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Topics of interest:
Recommended Websites
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers
Recommended Books
A Child is Born by Lennart Nilsson
A Good Birth, A Safe Birth by Diana Korte & Roberta Scaer
A Wise Birth by Penny Armstron CNM and Sheryl Feldman
Children at Birth by Jay & Marjie Hathaway
Birthing From Within by Pamela England CNM & Rob Horowitz PhD
Birth Over 35 by Sheila Kitzinger
Breastfeeding Pure & Simple by Gwen Gotsch
Diary of a Midwife: The Power of Positive Childbirth by Juliana van Olphen-Fehr
Dont Vaccinate Before You Educate by Mayer Eisenstein MD JD
Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year by Elizabeth Noble
FatherBirth by John B Franklin PhD & Cher Martin Franklin PhD
Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper RN
Homebirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Immaculate Deception: A New Look at Childbirth in America by Suzanne Arms
Immaculate Deception II by Suzanne Arms
Ina Mayıs Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
MalePractice: How Doctors Manipulate Women by Robert Mendelson MD
Mind Over Labo by Carl Jones
Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and a Healthier Birth by Marshall Klaus, John Kennell & Phyllis Klaus
Mothering the New Mother: Your Postpartum Resource Companion by Sally Placksin
Nourishing Your Unborn Child by Phyillis Williams RN
Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention & Vaginal Birth After Cesarean by Cohen & Estner
Special Delivery: The Complete Guide to Informed Birth by Rahima Baldwin
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH
The Birth Book by William Sears MD & Martha Sears RN
The Birth Partner by Penny Simpkin
The Home Birth Advantage by Mayer Eisenstein MD, JD
The Thinking Womanıs Guide to Better Birth by Henci Goer
The VBAC Companion by Diana Korte
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International
Understanding Diagnostic Tests in the Childbearing Year by Anne Frye
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susan Weed
Facts on Birth (www.birthonlaborday.com/resources/facts.html)
BirthLink comment: There is too much unnecessary routine medical intervention in the pregnancy and birth process. This puts babies mothers at risk for harm of all kinds.
In the United States...
* 30.2% of all babies are born via cesarean surgery
BirthLink comment: some local Chicago hospitals are at 50%! Ask before you choose your practitioner what their practice and hospital rates are. Keep in mind statistics can and are manipulated.
* 41% of mothers get induced
* 76% of mothers have epidurals
BirthLink comment: Learn about the risks before accepting this culturally dominant practice. Learn the truth about birth pain.
* 94% of mothers have electronic fetal heart monitoring
* 85% of mothers are connected to an IV line during labor
* 25% of mothers have an episiotomy
* 57% of mothers who give birth vaginally are on their backs while giving birth
* 57% of mothers with a previous cesarean were denied a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)
* 15% of mothers were permitted to eat during labor
BirthLink comment: Many midwives both at home in in hospital all nourishment during labor. This is hard work and you need it!
* 2% of mothers who received care practices that promote normal birth and are endorsed by Lamaze International
The figures above (except for the cesarean rate) are taken from Childbirth Connectionsı ³Listening to Mothers Survey 2² conducted in collaboration with the Harris Group. For more details on the report go to http://www.childbirthconnection.com/article.asp?ck=10401
* Center for Disease Control, 2005 preliminary data
Around the world...
* Each minute a woman dies from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. (BirthLink comment: this is due to not having the medical support when necessary, nutritional problems as well as having too many children to name a few of the issues. )
* Over 500,000 maternal deaths occur each year around the world, the most in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by south-central Asia. source: Maternal Mortality in 2000: Estimates Developed by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA
For more global information on maternal health and mortality, visit the following Web sites:
www.who.int/reproductive-health/MNBH/
www.whiteribbonalliance.org/
Want more information?
For a look at ³Birth Misconceptions: Myth and Fact² check out:
www.birthingthefuture.com/AllAboutBirth/ birthMythFact.php
BirthLink Community Newsletter
PDF Archives
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6-5-00: Homeopathy, Fertility Awareness Microscope, Hypnobirthing, Birth/Death Issues
3-19-00: Herbalism, Birth Photography, Bras and Breast Cancer
1-6-00: Infant Massage, Wake-Up Call Birth Stats
8-16-99: La Leche League Leader or Lactation Consultant?
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