Jessica (Birth Takes a Village Doula) and A Midwife Working Together Photo: Jackie Dives, Birth Photographer Like the photo? Contact me for information having myself and a birth photographer join you at your birth I get referrals from doctors and midwives often enough to know that most of them really see the value of hiring […]
The number one cause of problems I see in the postpartum period is lack of rest for the birthing person / mother. It takes the body 10 months to grow a baby and only a few days or hours to birth one, and the huge physiology change after birth requires significant nourishing care and rest […]
“Midwives can’t really stand up for the mothers’ rights because the midwives don’t own these rights, the mothers do. It’s the mothers that need to come forward and say, … ‘what you’re doing to that midwife is a violation of my rights’.” ~Hermine Hayes-Klein Watch this video to see some women and mothers in my local […]
At first thought, it can seem crazy that an entire new person can fit through your pelvis and be born into the world. However, pelvises are dynamic, expandable structures and babies’ skull plates mould to fit through the expanded pelvis. That is a big part of what is happening during birth! Take a look below […]
Wow. So, our latest birth rally has sparked a LOT of controversy. You can follow differing perspectives in the comment section of our most recent youtube video. This is great, and exactly what we want! As one of our ralliers says in the video, we’re “all about dialogue”. As people drive out of the hospital […]
Photo: Jessica Austin Earlier this summer, I was at an event I’d organized with the Vancouver Birth Rally group when I received a phone call from Laura’s husband that they needed me. Laura did the self-study Hypnobabies program, and I arrived at their home to find them coping beautifully with the birth, and could tell it […]
I love supporting home births. When a baby is born at home, it feels like Christmas morning… a sense of excitement and magic and peacefulness all at once. There are MANY reasons why I believe in the importance of natural home birth, including the science behind home birth safety for healthy mothers having healthy pregnancies. But […]
Informed consent rights are extremely important to women’s experience during birth. One of the biggest factors in whether you remember your birth as a positive or negative experience is the degree to which you feel informed and involved as decisions are made in terms of your maternal health. You will remember the experience you have birthing […]
If you are looking for a doula in Vancouver, check out these 5 tips to make your selection process easier and give you your best chance of finding the right fit, or check out the Birth Takes a Village doula services in Vancouver. 1. Where to start looking for a Vancouver Doula. You have a several […]
Birth Doula support from doulas trained in the philosophy of Birth Takes a Village Birth Pool & Birth Supplies Included More than $250 Value For more information on Meena’s birth support packages, visit her website here. Flexible payment plans available. What do you get? Get support to keep you healthy, nourished, and confident so that you can […]
I wrote the following article the other day, and opted out of publishing it in favour of a less-debate-like, more diplomatic article. Hypocritically, I called it: Why Circumcision Debates Matter. I’ve been regretting that choice! So, in honour of of the debates I was encouraging yesterday, I’m firing off the version I wrote originally: www.thewholenetwork.org […]
When you hire a Registered Midwife, you are hiring a medical professional to manage your low-risk birth. When you hire a Traditional Birth Attendant, you are hiring an experienced woman to support you during your normal, physiological birth process. Jessica Austin birthtakesavillage.com I’ve been wanting to write a post outlining all of the options women […]
I have had so many conversations recently with peers who are trying to get pregnant (and some planning to avoid pregnancy) that I think it’s time to do a little P.S.A. There is some incredibly simple and important information about your cycle that we all *should have* learned in high school biology class, but for […]
Cascade of Interventions Following Induction from anthrodoula.blogspot.ca According to Perinatal Services of BC, induction rates vary widely across the province and have been risen substantially since the early 90’s. . In 1991, 12.9% of births were induced, and by 2000 the rates were up to 27.2%. Current estimates continue to sit at around 25%. This […]
