Jessica Austin | Birth Takes a Village | Page 2

A nice graphic from Sam Talbot, designer, activist & former doula. Do you think it makes sense that only 60% of Canadian babies are born vaginally without surgical or instrumental assistance? Read more →

Women birthing with medical care providers such as doctors and registered midwives often have vaginal exams performed every 2-4 hours during a woman’s labour, depending on the care provider and birth location. I could go on and on about cervical exams and how important I believe it is to be extremely cautious with both choosing if or when to have routine cervical… Read more →

Someone asked me today (like almost everyday): “How often do you see complications arise in home births?” I gave them the same answer I always give:”Rarely. I see complications happen WAY more frequently in hospitals. And the odd time a complication does arise, in my experience, they are handled in a MUCH more smooth and calm fashion in the home… Read more →

There are many herbs and essential oils that are commonly recommended for childbirth. I always encourage my clients to treat any herbal or plant preparations as medicine. I typically do not recommend using herbs for inducing birth, and encourage people to avoid thinking that herbal inductions are “natural inductions”. Herbal medicines can be powerful, and as such, need to be… Read more →

If you are making plans for your upcoming birth, here’s a quick list of questions to ask your OB. Don’t make assumptions; the answers may surprise you:   1. What are the chances you will be on call when my birth happens? 2. Who will attend my birth, if not you? How many other doctors are on your call-team? 3.… Read more →