Each One Unique

A young mother shares the stories of her two sons'' births. Her first birth experience was complicated by muscle spasms and changes in her baby''s heart rate during labor and, later, by medical problems with her baby in the days after birth. The mother''s strength and commitment shine through at every twist and turn during labor and the days after her son''s birth. Two years later, in contrast to her first son''s birth, the mother''s second son was born so quickly that labor presented a different set of challenges. The mother''s confidence in birth and in herself are essential facets of the stories of the births of her two sons.     

New Resources for Childbirth Educators and Parents

In this column, reviewers offer perspectives and comments on a variety of new media resources for childbirth educators and for expectant and new parents. The books, CD, and DVDs reviewed in this issue''s column address the following topics: natural, safe, and healthy birth practices; doula care; breastfeeding; empowering women to make healthy lifestyle choices during pregnancy; encouraging mothers to bond with their babies before birth; and fathers'' and partners'' supportive role during labor and birth.     

New Resources for Childbirth Educators and Parents

In this column, reviewers offer perspectives and comments on a variety of new media resources for childbirth educators and for expectant and new parents. The books and DVDs reviewed in this issue''s column address the following topics: new directions for childbirth education classes; pregnancy tips for expectant mothers; empowering women to give birth naturally; midwifery care; breastfeeding; labyrinths and “laborinths” (an alternative approach to preparing for birth); preterm labor; understanding newborns'' language cues; and exercise programs during pregnancy and the postnatal period, as well as exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor and help new mothers deal with incontinence.     

Dayton William Dix's Birth Story

In this birth story, a young mother relates her experience of moving beyond fear of labor and birth and developing confidence in her ability to give birth without an epidural. Knowledge and support, including the support of a doula, during the last months of pregnancy helped this mother change her plans for the labor and birth. This story highlights the importance of continuous emotional and physical support and how knowledge and confidence set the stage for a satisfying, safe, and healthy birth.     

Unintended pregnancy as a predictor of child maltreatment

Whereas child maltreatment research has developed considerable evidence on post-natal risk-factors, pre-natal circumstances have been largely overlooked. The circumstances surrounding a pregnancy may considerably impact the environment in which later parenting behaviors occur. This study examines one of the earliest potentially identifiable risk-factors for child maltreatment: the intentions of a pregnancy. Utilizing both mother and father reports, this study focuses on maltreatment risk, as it relates with both parents’ perspectives of the pregnancy's intention. Drawing upon data from the Fragile Families and Child Well Being study, a longitudinal, birth cohort study, survey questions were used that asked parents, at the time of the birth, whether they considered abortion for the child. Unintended pregnancy demonstrates predictive value as one of the earliest identifiable risk-factors for child maltreatment. Regardless of whether the mother or father reported the unintended pregnancy, the relationship with maltreating behavior is largely the same, although for different maltreatment types. Mothers’ reports of unintended pregnancy are associated with psychological aggression, and neglect. Fathers’ reports of unintended pregnancy are associated with physical aggression. Fathers’ perspectives regarding pregnancy intentions matter just as much as mothers,’ and accounting for their perspectives could be important in understanding the maltreating behaviors of both parents. Identifiable in the earliest stages of caregiving, unintended pregnancy may be an important risk-factor in predicting and understanding child maltreatment.     

Perinatal Nurses Respond to Shared Decision-Making Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Women describe a loss of autonomy during childbirth as a contributing factor to labor dissatisfaction. Shared decision-making with choice, option, and decision talk may improve satisfaction. Nurses (n = 29) received education on supporting women''s autonomy with a standardized communication tool (SUPPORT) to facilitate shared decision-making and create an evolving birth plan. This quasi-experimental pre-/post-test design evaluated participant responses to the education module. Participants supported the use of the SUPPORT tool for shared decision-making and developing evolving birth plans. Most recommended initiation between 13- and 26-weeks'' gestation. Nurses'' willingness to advocate for women''s autonomy increased significantly after education (p = .022). Shared decision-making with standardized perinatal communication may support a woman''s perinatal education and her satisfaction with labor.     

