When the Unexpected Happens: Transfers from Community Based Birth to the Hospital

by Jessi Vining In 2013, the planned homebirth of my daughter became an unexpected hospital birth fraught with complications. I had been working as a doula and midwife’s assistant for 3 years, and I felt pretty confident and prepared going into my first birth experience. I had done everything “right” in order to have the peaceful homebirth that I wanted and that I felt was best for my baby and my body. I had eaten well, exercised, taken Hypnobirthing classes, and had trusted midwives who were committed to supporting me.  I had also professionally supported dozens of people in achieving their birth goals as a doula, and had even facilitated several transfers from community birth to the hospital as a midwife’s assistant. I thought I was ready. But I wasn’t. Childbearing brings everyone to their knees in some way or another, and the transfer into the hospital caught me completely off guard. I wasn’t going to be one of those people, I thought. My daughter was ... Read More

These Are My Hours: A Documentary About Birth

by Carrie Felter These are my hours, let them be hard. This is the sentiment of an immersive documentary about birth that gives the power of the process back to the birth giver. It is an emboldening display of one person’s birth journey and how it fits into the larger conversation about this universal experience.  Birth workers Carey Glenn (CPM, LM) and Emily Graham of Rooted Birth Midwifery created a film which documents the birth of Graham’s fourth child. Fulfilling the roles of both birth giver and birth worker, the two highlight the sacredness of the act and set the focus of the film on the person giving birth rather than the provider. For most of the film Graham is the only one who appears on screen while only glimpses of her support system are seen, putting her at the center of the experience.  The pair acknowledges that not everyone can choose or predict where they give birth which is why Graham recognizes “the intent of the film isn’t a how to, it’s not a statement to ... Read More

The History of the Postpartum

by Raichal Reed Rites of passage have happened through every culture and throughout time. According to a scholarly journal written by Malin Eberhard-Gran, there are three phases: Separation, Margin/Threshold, and Reincorporation. Separation is defined as the individual being detached from the social environment (family, friends, etc.), then the margin (the outer edge of society where growth and knowledge occurs) and finally reincorporation (the individual returns to society changed and in a new social position). Just like with these rites of passage, pregnancy and the postpartum can be defined within these three phases. For the sake of this article, we will be focusing on the transition between the margin and the reincorporation as seen through the birth of the child to the end of the postpartum period. The postpartum period has been defined by many cultures. Some names that “the postpartum” has taken in other cultures are: Satogaeri Bunben (Japan), Zuo yuezi (China), Yu duan ... Read More

Episiotomy in Childbirth: A Thing of the Past?

by Jessi Vining I was nineteen the first time I saw a woman cut without her consent. As a wide-eyed baby doula I watched, my mouth hanging open, while the doctor sliced into my client’s flesh without using any anesthesia. She cried out in pain and surprise, and looked up at me in shock. This wasn’t supposed to be happening anymore, I thought.  I had just finished reading Episiotomy and the Second Stage of Labor by Sheila Kitzinger and Penny Simkin - a small book summarizing the research and evidence showing routine episiotomy to be harmful, rather than beneficial for parent or infant. That book had been published in 1984, and so I had assumed that by 2011 most (if not all) doctors would have abandoned the surgical procedure altogether. Sadly, no.The last eight years of birth work have shown me that the practice of routine episiotomy still hasn’t been eradicated like I once assumed, or even truly restricted to the “emergency-only” status ... Read More

High Risk, or Racial Diss?

lab supplies for prenatal care

by Rudy Johnson How many of you have hopes and dreams? And I am not talking about flying to the moon or visiting Mars, but practical down to earth dreams. When young, our dreams are more outlandish. As an adult, practicality hits, as does the drive to live a purposeful life. Here in the United States, we’re given the chance to dream. As a citizen of this “developed” nation, we’re taught to shoot for the stars, and to grab a piece of the proverbial pie. For most, the goals would be to raise a family, and gain financial success. But this fairy tale life is just that for too many of the “citizens” of this great nation. For minorities, getting to the family part can literally result in death. Specifically when you look at the disturbing gaps between the care we seek for pregnancy/childbirth and the care we actually get. For people of color, that disparity occurs at a staggeringly higher percentage. Why Choose Birth Work? Knowing why you choose this realm or profession may start ... Read More

