It is already known that caregivers’ attitude and behavior is important in determining whether a woman has a satisfying experience of childbirth. But our knowledge about memory of labor pain is still limited. Is satisfaction with labor linked to memories of the pain?

Professor Ulla Waldenstrom and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden explain that the memory of labor pain usually reduces over time, but for some women it increases. The team set out to investigate the memory of labor pain after two months, one year, and five years, and whether it is linked to the pain relief used and the woman’s feelings about her experience.

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2009/childbirth-experience-determines-memory-of-pain/

I wanted to look at whether as an educator I did enough to prepare the men in class? Do they want to be present during the labour and birth? Are they the most appropriate person to be adequately supporting women through the birthing process?

I also wanted to know if the men felt under pressure to be present during labour and birth and where did that pressure come from their partners or their peers. I also wanted to know if their intention was to be supportive or was it more about witnessing the birth of their offspring? But whatever the questions I wanted to know if there was more I needed to be doing as an educator and midwife to prepare the men to be more effective as a support person.

http://nzmidwiferypractisingreflection.blogspot.com/2008/12/men-in-labour-room-do-they-want-to-be.html

Anita, a midwife friend of mine, and I have been going around our city of just over 100,000 people distributing flyers for her birth center and homebirth practice and Midwifery Today’s Eugene conference programs. We take our flyers with pins and tape and tack them on bulletin boards in health food stores, community services agencies, the public library and many other places.

This has been a terrific outreach for both of us. We’ve learned a lot about our community’s resources while carrying out marketing efforts. It has been so fruitful and fun that I recommend that midwives and doulas do a similar outreach in their communities. One of the best parts is that while we’re driving around we are talking, ranting and otherwise solving all of the problems in birth today. The other delight is the amazing people we’ve met who are part of our community.

http://community.midwiferytoday.com/blogs/jan/archive/2009/03/01/back-door-birth-activism-let-your-community-know-about-midwifery.aspx

When it’s time to bring a new baby into the world, there’s a lot to be said for letting nature take the lead. The normal, hormone-driven changes in the body that naturally occur during delivery can optimize infant health and encourage the easy establishment and continuation of breastfeeding and mother-baby attachment. Childbirth without technical intervention can succeed in leading to a good outcome for mother and child, according to a new report.

http://auguriesofinnocence.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/childbirth-back-to-basics-is-better/

On Sat, May 7 I woke up and was having contractions every 5 minutes for half an hour. I got all excited and thought it was labor for sure, so I got up and called the answering service. By the time she called back, the contractions had pretty much died down. The midwife (Erin) told me to go lie back down and if contractions picked up, then I should call back. I went and layed down and fifteen minutes later, they came back. I decided I would sit for another fifteen minutes to see what happened before calling again. This time they died and didn’t come back. I lost a couple hours of sleep for nothing.

http://experiencingmotherhood.com/?p=381

Right before Thanksgiving, Ricki and I got to fulfill a dream…visiting Ina May Gaskin at The Farm in Tennessee. We had always wanted to film Ina May at The Farm for BOBB but ran out of production funds and time. We decided that we MUST get there to film for our follow-up DVD, so Wednesday morning November 19th (mere hours after Ricki hosted a benefit at Babeland for The New Space for Women’s Health) we hopped a plane to Nashville.

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/blog/2008/12/09/down-on-the-farm/

From the time I was a teenager, I have wanted to be a midwife. The idea of catching babies has always been fascinating to me. I find pregnancy and birth to be an amazing process. Having my own children, participating in births, catching several precipitous births as a nurse, and working with several wonderful nurse-midwives have helped me realize that becoming a nurse-midwife is my destiny. I am an adrenalin junkie, and birth is the ultimate rush. Becoming a nurse-midwife has been my dream and ultimate goal driving me in both my life and the development of my nursing career. Attending graduate school at this time in my life is a culmination of my long-term desire to become a nurse-midwife.

http://atyourcervix.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-i-want-to-be-midwife-paper.html

Let’s face it: the economy sucks right now. We haven’t yet hit rock bottom, and it’s going to be awhile (probably a long while) before things begin to recover. In the midst of this harsh financial reality, companies and industries are scrambling to find ways to save money. Birth activists have been trying for decades to convince this country of the benefits of midwifery based on its safety and track record of better outcomes, not to mention improved client satisfaction, but hey, this is America—the only thing people really pay attention to in this country is the bottom line. So maybe midwifery has finally found the argument it needs to affect actual change. In the midst of one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression, NOW is the time to increase access to midwifery care because it’s excellent care for a heck of a lot less than what we’re currently spending on maternity care.

http://www.bellytales.com/2008/12/30/recession-relief-midwifery-saves-money/

Herbal supplements and pharmaceutical drugs should both be avoided during lactation unless there is a clear indication for them, but there are many herbs that are considered to be perfectly safe for breastfeeding mothers, especially when they are used with consideration and moderation. The following guidelines can help nursing mothers to select herbal supplements that will be both safe and effective under their circumstances.

http://herbalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/medicinal_herbs_and_breastfeeding