Pregnany & Parenting Coaching

Looking through incoming emails, tweets, fb notifications and e-newsletters that inhabit my inbox more and more, I noticed something interesting:  Lifestyle Coaches for people entering the pregnancy and parenting pathway. After some investigation, I found a plethora (many, many) web business/sites that offer services on everything from getting pregnant to getting your kid into college. [...]

Pregnancy Pathway, Outcome – Mom & Baby Health Status

A review of factors that can affect and maternal and child health outcomes during the Pregnancy Pathway.

Pregnancy Exercise and Home Birth

The web is abuzz with news of the rising rate of home births. Increasingly women are electing to stay home for three major reasons: perceived safety, a desire to avoid medical interventions, and a previous negative hospital experience. There is also a lot of discussion about the need for more trained midwives, qualified to attend [...]

Safe Pregnancy, Safe Labor, Safe Motherhood

The challenges to safe motherhood vary depending where in the world you live. In some areas the challenge may be to get adequate nutrition or clean water; in other areas, it may be to prevent infection; and in still other locations it may be trying to avoid pregnancy before your body is ready or getting [...]

Labor Pain…or Labor Sensations?

There is no sensation known as pain. Sensations are nerve impulses that travel from the body toward the brain. Touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell are the major physical sense categories. Pain is a combination of sensations and emotional content supplied when the brain notices sensations and routes them through parts of the brain that [...]

Safe Birth – Who’s in Charge?

The politics and money trail for safe birth.

World-wide Maternal Mortality Rate Down, but U.S. Up!

Maternal mortality rates are down; however, U.S. rates are rising! What’s with the U.S.? We have asked this question before on this blog, but now a lot of others are asking, too! Must read: Hogan MC, Foreman KJ, Naghavi M, et al.  Maternal Mortality for 181 Countries, 1980-2008: A Systematic Analysis of Progress Towards Millennium [...]

Fetal Programming

Basic information on fetal programming, including behavior and environmental factors that influence fetal development.

Pregnancy Pathway, Birth – Labor

The first stage of labor, dilation, and why it is painful and important.

Pregnancy Pathway, Birth

An introduction to Labor and Birth; an opportunity for a mom-to-be to get her mind around the process of becoming a mother.