Pregnancy & Birth
How do we prepare ourselves for the most exciting and challenging adventure of our lives?! How do we tune out the often unasked-for advice to listen intently to our gut instincts and question those instincts in a healthy way with evidence-based information to reassure us? Here are a few sites that offer a rich source of information on all aspects of birth in particular...
Attachment Parenting International - superb resource for pregnancy & birth with articles covering some diverse practical and emotional aspects of starting or adding to your family. There is a link to Ina May Gaskin's excellent article, Special delivery: The Gift of Loving Your Best Birth (and Making Peace with Plan B).
Attachment Parenting International - superb resource for pregnancy & birth with articles covering some diverse practical and emotional aspects of starting or adding to your family. There is a link to Ina May Gaskin's excellent article, Special delivery: The Gift of Loving Your Best Birth (and Making Peace with Plan B).
Birth Choices
Birth Choice UK - a UK site dedicated to proving up-to-date national maternity statistics and trends in order to empower women to make a choice that is most suitable for their needs.
Homebirth - an introduction to the possibilities and research-based evidence of homebirth in the UK. The site features homebirth stories and information on hypnobirth, waterbirth and antenatal preparation.
Waterbirth - international site with informative articles and reviews explaining the benefits of birthing in water as well as links to some of the limited research on waterbirth.
HypnoBirth - a UK site offering information, classes, a forum and birth stories based on The Mongan Method of HynoBirthing as a complete antenatal education approach. There are also details on how to train as a HypnoBirthing practitioner and HypnoBirthing Fertility Therapist.
Lotus Birth - a thorough article featuring common questions regarding lotus birth and comprised from publications by respected gentle birth advocates and practitioners.
Soundbirthing - the UK College of Sound Healing includes information on sound healing/toning during pregnancy and labour and also lists nationwide practitioners as well as the training curriculum.
Independent Placenta Encapsulation Network - IPEN provides information on the placenta, including recipes and remedies. They also offer trainings in placenta dehydration and encapsulation and provide a search database of qualified encapsulation practitioners throughout the UK.
Placenta Benefits - a US website packed with fascinating information on placental history, rituals and placentophagy.
Cord Clamping - research articles on the effects and trends in early or late cord clamping.
Homebirth - an introduction to the possibilities and research-based evidence of homebirth in the UK. The site features homebirth stories and information on hypnobirth, waterbirth and antenatal preparation.
Waterbirth - international site with informative articles and reviews explaining the benefits of birthing in water as well as links to some of the limited research on waterbirth.
HypnoBirth - a UK site offering information, classes, a forum and birth stories based on The Mongan Method of HynoBirthing as a complete antenatal education approach. There are also details on how to train as a HypnoBirthing practitioner and HypnoBirthing Fertility Therapist.
Lotus Birth - a thorough article featuring common questions regarding lotus birth and comprised from publications by respected gentle birth advocates and practitioners.
Soundbirthing - the UK College of Sound Healing includes information on sound healing/toning during pregnancy and labour and also lists nationwide practitioners as well as the training curriculum.
Independent Placenta Encapsulation Network - IPEN provides information on the placenta, including recipes and remedies. They also offer trainings in placenta dehydration and encapsulation and provide a search database of qualified encapsulation practitioners throughout the UK.
Placenta Benefits - a US website packed with fascinating information on placental history, rituals and placentophagy.
Cord Clamping - research articles on the effects and trends in early or late cord clamping.
Midwives/Doulas
Independent Midwives - a newly formed professional organisation with UK Government support, Independent Midwives UK is striving to make Independent Midwifery available to all women who are entitled to NHS maternity care. The site offers information for mums to be and health professionals.
Association of Radical Midwives - UK chat list of midwifery wisdom offering support to people having difficulty finding the midwifery care they desire. There is a list of local support groups across Great Britain.
Doulas UK - a UK non-profit organisation helping doulas in supporting parents during the childbirth year. Information for parents, those interested in training, information on the Doula Hardship fund, doula vouchers and many medical-based resources on all aspects of birth.
MIDIRS - a UK-based organisation providing evidence-based information for health professionals and student midwives including podcasts, a shop and a forum among other things.
Midwifery Today Magazine - jam-packed magazine site including an excellent article on homebirth by contributing editor and UK midwife, Sara Wickham.
Association of Radical Midwives - UK chat list of midwifery wisdom offering support to people having difficulty finding the midwifery care they desire. There is a list of local support groups across Great Britain.
Doulas UK - a UK non-profit organisation helping doulas in supporting parents during the childbirth year. Information for parents, those interested in training, information on the Doula Hardship fund, doula vouchers and many medical-based resources on all aspects of birth.
MIDIRS - a UK-based organisation providing evidence-based information for health professionals and student midwives including podcasts, a shop and a forum among other things.
Midwifery Today Magazine - jam-packed magazine site including an excellent article on homebirth by contributing editor and UK midwife, Sara Wickham.
Birth Practitioners/Training
Sheila Kitzinger - the biggest selling author of books on motherhood, Kitzinger is a renowned and respected authority on birth and parenting. Her experiences draw on her study of anthropology within the context of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding and this site invites the reader to explore some interesting aspects of birth.
Dr Sarah Buckley - an Australian-based trained GP with a wealth of personal and professional experience advocating gentle birth, homebirth, and attachment parenting practices. Her site includes a link to free e-books, Ecstatic Birth as well as Giving Birth at Home.
Relaxed Birth & Parenting - registered with The Federation of Antenatal Educators, Relaxed Birth & Parenting was founded in Bristol in 2007 and offers professional training for doulas, ante natal class facilitators and child birth educators.
Birthing Wisdom - a UK organisation offering unique in-depth Holistic Birth practitioner courses for those who are drawn towards supporting women during the childbearing year. There are interesting articles on community & childbirth as well as when to push.
Dr Sarah Buckley - an Australian-based trained GP with a wealth of personal and professional experience advocating gentle birth, homebirth, and attachment parenting practices. Her site includes a link to free e-books, Ecstatic Birth as well as Giving Birth at Home.
Relaxed Birth & Parenting - registered with The Federation of Antenatal Educators, Relaxed Birth & Parenting was founded in Bristol in 2007 and offers professional training for doulas, ante natal class facilitators and child birth educators.
Birthing Wisdom - a UK organisation offering unique in-depth Holistic Birth practitioner courses for those who are drawn towards supporting women during the childbearing year. There are interesting articles on community & childbirth as well as when to push.
In achieving the depersonalization of childbirth and at the same time solving the problem of pain, our society may have lost more than it has gained. We are left with the physical husk; the transcending significance has been drained away.
SHEILA KITZINGER, Women as Mothers
Women’s bodies were designed to birth. That’s a simple fact. You were designed to birth naturally. No experience or training necessary. There’s no special esoteric mystery about it. It’s a very simple every day fact of life. Millions of women have done it for millions of years. It’s a tremendous blessing but it’s also completely ordinary and normal and not only for a special few. You can do it too. I have absolute trust in that.
Ingrid Bauer