Top 4 Places To Get CEUs To Improve How You Care For LGBTQ+ Families in 2019

Are you in need of continuing education units this year? Do you also want to do better in caring for LGBTQ+ clients as a birthworker? We have some ideas for you. Midwifery Care for Every Body: Integrating Gender Inclusive Practices for the Benefit of All Clients You have to act fast for this one! This introductory level course from queer midwife Ray Rachlin will be held this Saturday (October 19th, 2019) in Philadelphia, PA. Topics include vocabulary related to care for transgender clients, approaches to informed consent, inclusive infant feeding, and more. Space is limited, but still available, at $70 for those needing CEUs. A sliding scale is available for birthworkers of color. 2 Contact Hours (ACNM) Contraception Care for Transmasculine Individuals on Testosterone Therapy This course focuses very specifically on a single topic that is exactly as the title suggests: contraception for people who were assigned female at birth and currently on testosterone therapy. ... Read More

The Faster Than Expected Home Water Birth of Lucia

by S. Bower I’m finally writing my birth story, almost twelve weeks later! I meant to since the week after Lucia was born, but more went into it than I expected! But I am so excited that I finally got my home water birth! I woke up on July 3rd feeling a bit miserable. I had another night of pain in my pelvis, backache, and needing to pee every few minutes, and mild waves that I’d been having for over two weeks! I was planning to take my son to the zoo that day, but I was so tired. My mom came over to visit and brought us breakfast, and I ate almost a whole box of kolaches myself! We took for a walk and joked about how I would probably birth that day since I was already exhausted. But the waves stopped while I was up and moving and the rest of the walk was calm except all the kolaches gave me really bad heartburn. I got really grumpy as the day went, and guessed I was just tired from not sleeping great for several days. I needed to do some paperwork that was already over due, so ... Read More

Not All Families Are Built The Same: A Look At Surrogacy

by Chelsea Lanai Kimball Surrogacy In Pop Culture: Over the past few years, surrogacy has started to be made more public. In pop culture, and on the news, we have started to hear more about surrogacy in a positive, and negative light. The first thing that comes to mind is movies and television. "Baby Mama" the 2008 rom/com starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Hilarious, but problematic to the reality of surrogacy. When the Bough Breaks (2016), A Surrogate's Nightmare (2017), and A Deadly Adoption (2015) are the first movies that pop up if you google "Surrogacy Movies". All problematic and unrealistic. On the other hand, a lot of celebrities have gone public with tales of how their families came to be via surrogacy. Tyra Banks, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Pompeo, Nicole Kidman, Elton John, Ricky Martin, and others have all been quoted, gushing about their experiences using a gestational carrier (a surrogate who is not biologically tied to the baby). Far from the images we see on ... Read More

What Is A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist?

by Tulsi Desai (Physical Therapist) A lot of birth workers have heard about pelvic floor. They know it’s important. Some are very well aware about what it exactly means either because they have been in the birthing profession for a long time, or have friends who are pelvic PT, or some have personally gone through pelvic floor rehabilitation after their babies. But there are so many others who think they kind of know what pelvic floor is? But not really. And they are not sure who to ask for more accurate answer. My name is Tulsi Desai. I am a pelvic floor physical therapist. You would ask why is pelvic floor physical therapy any different from regular physical therapy? Hope I can answer this as accurately as possible. Every physical therapist has to go through basic physical therapy degree either Bachelors, Masters (common degrees for more experienced therapists who graduated long time ago) and/or Doctorate in physical therapy/DPT (I won’t go into too much detail about the degree ... Read More

