Before you hire a midwife, be sure to interview several carefully. Take your time reviewing their history, call up their references, have a list of questions handy, research the legal issues in your state and ask the midwife for proof of her certification.

QUESTION

My partner wants a hospital birth complete with an OB/GYN. My preference is a home birth with a midwife but I was willing to compromise on using a birth center. He's not budging.

What are some ways that I can help him move away from this sterile birth experience to one that I'm more comfortable with other than just telling him "I'm not doing it!" and creating another war?

I get that is how his sisters and friends' wives delivered but this is MY birth experience, too!
Dani

My husband doesn't think he can handle being in the room when I have the baby. Pain is not something that he does well with and the sight of blood makes him freak. Is it hopeless to think that he can overcome this?

My family and friends all are giving us both a hard time about this as otherwise they view him being "unsupportive." I’d like to give him the benefit of a doubt as this is the way he's been as long as I've known him (10 years!)

Thanks for the help!
Mandy

The birth of your child is nothing less than an extraordinary feat of nature that involves an intricate sequence of events. Every pregnancy is different, and every childbirth is different. Yet most follow the same prescribed path of what physically unfolds in the body.

The "Being Dad" DVD is the perfect gift (even to yourself!) for all expectant parents. Dads-to-be will appreciate hearing the truth from those with been there, done that experience! Moms-to-be will find it a terrific way to engage their partners in their pregnancy with humor, candor, and a refreshing frankness sure to capture their attention.

An additional benefit? Expectant mothers can get a glimpse into what their partner may be thinking. He isn't an insensitive clout after all!

I had a scheduled c-section for my second baby on New Year's Eve. At this time of the year out here in Burlington, it's usually fifty-five and rainy.

During pregnancy, options of 4-D ultrasound, high resolution ultrasound, pre-implantation genetic sampling and placental cord blood stem cell storage are several among many choices that will have to be considered.

Cord blood is a non-controversial source of "stem cells," which has the ability to differentiate into any type of blood cell and stimulate new growth throughout the body. It is being used in the treatment of over 40 life-threatening diseases.