I found a Chinese finger trap in my kids' leftover party decorations the other day and, on a whim to avoid my present responsibilities, I felt drawn to playing with it. Naturally, my mind wandered to birth, which is pretty normal... but it seemed like the finger trap was trying to tell me something important. … Continue reading How a Chinese Finger Trap Teaches About Birth
Many childbirth books offer a picture of the birth process that has been influenced by the medical model as a standard. "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" describes birth as a physiological process, with respect to the many variations of natural (unmedicated) vaginal birth. I consider this book to be a must-read for anyone who desires … Continue reading Book Review: “Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin
We can all learn quite a few helpful things from "Cut, Stapled, and Mended: When One Woman Reclaimed Her Body and Gave Birth on Her Own Terms After Cesarean" -- the memoir of a woman fighting for a vaginal birth after cesarean, and finding her authentic self in the process. First, it reminds of the importance … Continue reading Book Review: “Cut, Stapled, and Mended” by Roanna Rosewood
What's This Week All About? World Doula Week kicked off in Israel as the first Doula Day on March 22, 2011. This is the date of the spring equinox, symbolizing the return of fertility. "The purpose of World Doula Week (WDW) is to empower doulas all over the world to improve the physiological, social, emotional, and … Continue reading Ideas For Celebrating World Doula Week
Ah, sleep. Between the topics of how parents feed their child and how they medicate their child, somewhere we find the ultra-controversial topic of -- dun dun dun (wish I could say zz, zzz, zzzz...) -- infant sleep. Your heart says to keep your baby close at all times, but your head hesitates with concerns … Continue reading Cosleeping & Breastfeeding