Postpartum Depression Tried To Kill Me, Community Saved Me

by A. Jones Content warning: mention of traumatic birth, attempted suicide, postpartum mood disorders, unplanned cesarean, and failure to thrive in a newborn. My baby was born in the hospital that was across the street from my apartment. My OB was the first one that came up on my insurance’s website. They were convenient, and I trusted their credentials completely. They knew what they were doing, so I didn’t have to. I didn’t take a childbirth class because my doctor reassured me they only help women who are trying to suffer through without an epidural. I didn’t hire a doula because my doctor promised me they would start an epidural as soon as I had contractions and I would sleep through labor. I came in for an induction on my due date. I never went past 2cm dilation. I had a cesarean for failure to progress. After, a nurse reassured me that I would never have to go through labor again. Any other births would be scheduled surgeries. I had never wanted an intervention free birth, ... Read More

  • Are you planning an event, fundraiser, or training in 2020 that's part of grassroots organization or community based program working towards equity in birth or reproductive justice? If so, we have some print ad space set aside just for you. This issue is going to print soon though, so this offer is for a limited time only. If you have an ad you'd like us to run, email us as soon as possible at thebirthmag@gmail.com Please feel free to help us spread the word by tagging your favorite birth or reproductive justice organization! #birthwork #inclusivebirthworkers #reproductivejustice #equityinbirth #birthworkforall #communitymidwife
  • The first print issue is coming! Subscriptions now available on www.TheBirthMag.com. We are so excited about this gorgeous cover art by birthworker and artist @laurenjturnerfineart ! #magazine #birthwork #midwifery #thebirthmag
  • #Repost @heartberry.bw • • • • • • Shinnecock Hills, New York THAT PART❕ I have been waiting for statistics like this to include in my work, being that I’m an Indigenous Birth Worker. THIS is exactly why I choose to put Shinnecock, Indigenous and women of color at the forefront of my work - our treatment is going unnoticed in the health care system. We NEED to make this a conversation! We NEED to have solid solutions! Heal our women, save the children. @everymomcounts shined a spotlight on the importance of culturally-appropriate, respectful care amidst the growing maternal health crisis. Check out the film Giving Birth in America on CNN! • #indigenousdoulahood #indigenousdoula #fullspectrumdoula #eastenddoula #heartberrybirthwork #heartberry #birthwork #love #indigenousmotherhood #blackmotherhood #nativeamericanheritagemonth #indigenous #shinnecock #decolonize #destroycolonialism #maternalmortality #givingbirthinamerica
  • Thank you so much to everyone who has expressed interest in writing for The Birth Mag! We're working our way through the emails we've recieved and will get back to everyone as soon as possible. If you're wanting to apply, but haven't yet, we'd still love to hear from you!
  • The Birth Mag is looking to add a couple of staff writers to our team. We're seeking midwives, students, birth support people, advocates, and organizers from a broad variety of backgrounds to write a few articles each month on birthwork related topics that they are passionate about. #thebirthmag #magazine #midwiferyskills #makebirthworkinclusive #homebirth #birthworker #birthkeeper #birthattendant
  • The Birth Mag is looking for a couple of staff writers. Might that be you? Experience with birth work is strongly preferred, but previous publication isn't required. Email a resume, a writing sample or two, and your thoughts on what you would want to write about if this platform was regularly available to share your work on. thebirthmag@gmail.com #thebirthmag #magazine #callforsubmissions #birthwork #inclusivebirthworkers
  • Did you know that Native American and Indigenous midwives account for only about 1% or less of the midwifery workforce? Today, for Indigenous Peoples' Day, let's lift up Indigenous birthworkers. Some birthworkers and birth work organizations you may want to consider following, supporting, or donating to: @tewawomenunited @onkwehonwemidwives @indigenousmatriarch @maytethewombdoula @n5gonzales #changingwomaninitiative @parteramidwifery @matrizmidwife @luzdemilcolores @daphnesingingtree Please share if you know of others! #indigenouspeoplesday #indigenousmidwifery #indigenousmidwife
  • Gorgeous pic by @evadianaphotography of gestational carrier Chelsea (@chelseakimballdoula), who just shared a great article with us dispelling some myths about surrogacy, and intended mother with newborn born through surrogacy. #gestationalcarrier #surrogacy #birthsupport #birthphotographer #birthphotography