Category Archive

childbirth

How can I stay positive about our upcoming birth?

Reader Morgan sent our resident midwife (and Ariel’s mom!) Therese Charvet a question about staying positive about the upcoming birth of her second child. Therese offers advice here!

A birth story in photos

Jessica is the photographer behind JRSD Photography (she’s also written about pre-baby body myths on Offbeat Mama). She’s also a brand new mama (as of October 8), and she shared a few of her birth photos in our Flickr pool. “I scheduled my birth…which is weird as hell to me because I had serious, false […]

What you’ll forget to pack in your birth bag

“As the time draws nearer for my son to arrive and I prepare to go to the hospital I can’t help but wonder what should you really take? Sure the hospital provides you with a list but I want to know what real offbeat mamas say worked for them or what they wish they had when they were in the hospital.”

Even complication-free homebirths can come with complications

So yes. I had my relaxing and empowering labor and birth in the comfort of my own home. Then I had to go the hospital.

A transcendental cesarean birth story

Denise’s birth was one that enabled her to transcend the immediate pain and uncertainty and find a place from which she could gather strength for her unplanned cesarean section delivery.

First-time mom abandons fear in favor of stubbornness

When a contraction woke me up at 3:35 AM on my due date, I ignored it. When another contraction popped up ten minutes later, I ignored that one too. At 4:45 AM a contraction popped me right in the nose. It was intense, painful, and it wasn’t messing around.

Breaking plans: an “Unnatural Birth” story

Erika’s planned natural birth didn’t go exactly as she envisioned–and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

A sunset baby brings in a new beginning

Just when you think Offbeat Mama’s birth stories archive can’t get any more beautiful, something like Niko’s birth comes along and knocks you off your feet.