Humanized Birth

I recently wrote a post for the Citizens for Midwifery blog about birth practices in the Ukraine which developed into musings about humanized birth (regardless of country). Rather than repeat myself here, I will just go ahead and link to my post:
Birth Plan Item #1: Leave My Cervix Inside My Body!

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What to Expect When You Go to the Hospital for a Natural Childbirth

I’ve been debating about whether to share this post or not. I’m concerned that it may come across as unnecessarily negative, pessimistic, or even “combative” or “anti-hospital.”  However, I do think it is honest and I’ve decided to share it. There is a fairly “normal” course of events for women having a natural birth in [...]

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Can I really expect to have a great birth?

I received a comment via another blog asking “given my limited situation, can I really expect to have a great birth today?” (homebirth, midwife, and doula were all not options for the person asking the question). I think the answer is a qualified “yes.” The question really got me thinking about ways to help yourself [...]

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Benefits of Active Birth

From Janet Balaskas’ classic book, Active Birth:
“When birth is active–

There is less need for drugs.
Discomfort and pain are less.
The uterus functions better, so artificial stimulants are not usually necessary.
Labors are shorter.
The supply of oxygen to the baby is improved.
There is less need for forceps or vacuum extraction.
The secretion of hormones that regulate the whole process [...]

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