investigative journalist and author of “The Business of Baby”, exposes shocking statistics and surprising corporate practices true in most American hospitals, where cost, and maternal mortality, are high. Want to become a midwife?…
with Debra Flashenberg When it comes to supporting women in labor, doulas have a very specific scope of practice. As professional doulas, it is important for us to remember which activities are appropriate for us to engage in with clients, and which are not. Prenatal yoga teacher, labor support doula and childbirth educator Debra Flashenberg…
Like any rite of passage, birth is a time of profound physical, emotional and spiritual transformation in a woman’s life. It is a time during which, if supported appropriately, a birthing woman is capable of entering an altered state, ushering in a new, elevated consciousness that will serve her for the rest of her life….
During pregnancy, breath is the life force that carries essential oxygen to the mother as well as the baby growing inside. It also provides the key to relaxation, which many birth professionals know is essential to reducing pain and speeding up labor. In this article, Jacci Reynolds provides mothers and their care givers with two…
Green blessings! Plant medicines are everywhere and are instrumental during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum. In this edition of the series called “Herbs for Labor” renowned herbalist Susun Weed describes the uses and benefits of ragwort, also known as life root, throughout a woman’s cycle and during pregnancy. Herbal medicine is a welcome addition to…
In today’s world, expecting parents are bombarded with a myriad of information about how to care for their new bundle of joy. Still, for various reasons, quality information about how to promote healthy baby sleep patterns is often not absorbed by families who are preparing to nurture the little one. Heidi Holvoet, PhD, specializes in…
Most people know that using tobacco is a dangerous habit for anyone, and especially for expecting mothers. The news of a baby on the way often motivates women to quit smoking, but staying off of nicotine is generally short lived. In this piece, Pamela McColl, doula and tobacco prevention activist, gives a glimpse into the…
Undeterred by the power of the church, corrupt politics, and a male-dominated culture where they’ve even been threatened with lynching, Evelyn and Ester, two indigenous Guatemalans, courageously travel the mountains and valleys of their native country on a quest to provide family planning education and access to birth control methods to women. It is a…
Constipation during pregnancy is often caused by a blockage of energy, or Qi, in a pregnant woman’s large intestine. In this piece, acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Rebecca Young provides a practical tool for midwives and doulas to help pregnant women overcome this unpleasant challenge during the nine months. By using acupressure on the expectant mother’s…