i don't care what anyone says this is some inspiring shit if you are interested in natural birth/midwifery/doula/vaginal birth/spiritual birth →

Brooklyn artist Marni Kotak and Ottawa chiropractor Nancy Salgueiro both gave birth in front of an audience - one in a Brooklyn art gallery, and one at home, livestreaming her labor and birth.

Salgueiro and Kotak—along with the tens of thousands who have posted their birth videos on YouTube—may be emblematic of the age of the overshare. After all, women now use Facebook to share sonogram pictures, breast-feeding tips, and even cervical dilation during labor. But they may also be ushering in a new era of women’s empowerment, helping to change the common perception that childbirth is a nightmare.

“I believe women like me who share their birth stories are driven to share a self-affirming experience of giving birth, one that society at large does not allow for,” said Kotak. “There’s fear around birth, fear of women’s bodies. It’s about a woman’s power over her own body, which for some reason has become taboo in our society.”

(Source: moijattends)

"In stark contrast to TLC’s “A Baby Story,” laboring at home exuded a quiet comfort. The fire crackled as autumn rushed in with October’s arrival, and the birthing tub sat beneath the mantel adorned with homemade Halloween decorations. She had no IV, no internal fetal monitor and no Pitocin drip. Instead, she had tea and toast at the window seat, smiling between contractions and discussing a range of topics, from old television shows like the “Newlywed Game” to influential parenting styles. Eventually, labor slowed and we agreed to come back when things quickened and as late afternoon turned to dusk, she asked me to return."

Home birth shows woman at her most powerful | The Poughkeepsie Journal | poughkeepsiejournal.com (via morebabiespreferhomebirth)

(via morebabiespreferhomebirth)

A Witness To The Births →

kikidonahue:

Typically I don’t write about the births I have attended as a doula, but Amanda and Jason gave me explicit permission to write about their birth knowing that being a witness to a vaginal breech birth at OHSU is a rare opportunity. I want to acknowledge, though, my other doula babies - those born in perfectly magical spontaneous vaginal births, those born after long and hard inductions, those babies born that needed a little help getting started, and the babies who needed a little more time to gestate than most… but one thing is true: every birth I’ve attended is special to me.

(Source: addtoany.com, via katiohead)

Doula Ambitions: Thoughts on Birth and Culture by a New Doula →

Erin stayed with us for about an hour in post-operative recovery. She helped us with breastfeeding. She did all the things a doula is “supposed” to do. But what I will be forever grateful for is the human connection she forged with me and my husband in a maternity health care model that has all but done away with compassionate one-on-one care and support.

Erin encouraged us to follow our instincts, to trust ourselves, to trust our baby, and to educate ourselves on our options. She told us to ask questions, get answers, seek advice. She fostered communication between me and my husband, and shared with us an enthusiasm and appreciation for family, pregnancy, and the transformative power of labor and birth that is often forgotten in our “What’s on your baby registry?”-focused culture.

And I loved all of that so much, that I wanted to pay forward that same care and support to other mamas, babies, and families. That is why I am a doula.

(Source: amyraestudentmidwife)