Mothers' Worries During Pregnancy: A Content Analysis of Reddit Posts

Qualitative investigations into maternal worries during pregnancy are limited. The aim of this study was to identify the content of women''s pregnancy-related worries by completing a content analysis of posts on Reddit. A total of 217 posts by 196 unique users were analyzed. Most worries related to infant factors (32.6%), individual factors (27.1%), and antenatal care factors, such as medical procedures (25.2%). The remaining worries related to situational factors (10.9%) and the partner relationship (4.3%). Although most fears related to fetal well-being, other concerns included problems with family members, women''s own mental health, and not being a “good mother.” These findings support calls for antenatal education to more adequately address women''s psychosocial concerns.     

The development of children with down syndrome: the influence of maternal adaptation,mother-child interaction and early forms of support

In this paper, we present a longitudinal case study involving four dyads with babies with Down syndrome from birth until the age of 7 years – the moment at which the children were observed for the last time before they began compulsory schooling. At each data collection point, the mother was given a semi-directive interview and we filmed a free interaction situation. The objective of our study was to carry out an indepth analysis of the ways in which mothers adapt to the birth of a ‘different baby’, the evolution of their expectations in relation to the child's development, mother–child interaction and early support for both the child and the family, and the way in which these aspects of the overall situation relate to the children's development. The data of our longitudinal study show that there is an interaction between children's development and family characteristics and patterns, particularly mother–child interaction and the way in which the mother deals with the stress factors associated with the fact that she has a disabled child. We found that the four dyads experienced different models of early support, which to some extent reflect what really does happen in Portugal in cases involving children with disabilities, and that the programmes' impact was not identical in every situation. The most successful was the one which best suited the family's wishes, and involved both the mother and later on the kindergarten teacher.     

米索前列醇用于晚期妊娠促宫颈成熟与引产的效果分析

为了观察晚期妊娠引产使用米索前列醇的可行性、有效性和安全性,选择有引产指征、无米索前列醇使用禁忌证的胎膜完整、单胎、头位晚期妊娠妇女150例,随机分为A、B两组,其中米索组80例,缩宫素组70例,并且对该两组引产时效、母儿并发症的发病情况作分析比较．结果表明：米索组较缩宫素组可明显改善宫颈成熟度,缩短引产至分娩时间（P〈0．01）,两组母儿并发症差异均无统计学意义（P〉0．05）．因此,在严格掌握米索前列醇引产的适应症情况下米索前列醇用于晚期妊娠引产及促宫颈成熟有价格低、性质稳定、易于保存、效果肯定,安全易掌握、引产成功率高等优点,值得临床推广尤其适合基层医疗机构应用．     

A Vaginal Birth After Cesarean,Attended by a Family Member Midwife Serving as Doula

In this column, a mother and her doula describe the strategies used during pregnancy and labor to maximize the success of a vaginal birth after a previous cesarean surgery.     

Rowen's Birth Story: His and Her Versions

In this column, a father and a mother each share their unique version of their son''s natural birth.     

Charlie's Birth Story: Two Unique Perspectives

In this column feature, a father and a mother each share their unique point of view of their son''s birth.     

Non-organic failure to thrive: Decision for and videotaped evaluations

Infants hospitalized for non-organic failure to thrive in the first six months of life are in a life-threatening situation and are already at risk for poor bonding with mother. In light of this, the meaning and use of foster care and how this separation affects the developing mother-child relationship are the issues addressed through examination of 16 cases in which 8 of the infants were placed in foster care and 8 discharged home after the failure to thrive hospitalization. This paper examines (1) maternal histories of pregnancy, labor and delivery and the neonatal status of placed and non-placed infants; (2) the developmental and weight status of placed children; (3) the nature of the decision criteria for after-hospital care; and (4) the mother-infant relationship at initial intake in terms of mother's report of events and observations of feeding and play interactions during a videotaped assessment process. The study found that the interactions between mother and infant in those situations which required foster care were clearly more dysfunctional when compared to those in which the baby was discharged home to mother. Babies in the two groups were comparable in weight status at the time of hospitalization although babies in foster placement had slightly lower scores on the Bayley Scales. Maternal histories of pregnancy, labor, and delivery were similar for the two groups as were the birth and neonatal histories of the infants.     

