Good books on pregnancy and birth will introduce you to new information, expand your understanding of both details and broader picture, and help you more effectively navigate your childbearing year with clarity and peace. As a midwife, I’ve found that the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” series does just the opposite! Whether you are a stories person, or relax into lots of good data and studies, find the book(s) that help find your ballast and grow your confidence. Here are some tried and true volumes that generally have reliable info, respectful tones, and empower their readers to more capably navigate their birth journeys and health care experiences.

Midwives are highly skilled professionals in the realm of normal birth. Although it’s common for current generations to think that all babies are born in a hospital with obstetricians (OB’s), the preferred attendant around the world for normal birth is still the midwife. So how does one go about finding a homebirth midwife, if you're the first in your circle to consider such a thing? Depending on the health care politics of your area, it could be super easy, or a big challenge!

Pure, clean air is increasingly less common, which is challenging our families’ health. Whether from large scale wildfires to industrial pollution, having some options and idea available will improve your kid’s health, lower anxiety for all, and support your informed and proactive protection. Download our free eBook, “How to Protect Your Family From Poor Air Quality, Naturally!”

Herbal baths have traditionally been used by midwives to help mothers and babies soothe and heal after birth. Sometimes however, birth does not go as hoped and planned. There may be grief about small details, or tremendous pain from difficult circumstances. It was in response to these challenging times that mothers and I came up with “The Do-Over Bath.” In this case, the herbal bath is also used as a ceremonial time to honor the closing of a chapter, and to make room for an emotional reset.

One of the best ways to keep track of a healthy baby is to notice its movements, as pregnant mothers tend to do naturally. Understanding kick counts can enhance a mother’s confidence, empower her to independently monitor the well-being of her baby, reduce anxiety, and improve outcomes. These are the directions I give my midwife clients, including the extra details for the most accurate kick test which are commonly missed in most directions to pregnant mothers.

As a midwife, I’ve gotten calls from mamas about spotting for over 40 years, here is the conversation that I have with them. Women are scared, their husbands and partners are scared. People need gentle reassurance, and information on their choices, so they can make decisions that are best for them.

Heartburn is such a pain! It’s caused when hydrochloric acid (HCL), which is used by the stomach to digest food, backs up into the esophagus and irritates sensitive tissues. This creates a burning sensation in the stomach or chest, and pain behind the breastbone. It’s certainly not fun for any of the 60+ million Americans that suffer with it, but as midwives hear from our clients every day, it’s the absolute bane of pregnancy.

Pregnant mamas have two complicating factors that make them more likely to suffer from heartburn.

Most importantly, it’s the mama who ‘delivers’ her baby! She grows her baby, and she births it; I do mean vaginally or surgically. The process of birth, all births, encompasses our body, mind and spirit. And, mother-babies may be assisted in their births by a range primary care professionals such as OB’s and Midwives, as well as their partners/spouses, friends, and professional doulas. Women have choice in their birth attendants and birth locations, even towards the end of their pregnancies, or within insurance boundaries, hospital proximity, or tight budgets.

The ‘Hands and Knees’ position is instinctively assumed by women in labor all the time. And sometimes it’s suggested that women go farther, into yoga’s ‘Child’s Pose.’ I’ve coined the term ‘Reset Position’ for the posture in the picture above, it’s NOT your old ‘Knee-Chest’ position. It opens the pelvis wide, and provides an opportunity for the baby to back OUT of the pelvis and REPOSITION itself. And it works MIRACLES!

Doulas are professional, sensitive, labor-support persons; they are privately hired by families to be with them during the labor and birth of their babies in a supportive way. Overall, well-trained doulas will be capable medical advocates, knowledgeable on the normal process of labor and birth, and full of ideas to ease and facilitate the mother/baby’s birth process. The exact nature of what skills and ideas doulas might bring to the birth depend on many factors…..