community resources

You would think someone who has been through medical school would know better….how NOT to hold a baby!

What a great example of the kind of nurse I hope all my clients get!

Dispelling common Myths about Midwives.

Interesting look at the gap between what the evidence – and the major professional organizations – say about VBAC and what individual women are hearing from their doctors as they explore the option of VBAC.

Which leads me to a question raised in this post: What is Dignity in Childbirth?

One thing that can be hard to really convey is that sometimes, a very nice, lovely person can be a bad match as a care provider for birth. So I loved the Well-Rounded Mama’s article “Nice is Not Enough”

Your funny for the day….Panicked Newborn Didn’t Realize Breathing Would be on the Apgar Test

One question I get asked frequently is if it is safe to sleep with your baby. I will refer to an expert on the topic, James McKenna:

Great introductory article on how to know which pregnancy studies are legit. LOVE seeing this kind of info enter the popular media! (And to be honest, wish more reporters would read it!) To learn more, I suggest my other site: Understanding Research.

One of the things I try to do in my classes and in my doula work is help people gain skills in communicating and advocating for themselves with care providers of all kinds. One of my favorite blogs comes through again, with How to Communicate Your Birth Preferences at the Hospital

As a photographer, a doula and a parent, I fell in love with this unusual photography project from Russian photographer Jana Romanava.

I have heard every single one of these 5 Doula Myths! And they *are* all myths!

And while I am at it, I’ve heard every single one of these 6 Stupid Things People Say About Natural Childbirth, too!

I leave tomorrow to attend and present at the Lamaze International conference. I am not a huge user of Twitter, but I plan to Tweet from the conference, and I encourage you to follow the list by following the hashtag #Lamaze13 or subscribing to this list. Wish me luck with my two presentations, I am nervous! (And yes, there will be a post full of conference photos and musings when I get back!)

Today’s video is really amazing! Several months ago, one of the photos from this birth went viral. The photographer, Leilani Rogers, is a friend of mine. I aspire to be as good as she is one day. The video is below, to read more about the birth and what it took to get the amazing photos, read her blog post here. And I highly recommend you follow her on Facebook, too. She’s that good. (Now I’m gushing. I’ll stop now.)

People say the craziest things when they don’t understand something. And quite a few people don’t understand home birth. Here’s a list of 16 things NOT to say to a mom planning a home birth. One of my personal favorites was when I was discussing with a neighbor that I have attended home births. She said that her daughter in law was planning a home birth, and my neighbor was OK with that but did not understand one thing. “She lives in a split level house. How are they going to get the birth bed and fetal monitor up the stairs?”

Interesting look at the way pregnancy comes with so many, many rules, limits and taboos in our society. And how many of them simply don’t hold water under scrutiny. I may have to read the author’s book!

Powerful journal article about abuse in the hospital setting. While the vast majority of my experiences are positive, I have on several occasions witnessed treatment in the hospital that I would define as abusive. The huge imbalance of power in the relationship between the “patient” and the “medical authority”, combined with our cultural training to follow “doctor’s orders” is a situation ripe for problems. It’s not an easy read, but an important one for all moms, and particularly for all professionals who work with laboring women.

Maybe it is because I am a childbirth educator. Maybe it is because I’ve spent much of my life working hard to make my classes be a great resource and worth the time of those attending. But I just loved Robin’s list of 4 Reasons to Stop Dissing Childbirth Classes!

Today’s video is a promo for the upcoming Empowering Fearless Birth event. I am so excited by the amount of interest and buzz the last event created, and the upcoming event looks even better. I will be there as a vendor and also presenting a session on finding good information on the internet. If you are at all interested in birth as a parent, as a professional, or as someone who was once born, please come! I would love to have you stop by my vendor booth and say hello! (And enter to win a gift certificate…)

(Also you can see my booth from the March event at 5:02 in this video!)

It’s not at all unusual for even the most determined mom to say something along the lines of “I can’t do this any more, get me an epidural!” In fact in 14 years and hundreds of births, I can only remember ONE mom who never said anything like that. It’s a tough spot for a doula. I’ve got my tricks up my sleeve for helping moms get past that point, but I still enjoyed Jodi The Doula’s take on how to help moms at that point in labor.

An interesting theory about preterm labor….could disrupted sleep be one possible cause?

Interesting evidence connecting cesarean delivery with endometriosis.

An interesting – and fairly understandable – article on how to change the current health care system for cost savings AND better health outcomes. For an article that appears in JAMA, it is remarkably positive about midwifery and out of hospital birth.

This article led me to what looks like a great resource for moms who find out their baby is breech: MyBreechBaby.org

I loved this approach to supporting other moms: You’re Doing it Right.

Today’s video is a fun time lapse!

Great article on things to consider when deciding if older siblings should be present for the birth. I’ve attended births where older siblings were present, and they were great experiences for everyone. But that doesn’t mean it is the right choice for every family.

Loved this article on “Is your lactation consultant an impostor?”

I’ve posted the link to Jodi the Doula’s article “No More Free Births” before. I whole heartedly agree with her. Recently there has been a firestorm of criticism over the article, so Jodi posted an excellent follow up: “A Doula for Everyone”

This article discusses something that many don’t talk about. Some doctors try to stitch up mom’s perineum after a tear or episiotomy in a way that is tighter than normal, in attempt to increase their partner’s sexual pleasure. However, this so called “husband stitch” creates a situation where mom is painfully and unnaturally sewn up. Just say no to the “husband stitch” or to any efforts to “tighten you up a little.”

And just for fun: 18 Valuable Lessons Stock Photography Taught Us About Parenting.

This 4 1/2 minute video is a fantastic explanation for why it is crucial to let your baby choose their own birth date, even if you develop S.T.O.P. Syndrome. (That’s “Sick & Tired Of Pregnancy Syndrome”). For more info on this topic, download this fact sheet.