In This Issue—The Impact of Birth Physiology on the Transition to Motherhood

In this column, the associate editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses the impact of birth physiology on the transition to motherhood. The associate editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

In This Issue—Preparing for Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered many aspects of promoting normal pregnancy and birth practices. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Healthy Birth Practices Revisited

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education describes this special issue where distiguished authors provide updated evidence-based reviews of the Lamaze International Six Healthy Birth Practices that promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.This issue is dedicated to Elisabeth Bing on the occasion of her 100th birthday.     

A Paradigm of Normal Birth: Teaching Through the Healthy Birth Practices

Debra McAllister, a childbirth educator with 9 years of experience as a labor and delivery nurse, provides commentary on how she teaches through the Six Healthy Birth Practices as a paradigm for normal birth.     

Where to Give Birth

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses choices mothers make when deciding on where to give birth. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Continuing Education Module: Persuasion: The Key to Changing Women's Ideas About Birth

Although standard maternity care is not evidence-based and, in many cases, increases risks for mothers and babies, few women make birth decisions that reflect this knowledge. This column discusses persuasion as a way to change women''s ideas about safe, healthy birth. The relationship between persuasion and choice is discussed, and the differences between presenting information and persuading women that natural birth is the safest and healthiest way to give birth are explored.     

Creating Community

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education describes ways that Lamaze International is helping to create a community for those who share a common interest in promoting, supporting, and protecting natural, safe, and healthy childbirth. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote normal birth.     

Role models for pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses how the media provide role models-good and bad-for pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. There is a critical need for more positive role models that promote natural, safe, and healthy pregnancy and birth. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Health-Care Reform for Childbirth

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses the current health-care crisis and the need for health-care reform to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy childbirth. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote normal birth.     

Making a difference with evidence

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education describes how, despite the many challenges confronting childbirth educators today in our complex health-care environment, there is still a ray of hope that committed individuals translating evidence into practice can make a difference. The editor also describes the contents of this special issue, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Lamaze International and offers a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

The Journal of Perinatal Education, No Longer a Baby

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) acknowledges how, over the past 20 years, the JPE has matured into a highly respected journal for normal-birth advocates and other health professionals and announces a new partnership with Springer Publishing Company. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Ratings and rankings

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education describes ranking systems for scholarly journals. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Celebrate Birth!—Amazing Grace: Remembering Pregnancy and Birth

Our daughter and son were born at the Maternity Center in NYC in 1986 and 1989, respectively. I am grateful to the exceptional care and freedom the nurse midwives were able to provide to our family. What follows is the expression of that deeply personal and profound experience, which will hopefully remind and inspire women of the truly individual and extraordinary gift of birth.     

Time for Rebirth

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) discusses how nature works exquisitely to accomplish its intended outcomes and compares the rebirth of flowers and trees in the springtime to physiological birth. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

It Takes a Team

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) compares the need for careful planning, preparation, and coordinated teamwork in preparing for a safe, healthy birth with similar needs necessary for putting together each issue of JPE. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

What to Teach?

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses why Lamaze International conducts a comprehensive job analysis of what childbirth educators are teaching and their beliefs of what is important for pregnant women and their partners to learn. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.     

Worth the Wait

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses disadvantages of not waiting for labor to begin on its own and the effects of elective induction and cesarean surgery. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.