My fourth little one was born at home. She was my first home-birthed baby. My first was a c-section due to breech, my second and third (twins) were a breech hospital vbac. With baby four, we decided to go with midwives for the personal relationship and their acceptance of our desire for a natural birth. When the time came, our …
A Curve Ball
After I married my husband, I often imagined what our future would be like together. I pictured what our home life would be like. A steady stream of chaos with kids going to and fro, countless activities, gadgets littered about the yard, leaving no question to onlookers that kids were being raised there. I thought of what my husband would …
Choosing Caregivers
Choosing the right caregiver when you become pregnant can be overwhelming as well as difficult. In the past, financial considerations had often been the deciding factor in choosing caregivers to support you during birth. A doula may cost around $1,000. Hiring midwives used to cost around $3,500. However, midwifery services are now covered within our provincial health care insurance plan. …
Informed Decisions In Pregnancy And Birth
Birth Unlimited and the team at Birthing Magazine support the rights of the pregnant and birthing woman to make informed choices about her own care. Navigating the many interactions with your healthcare professional during the prenatal and birthing period can be a challenge if you are not sure of your own rights. The number of decisions that need to be …
Birth Interventions: Making an Informed Choice about Intravenous (IV) Fluids
The team at Birthing Magazine is dedicated to providing women with knowledge to make empowered and informed decisions about their bodies. While we know that many women birth free of interventions there are times when an intervention is suggested by a care provider. In the coming issues we will look at common interventions used in pregnancy and birth. What are …
The Placenta: An Extraordinary Organ
Often we forget about the placenta when anticipating birth. the contractions announcing its arrival after birth sometimes come as a surprise. with the medicalization of birth it became rare for women to even see their placentas. now we are remembering the many uses for this extraordinary organ and the ways we can honour and celebrate it. The placenta begins its …
By Her Side
Birth companionship is part science, part art and whole-hearted work for everyone involved. Holding the space, being present and avoiding the urge to apply a “quick fix” is hard, but very important work. As a partner, relative or friend it can be challenging to find the best ways to support a woman through her pregnancy, birth and early postpartum experiences. …
Return to Myself: a journey of healing
Our childbearing years are a time of deep vulnerability and transformation. Those who support women on this journey have their own stories and carry with them the stories of those they support as well. Often there are challenges and sometimes there is trauma. The reverberations of these experiences are felt throughout our lives. Nan Nassef, a doula and Birth Story …
My Birth Education
The more I read birth stories and talk to other women about their birth experiences, the more I feel I was lucky to have the experience I did. I’ve realized that, as women, we need to educate ourselves about birth. I wouldn’t have done that if some friends hadn’t pointed me in the right direction. When my husband and I …