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,...
“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...
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,...
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....
During my third pregnancy, I experienced quite a bit of uncomfortable prodromal labor – which is labor that seems to start and stop. For veteran moms, it can be especially maddening because we assume that we know by now what the start of labor feels like, but prodromal labor throws us many curve balls. Some midwives believe that prodromal labor...
The last time you started your period, did you think about the phase of the moon? Most likely not, although if you are trying to conceive you probably should! The cycle of the moon (aka: lunar cycle) and the menstrual cycle are actually very closely related. In fact, the words “moon” and “menstrual” are linked together etymologically, both stemming from...
I’ve never been a fan of most conventional birth control methods. Even before my skepticism of pharmaceuticals and mainstream gynecology had developed, the idea of taking hormones to prevent pregnancy really made me uneasy. And the mere thought of inserting a hunk of metal into my uterus to create a “hostile” environment for a fertilized egg (leading to possibly heavier...
San Francisco seemed as good as any place to pee on a stick. After two weeks of driving cross-country feeling a little off, blaming car sickness and altitude changes for my nausea and exhaustion, it was time for more wine, one last cigarette and the inevitable. I never wanted to have children. That’s not true. I never wanted to give...
Pregnancy in our country is a huge undertaking for couples, let alone for single women. When a single woman finds out that she is pregnant and wants to be a mother, the possibility of financial ruin may cause her to think twice about her natural right to keep her wanted child. It is indeed true that modern families must work...