Elizabeth Belle’s Birth Story

In this article, Jessica and Samuel Boro share the story of the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Belle. With the physical and emotional support of her husband and her doula, this mother was able to cope with a long labor and have the natural birth she wanted. Her husband describes how important the doula was for him.     

New Resources for Childbirth Educators and Parents

In this column, reviewers offer perspectives and comments on a variety of new media resources for childbirth educators and expectant and new parents. The books, CDs, DVDs, and kits reviewed in this issue''s column include the following topics: the birth experiences of mothers who survived childhood sexual abuse; lively teaching techniques and ideas to help energize and enhance childbirth education classes; breastfeeding in the workplace; expectant fathers; perspectives on motherhood; unique, helpful tools for childbirth educators to use in designing their class content, addressing the stages of labor, and discussing planned cesarean birth; exercises for pregnant women on bedrest; and a compilation of presentations featured at Birthing the Future''s international symposiums.     

The experience of pregnancy: a hermeneutical/phenomenological study

The aim of this study was to describe women''s experience of pregnancy. The setting was the Alternative Birth Center at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Göteborg, Sweden, from 1996 to 1997. Anonymous diaries were written by 12 women and analyzed using a hermeneutical/phenomenological approach. The essential structure and interpretation of women''s experience of pregnancy can be expressed as “transition to the unknown,” which includes three themes: (1) meeting one''s life situation, (2) meeting something inevitable, and (3) preparing for the unknown.The essential structure and interpretation of women''s experience of pregnancy can be expressed as “transition to the unknown” …     

Maternal perinatal risk factors and child abuse

A retrospective matched pair study was designed to compare maternal perinatal factors such as abnormal pregnancy history and labor and delivery experience in families who subsequently were reported as physically abusive to one or more of their children as compared to non-abusive families. The study population consisted of the mothers of 532 children reported to the Baltimore (Maryland) Department of Social Services as physically abused during the years 1975-77. The comparison group was handmatched to the study group from State of Maryland birth certificates on the basis of the abused child's birth year and sex, maternal race, education and hospital of delivery. The study population was 67% black with a mean maternal education of 10.5 completed years. The abused children were 59% male with 48% less than 2 years of age. Results indicated that selected medical definitions of abnormal pregnancy, labor and delivery did not identify families at differential risk of maltreatment. However, mothers in maltreating families were younger, had shorter birth intervals, less prenatal care and were significantly more likely to have had a stillbirth or reported abortion or a prior child death. Study limitations are addressed as are suggestions for future research.     

Bristol Palin: the pedagogical media spectacle of a sexual abstinence ambassador

This paper explores the public political media spectacle of Bristol Palin's teenage pregnancy and her status as a single mother through the lens of a critical feminist discourse analysis. The author explores how cultural anxieties over teenage sexuality and unintended pregnancy in America are constructed when the pregnant teen is the daughter of an ambitious politician who is White, upper-middle class, and holds evangelical Christian beliefs. From pregnant teen thrust into the media spotlight by her politically ambitious mother to ambassador of sexual abstinence, the pedagogical media spectacle of Bristol Palin promoting abstinence is unique and can be understood as part of a broader postfeminist media culture in which the articulation of feminist empowerment principles, such as female agency and reproductive choice, is subverted within the neoliberal discourse of personal responsibility and financial independence.     

Sex and Babies: Pregnant Couples' Postnatal Sexual Concerns

What are pregnant couples'' concerns regarding their sexual relationship after their baby''s arrival? A study in regard to this question was conducted with five prenatal groups (n = 82). Its results are presented in this article. The sexual concerns are categorized as being about physical matters, psychological issues, adaptation issues, and anticipatory planning. A review of the literature then develops the theoretical interpretation of each of the sexual concerns and offers suggestions for childbirth educators to address some of these issues.