Return to Myself: a journey of healing

By Nan Nassef

Our childbearing years are a time of deep vulnerability and transformation. Those who support women on this journey have their own stories and carry with them the stories of those they support as well. Often there are challenges and sometimes there is trauma. The reverberations of these experiences are felt throughout our lives. Nan Nassef, a doula and Birth Story Listener, shares how her own healing process brought her back to herself while also building her capacity to support others.

How to have a Natural Birth In Hospital

By: Sue MacGregor

As a childbirth educator in Calgary, I’ve shared many conversations with expectant mothers who wanted a midwife but didn’t make it further than the waiting list.   I listen to them express their feelings and often shed tears in disappointment.

8 ways to ease labour:  positions and advice

by Karen D. Crowdis

As your pregnancy approaches week forty, few things will be on your mind as much as what to expect in labour. It is the one thing we hear about from before conception and all the way through pregnancy. Unfortunately, many stories that are shared are horror stories. Coping techniques do not seem to stay in the mind the same way.

Alternatives to Cesareans

by Claudia Villeneuve

Here's a list of common diagnosis that can result in cesarean section and the alternatives a mother can try in order to avoid the surgery..

What is a Doula?

Doula is a Greek word meaning “woman’s servant”. She was likely the woman who helped the lady of the house through her childbearing year.
Today ‘birth doula’ refers to a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother and her partner(s) before, during and just after childbirth.
A ‘postpartum doula’ can help after the baby is born. She is experienced in mother and newborn care, breastfeeding support, and can assist with errands, childcare and light housekeeping.

A Baby, Not Pizza

Word Choice in Childbirth
By:  Janine Carter

Maternity care is changing, especially with the move to fund midwifery under Alberta Health Care. Women have been birthing babies since time began, and looking back in history, one can see that there have always been women there to support other women through childbirth. By the end of the 19^th century, however, midwives in the United States and Canada were under threat from the very organizations they supported and shared their knowledge with. As the number of physicians grew, they began to set health care policies and protocols, laying down rules about who could practice.