New research from Yale has identified that vaginal birth prompts the secretion of a special protein that promotes the development of the baby’s hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and stress response. This protein is also a key component of breastmilk, possibly explaining the link between early nurturing from the mother […]
Health
Midwives Come Together, Make Joint Statement
The three U.S. midwifery organizations, MANA, ACNM, and NACPM, recently came together to make a joint statement regarding the support of normal, physiological childbirth. In 1996, The WHO called for the elimination of all unnecessary interventions in childbirth, yet as you know, some of these interventions are being overused in our maternity health system, often […]
Kiss Your Baby!
If you have ever had a little one, you can probably relate to the feeling of not being able to resist kissing your baby regularly. Their chunky, soft, mushy cheeks are so irresistible, aren’t they? Well, the urge to smother your baby in kisses isn’t just emotional, but biochemical too. There is a real health […]
What’s A Few Weeks?
Many pregnant women, antsy due to the aches and discomforts of late pregnancy, wish they would just go into labor when they hit the 37-week mark. Chances are, they aren’t sleeping well, they are going to the bathroom every time they sneeze, and they may have the discomforts of sciatic or back pain. It’s understandable; […]
Placenta in Demand, Creating a Black Market in China
Placentophagy, the act of eating one’s placenta, is an age-old practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The practice, dating back 2,000 years, is still common in China and is thought to have anti-aging qualities. Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a unified China, is said to have designated placenta as having health properties some 2200 […]
Preeclampsia Explained By Battle Between Uterus & Placenta
A battle that brews in the mother’s womb between the father’s biological goal to produce the biggest, healthiest baby possible vs. the mother’s need to live through delivery might help explain preeclampsia, an often deadly disease of pregnancy. The fetus must be big enough to thrive, yet small enough to pass through the birth canal. […]
