Giving Birth

Your labor, postpartum, nursery, and lactation nurses will be the most important people in your circle for the first few days of your newborn's life. There are a million things we want you to know, but I will give you the first dozen and a half to get you on your way to a great birth experience.

The Bradley method of natural childbirth focuses on giving birth your way, in the relaxing environment of your choosing, and with your partner at hand. This childbirth method encourages women in natural childbirth without medications or interventions.

After only three hours of very fast labor, my baby girl was born in our bed at home--surprise!

Does an epidural stop all of the pain? Does it hurt to get an epidural? Read on to find out my experience of what it really feels like to get an epidural—labor to recovery.

Interested in giving birth at home, but want the safety net of medical equipment and experienced providers? Learn more about freestanding birth centers.

Be efficient and pack light for your hospital birth with this checklist perfect for the minimalist mama to be.

Evening primrose oil is commonly recommended by midwives to assist with labor induction but it may also have a positive impact on several health conditions. Weigh in on the discussion and see if this supplement could work for you!

Dilation, effacement, engagement, Braxton-Hicks contractions: Are these signs you're about to give birth?

Learn how to write a birth plan with these sample birth plan templates. Discover what birthing options are available and create a plan that meets your personal needs.

If you're in the third trimester of pregnancy, you'll want to begin packing and preparing your hospital bag for when you go into labor. Learn what to pack for you, your baby, and your spouse or partner.

When will I go into labor? How can I make it start or progress faster? Learn about going into labor and how to speed up the progression of labor.

Contractions occur all throughout pregnancy. How do you know if it's a real contraction or just Braxton Hicks? Learn how each kind of contraction feels and when to know when you may be in real labor.

Is Castor Oil safe to use to induce labor? Is Castor oil worth the risk to my baby's health? Why do so many women say that Castor Oil is OK to take to bring on my labor and what can I do to induce labor naturally?

What is the best birthing position to be in labour? How can you bring on labour or even speed it up? Years ago, women were told to deliver on the bed in the hospital. This is no longer the case, as more and more women are becoming more active with their labour and delivery, and many are delivering in the comfort of their own homes or on a midwife-led unit. Here are a few good tips on how to be really active leading up to your labour and whilst you are in labour.

Highlighting the importance of allowing your baby to get their full blood supply when they are born, cutting down on a huge number of post-birth complications.

Are you pregnant and thinking about a cesarean delivery? Learn about c-sections and how you can prepare for a c-section birth.

During pregnancy, the fetus can lie in all possible positions. As birth draws closer, most babies turn their heads down before they are born. Some, on the other hand, stay with their bottom down. This is called breech position.

Hospitals have NICUs ranging in levels of expertise. It's important to understand what this means when deciding where to give birth.

Some natural and effective methods to decrease the length of your labor so you can meet your little one faster!

Why and when does your water break when you are pregnant? What do PROM and PPROM mean? Find out in this article.

This Hub gives moms and dads some ideas about what to avoid during labor and delivery, as well as alternative suggestions to consider and how to stay relaxed as much as possible.

Getting close to your due date? Getting nervous about childbirth? How's a mom-to-be to know when she's going into labor or not? Check out this article to find out some of the symptoms that will let you know that you're close to labor.

These are symptoms you'll likely experience in the 38th week of pregnancy, and they are early signs that labor is fast approaching. Signs include not being able to sleep, hot flashes/night sweats, exhaustion, and a constant urge to poop. Learn what to do during labor and when to go to the doctor.

Find some great ideas for birth music during labor and delivery, including modern and traditional classical music, new age, trip-hop, ambient, Celtic, and guitar.

Thinking about giving birth at home? Homebirth has many benefits for mother and baby. Learn why I chose to give birth at home and why it was such a fabulous experience.

Wondering if you should try inducing labor with castor oil? Find out the facts —rather than the rumors—on whether it works, how it works, and what to watch out for.

A comprehensive list of ways to induce labor naturally, prepared by a certified doula, including when and how to use each method.

Cesarean childbirth is definitely more painful than normal delivery. But for some, it is inevitable. In this article, the author would like to share what the post-cesarean delivery experience is like and hopefully give helpful suggestions as to how to deal with the pain.

You may find yourself trying some unconventional methods to help labor along out of a state of desperation. Eating rye bread? Not too scary. Chased by a rottweiler? Maybe you should pass on that one.

What can you do to naturally induce labor? Relaxing, having sex, exercising or stretching, eating certain foods, and nipple stimulation are all natural ways to get those contractions going.