January 2010
1 post
December 2009
20 posts
Link | Parents.com: Au Natural: Nine Ways to...
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Interesting overview for people checking out all the options for labor support.
WatchThis video from GritTV was inspired by the recent closing of Bellevue Birth Center, the only birth center in New York City serving women on Medicare. Bellevue Birth Center had a <4% cesarean delivery rate vs. the greater than 30% rate in other New York City hospitals. In addition to discussion of the birth center, this video includes discussion of induction of labor, our topic of the week,...
Link | Tips if you are going to be induced
Excellent handout for anyone who does have an induction:
Tips for keeping your birth as healthy and safe as possible when induction is necessary
Link | Problems with New Induction Brochure
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Interesting critique of a new brochure about labor induction by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Questioning the rational for induction and exploring it’s increase is reasonable given that the labor induction rate in the US has more than doubled since 1990. In 2006, 22% (more than 1 in 5) of all pregnant women had their labor induced. Although there are appropriate...
Link | Article: Delayed Cord Clamping Should Be...
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Delayed cord clamping is something that not a lot of people know that much about, or have even considered. Turns out, the standard practice of cutting the cord right away may not be such a hot idea. Educate yourself and if the logic behind waiting makes sense to you, make sure you find a practitioner who shares this view. I’ve worked with women who have asked their ob/gyn at the time of...
Link | What is Orgasmic Birth? | Orgasmic Birth
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Don’t be afraid of the name. This video is fantastic and a must watch for anyone who wants to get in touch with the powerful and positive experience birth can and should be. Check out the trailer and then order and own via Amazon (it’s in the HDNYC store under “top 6 books/dvds)) or get if from Netflix. Seriously, you can rent it from Netflix!
Link | Home Birth With Midwife As Safe As Hospital...
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Link | Avoiding Episiotomy
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As a labor and delivery nurse I really didn’t see that many episiotomies, but I did see plenty of tearing. Most recently with a four pound delivery, which I found really upsetting. The issue from my point of view is providers who rush crowning and the final pushes, combined with the directed pushing that is standard with Obs. When I saw my first delivery with a midwife (Sandy Woods at...
“We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful....”
– Laura Stavoe Harm
November 2009
2 posts
Early Labor Baking Project: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin...
photo & recipe from Another One Bites The Crust
One of my favorite things to recommend to mamas who like to bake is to have an Early Labor Baking Project (let’s just call it ELBP) in mind so that during early labor she and her partner have not only a fun and distracting task, but one that will create edible results that can be shared with the team supporting with the birth. Whether...
September 2009
10 posts
Link | 83 US Baby-Friendly Hospitals and Birth...
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This is a link to the list of 83 US hospitals and birth centers that have implemented the UNICEF-WHO baby-friendly hospital initiative. In the NYC area, the one hospital that made the cut is Harlem Hospital.
Reblogged: [thoughts of] a doula's husband
WOW. What a great couple. Beautiful!
joshcasper:
Okay… I really..really enjoy my wife, Hannah. This could be stated as something obvious…that maybe you’re married because you obviously enjoy her so much — that you wanted to be together for, well life. Doing life together. I do love this phrase, because that’s what it is. Doing life together. For those who don’t know, Hannah is a doula…she...
WatchVideo mentioned in previous post. Honest, informative look at placental encapsulation by comedian Joel Stein. New things (though actually ancient in this case) can make us a little squirmy…it’s ok!
Link | Secrets of the womb
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In a prize-winning essay, Jacqueline Maybin says the female body could hold the key to a medical revolution.
August 2009
21 posts
Link | Giving Birth: Animals and Stars in Action ...
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I love that dolphins have doulas/midwifes!
Link | Video | Cindy Crawford Parts 1 & 2 - My...
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Cindy Crawford’s home birth story was actually the first home birth story I ever really heard about, so this video is especially interesting to hear all these years later. Parts 3 & 4 of her story are on the site as well, so don’t miss ‘em!
“LAMAZE PHILOSOPHY OF BIRTH
Birth is normal, natural, and healthy.
The...”
– Lamaze International
“CARE PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE NORMAL BIRTH
• Labor begins on its own
• Freedom...”
– Lamaze International, based on recommendations of the World Health Organization
Link | Nature Clinical Practice Urology: Is...
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Explanation of why results of studies on circumcision and HIV transmission rates in Africa cannot be generalized, and flaws with the circumcision research and its interpretation. My editorial comment: All of that aside, the belief that baby boys come into this world with a birth defect that requires surgical removal of part of their bodies is just completely bizarre to me. I hope for a day...
Link | Jane Fonda: Community-Based Doulas: A Good...
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Pretty impressive statistics regarding doula use with pregnant teens in Georgia.
Link | Photos: The Birth of Amerlyn Grace
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Beautiful black and white photos
WatchTwo cesarean deliveries followed by home water birth VBAC
This touching video is by Alexandra Orchard who became a midwife following her own birth experiences. You can read more of her story here.
I found this gem via the website Feminist Childbirth Studies. Thank you!
