Jill Black, a young woman, suspects she is pregnant and is filled with hope. One of the first things she may want to do is confirm the pregnancy. What better way to do it in the first 5-8 weeks than by having an ultrasound, Continue reading
Pregnancy and Birth Information
My Week of Shoulder Dystocia Workshops in Gauteng
What a wonderful week I spent in Gauteng with generous hosts and eager students, with the aim of empowering midwives in South Africa, and reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality with respect to shoulder dystocia. Just today, a doctor related to me how a woman had arrived at the hospital fully dilated and Continue reading
Helping Babies Breathe South Africa
Helping Babies Breathe is a simple set of skills that saves babies lives after birth by helping them to breathe. Anyone can learn how to do it. Continue reading
How to Bond with your Unborn Baby
The idea that an unborn baby in the womb experiences feelings, absorbing and processing stimuli from the environment, is relatively new. Until the early 1950’s it was thought that babies did not experience pain and that unborn babies were unable to feel or receive sensory information. The placenta was thought to be a barrier between the mother and baby until Continue reading
Waterbirth, Lovely Waterbirth!
Water does many things for a woman in labour. Firstly, It provides her with a feeling of privacy and seclusion when she feels vulnerable. Immersed in warm water during labour Continue reading
Preconception Planning
Preparing mind, body and spirit for pregnancy before conception is vital. The numbers of women who are struggling to conceive is increasing in the west and desperate couples are seeking surrogacy in other countries such as India or Brazil. On the other hand, women in third world countries become pregnant all too easily and are at risk due to undernourishment and poverty. Not to mention the everyday stresses of city life, the airborne pollutants, fluoride in the drinking water, and work deadlines that add to the burden Continue reading
The Spiral Dance of Birth
Earth Mother, star mother,
You who are called by a thousand names
May all remember we are cells in your body
and dance together.
You are the grain and the loaf
That sustains us each day.
And as you are patient with our struggles to learn
So shall we be patient with ourselves and each other.
We are radiant light and sacred dark
-The balance- Continue reading