Are midwives status symbols?
Danielle Pergament recently published a piece in the New York Times about the trendiness of midwives — and whether or not opting for a midwife is becoming indicative of social status (at least in some pockets of society).
When it comes to birth, which is more important: the practitioner or the place?
I just had my 20 week appointment with my midwife.. and she told me she’s moving to new hospital! So now I wonder: when it comes to birth, which is more important: the practitioner or the place?
Meet Otis Kryzanauskas, Canada’s only male registered midwife
Otis Kryzanauskas is cool for two reasons, and one of them is that killer last name. The second? He just became Canada’s only registered MALE midwife.
I let go of my self-righteousness and had a Cesarean delivery — and I’m thankful for it
When I got pregnant last January I was stoked about the joyful, carefree unassisted birth I had always dreamed of. My husband and mom, though, were concerned about the safety of freebirths and so I compromised with them and hired a Certified Nurse-Midwife who only did home births. She was a mother of two who lives on a farm and works primarily with the Amish women in our area. When I caught her voicemail, I noticed she signed off with “Namaste.” I thought: “Wow, this is going to be so great! She’s just like me! I don’t have to worry that she’ll force me to have medicines or procedures done that I don’t want.”
I didn’t think home birth was for me until I had one and it rocked
I was always intrigued by the idea of home birth, but I always thought it was for people who were spiritual or connected to the universe — or something that just wasn’t me. I’m agnostic, sarcastic, and my husband and I laugh at super inappropriate things. My fear of hospitals was a big push into me doing the research and realized it really was the most logical course for us. It really ended up being the best choice I ever could have made.
How far would you drive to give birth?
I would really love to have my baby at a birth center — but the closest one is about an hour away from my house. Both my husband and I work full-time and I’m hoping to work until the baby is born. For parents who have chosen to give birth somewhere relatively far away: is going to appointments an hour away reasonable? What about going into labor and then driving an hour?
A courageous and victorious birth center water birth
As we began our four-hour drive home with our newborn son, Orean, my husband turned to me and said, “You have so much courage.” When I asked him to explain, he summed it up like this: courage is being afraid, but going forward anyway because you believe it’s right for you.
How can I tell my gynecologist I don’t want her to be part of my pregnancy without hurting her feelings?
Is it weird to see my regular doctor for a preconception checkup knowing I don’t necessarily want her to be my OB? Do birthing centers do those kinds of checkups and should I find one prior to getting pregnant to avoid the above awkwardness? Do most couples pick an OB/midwife before getting pregnant, or am I putting the cart before the horse?