Most of us don’t plan a medical induction. Most of us know that doing so sends us flying down the slippery slope of birth interventions and increases the likelihood of complications. You spent months envisioning the natural childbirth you wanted. You took the classes, drafted a birth plan, and had your vision for the way birth would unfold. Your due...

When I was diagnosed with PCOS nearly a decade ago, there were far fewer resources available. The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association (PCOSA) was founded by Christine DeZarn in 1997. The first significant book for patients, “PCOS: The Hidden Epidemic” (Samuel S. Thatcher, M.D., Ph.D.), wasn’t published until 2000. Just a decade ago there was less awareness, even among medical professionals...

Placenta encapsulation has been making the rounds recently – it was all over the news since January Jones admitted to doing it. There’s quite a lot of practical information on how to do it and why you might want to. However, there really isn’t a lot of medical evidence on the subject, which leaves women needing to make up their...

I come from a long line of working class folk. High school graduation wasn’t expected until my parents came along, and college was certainly never in the equation for anyone. My grandmothers had worked during the War, but mostly stayed at home. My dad worked a firmly blue-collar union job until his retirement, and my mother worked in telephone customer...

This is where the real action happens and when most dads experience their transformation of becoming a father. I remember being a little kid and my dad telling me about when I was born. His face was full of amazement as he recalled my birth. Most of the dads I talk to share a similar feeling while describing the birth...

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)* is an endocrine disorder estimated to affect more than 1 in 10 women and is the leading cause of female infertility. The root cause of PCOS is thought to be insulin resistance. It is a close cousin of diabetes, sharing many of its increased health risks. PCOS also raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, and is...

A baby born in a tree! A baby beamed out of her mother’s body! A baby born to Arnold Schwarzenegger! I’ve looked at hundreds of TV and movie birth scenes to discover exactly how the mass media distorts birth.  I found that Hollywood routinely exaggerates fear, danger, and speed, like in this common motif:  the minute a pregnant woman’s water...

If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know how you rely on your favorite fetus-nourishing foods.  You know how you cherish your collection of pillows and your comfortable bedding.  You choose your shoes and clothing carefully for comfort and self-expression.  You know how nice it is to get the kind of exercise that feels good – the pool at the Y,...

The January 11, 2012 Slate.com article “The Truth About Epidurals: Are they really so bad?” by Melinda Wenner Moyer concludes with this paragraph: “Women shouldn’t cave to pressure from either side.” [Of the 'mommy wars' between natural birth advocates and pro-epidural advocates] “They should make informed decisions based on their goals and priorities. I aspired to have a comfortable birth...

“In this postmodern era, we have gone beyond the unconscious, anesthetized births of the 1940’s and 1950’s, the systematic elimination of lay midwifery, the demise of breastfeeding, and even ‘natural childbirth’ to an enormous range of options and historical shifts. These include the presence and active involvement of fathers during pregnancy and at birth.” (Davis-Floyd & Sargent, 1997) Women are...

Body Modifications are a group of practices that include branding, scarification, tattooing, piercing, and other body art.  Body modifications have been around nearly as long as breastfeeding. Archaeologists, historians and body art practitioners note that tattooing and body piercing have been performed, in one form or another, worldwide for over 5000 years. However, within the last 20-30 years body modifications...

When I work with mothers that are serving in the military, I hear time after time about the many challenges that they face from the moment the pregnancy test comes back positive to when they finally ‘hang up the horns’ from pumping. Some of these obstacles are what any employed mother might face, but others are definitely unique to the...

My husband Evan and I welcomed our first child, Liam, in November of 2009, one of the first parenting decisions we made was to use cloth diapers. Evan and I are known among our friends and family as champion penny-pinchers, so our decision was no surprise to anyone. To diaper a baby from birth to potty training, it costs approximately...

One year ago, my partner and I decided to have a child. Because I have suffered from anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, and have managed my conditions with medication for over five years, I knew I had to educate myself before we started trying to conceive. I spent many months trying to “taper” my medications,...

It can be overwhelming to hear your child has a medical or behavioral diagnosis which puts them into a “special needs” category.  In amongst all those emotions and questions will be a concern about how to finance your child’s healthcare, therapies, or opportunities for integration with other children. In the USA, there are several programs which aim to assist families...

Are you a parent?  Are you a student?  Do you work in a school?  If so, the following information will help you understand your rights or your student’s rights under Title IX to be free from bullying and harassment. A high school student becomes pregnant.  During biology class, other students — both boys and girls — routinely call her a...

In many hospital delivery rooms, it is routine to clamp and cut the umbilical cord immediately after birth. However, there is now convincing evidence that delaying cord clamping by just a few minutes has many benefits and few risks in both full-term and premature babies. Much of the research on delayed cord clamping has only just emerged in the last...

As a mom who likes to feel that I’m practicing greener living, I love making my baby homemade purees. I used to think it was something I would never have time for. I’m an extremely busy mom – working inside and outside the home, going to school full time, and taking care of three little kids. But as it turns...

The period of labor and childbirth is one of the most significant events in a woman’s life. During this time a woman faces her most intimate, emotional and physical struggles. This is naturally a time of vulnerability and as such, the events, actions and treatment of those involved in her birthing process can have a profound impact on her psychological...

You are what you eat – and so is your baby! Over the years, I’ve learned that some women have a hard time adopting a regimen of good prenatal nutrition. They know they should eat well, they know a balanced diet does not mean varying the flavors of the chips they eat and the sodas they drink, but it’s hard....