There is a lot of information out there on what your options are during childbirth. If you are out there getting yourself informed, you likely will have armed yourself with information on the common interventions and procedures that are standard practice during birth: fetal heart rate monitoring, cervical exams, induction, pain medication, etc. But do […]
I think something really important gets left out in a lot of circumcision debates. People talk about ethics and tradition in regards to circumcision. People debate whether or not circumcision has health benefits. But something that often gets left out is that the foreskin actually has important functions that are lost when it is removed. […]
When Should I Hire A Doula? The earlier in your pregnancy you arrange for support from a birth doula, the better. Hiring a doula early on in your pregnancy allows you to take full advantage of the support and resources a doula has to offer, and to ensure we will be available during your estimated […]
An incredible photo series of a woman catching her own baby was posted in a facebook group and written about recently. It wasn’t known where the images came from or who took them. I went on a hunt to find the source, as the images were so beautiful and powerful I thought they and their story […]
I asked my doula students last week what the word “Wise” meant to them. What does a wise person look like? Sound like? Act like? Represent? Why is wisdom something we look for in our birth attendants? How can we practice being wise? Here is what they came up with: An elder, or someone who […]
As luck would have it, I was able to attend not one, but two special births in my home province of Alberta the fall before last. One was for my sister, who gave birth to the cutest nephew that anybody ever had, and whose story I posted a few weeks ago. The other was for […]
While the vast majority of the time birth goes (or SHOULD go!) smoothly, occasionally a family doesn’t get the birth of their dreams. A mother wrote her wise and beautiful reflections on not getting her dream birth, and how the first year of her child’s life taught her so much about parenting and about birth […]
Jessica Austin is absolutely amazing! I met her and instantly loved her. She is sincerely understanding and compassionate, and hugely involved in the doula and midwifery worlds. She in an activist for women’s birthing rights, trains new doulas through the Wise Woman Way of Birth program, and is full of amazing tools and info for birth. Michael and […]
By popular demand, I’ll be doing some more posts and videos on the postpartum period, primarily with my sister, Jen Reddish, Jen is a therapist who focuses on mental well-being in the perinatal period. Our last video, Postpartum Rage, was a huge hit, and several of my clients messaged me saying, “Your sister is amazing! […]
Guest post by Kathleen Nash I have been trying not to rant about this, but today is a special day so here we go. Attention advice givers: My entire goal of parenting is not to shut my child up. Also, your assumptions and judgments are not welcome. Please try to understand that being a new […]
Many people wonder how and when the baby should be separated from the placenta, especially those in the “free birth” community who may be birthing without professional attendants. Here are some things to consider about the baby’s umbilical cord: When to cut the cord: My opinion is that the best thing to do is to wait […]
A family’s story of their amazing surprise twin hbac… My babies are three weeks old now and I am just starting to wrap my head around our wonderful surprise twin home birth. For me, their birth is a story of incredible love, patience, empowerment, and support. My first birth had been an unplanned cesarean, and this time I was preparing for […]
If you find yourself going from 0-100 in an instant and then feeling guilt about your anger as a parent, my sister Jen (a therapist at The Essence of You Counselling) says you aren’t alone! Jen Reddish is a counselor who works primarily with people in the pregnancy and postpartum periods, and she says postpartum […]
I’ve attended lots of VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and a handful or more of VBA2Cs (Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesareans), mostly at home where the chances of the physiological process of birth unfolding smoothly are highest. It’s often assumed that repeat cesareans are safer after a person has had one cesarean, but it’s important […]
