by Eva Martin, MD When I speak to women in their first pregnancies, they usually have no idea what cervical dilation is. But, ask any mom who has gone through labor, and she can tell you it’s very important. The cervix is the doorway from the womb (uterus) to the birth canal. When a woman
by Paula Meyer, DONA certified birth doula As a doula, I often get approached because expectant parents want extra guidance and information regarding important childbirth decisions. However, I typically interact with them after the first trimester – after many people have already made THE most important decision regarding their birth. Wait, there’s actually a
by Vanessa Stepan Having a natural birth is not an unrealistic goal if it’s something you really desire and commit to preparing for. Just like you would need to train before running a marathon, you will want to prepare both mentally and physically for having a natural birth. Taking a childbirth course from an
by Becca Gordon Pregnant folks, have you all been told to write a birth plan? Have you seen funny mock birth plans on the internet? Does it seems strange to you to try to lay out a plan for something as unpredictable as labor? Did your hospital or birth center provide you with the
By Britt Fohrman In my practice as a Birth Doula, Prenatal Yoga Teacher and Birth Educator, I am devoted to helping women prepare for a conscious birth. I used to focus more on “natural birth” but after years of attending all sorts of births, I started to see how limiting that focus was. Any
by Neri Life Choma Did you ever hear the analogy between childbirth and a marathon run? Many of us are familiar with this analogy, but I wonder what comes to mind when you hear it, or think about it: Is it the many hours of physical strains? Is it being in pain? Maybe you
…For a More Enjoyable Pregnancy and Birth Want to have a pleasurable birth? Or at the very least, a manageable birth where love, joy and embodied power surround you and your baby? Have you ever considered that birth is sexual and that tapping into your sexual and sensual energy might help you birth your
“Why don’t they tell us? I would tell you! If I had an extra flap over my clitoris I’d give you a head’s up!” –Amy Schumer, Mostly Sex Stuff By the way, even the description for this video clip from Amy’s stand-up special I found on YouTube simply says the following one-liner: “Unfortunately she
A few years back while in lactation educator training, I learned that it was the birth of the placenta that signals the body to begin the milk increasing process; and I was like “Woah” – Keanu Reeves style. Once again and continually, the placenta inspires me as a doula, mother, woman, and mammal. The cross-cultural
I found out I was pregnant immediately after returning from my honeymoon. We had spent several weeks in Bali gazing at various well-endowed fertility statues, whispering wishes for my future children into the ears of the stone figures in the Sacred Monkey Forest, and we had bought a carved palm leaf etching of Dewi Sri,