The short answer to “Can you safely breastfeed if you test positive for COVID-19” is “Yes.” But let’s look at what underpins it. Let’s see what official guidelines have to say and why they say it, and let’s review the research. As usual, I’ll follow the discussion with a “Take Away” section [...]

If you wanted to have a doula, a trained health professional who provides continuous one-to-one physical, emotional, and informational support, at your birth, here’s some hope. Some state health regulations allow doulas at births in addition to a partner, family member, or friend. If you live [...]

Back pain in labor can be excruciating, and it may not let up between contractions. For women hoping to avoid an epidural, a labor that’s a pain in the back can put paid to that plan. A large study has found that a long-used midwifery technique, water injections in small amounts just under the [...]

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many obstetricians and some midwives had begun recommending routine elective induction, meaning no medical reason for inducing labor, at 39 weeks. With the onset of the pandemic, more practitioners are making that recommendation, and some are making routine [...]

When it comes to comparing outcomes with a midwife versus a doctor, research shows that in women with uncomplicated pregnancies, midwives are the better bet. Let’s look at the details of a recent study. Once we do that, I’ll explain why midwives do better than obstetricians when caring for [...]

A study finds that women planning VBAC feel more in control, are better supported emotionally, and use more options such as upright birth positions and water birth when attended by a midwife of their choice. The press release provides the highlights of the study’s results, but if you would like [...]

We’re back. Bigger and better than before. If you’re looking to find what will best promote your having a safe, healthy, satisfying birth and the tools to achieve it, you’ll find it at Childbirth U. We know what works best in labor and birth. The research is rock solid on this. We knew back in [...]