Charlotte's Birth

A young mother shares her story of normal birth at home. Her story includes a thank-you letter written to Ina May Gaskin, who shared her wisdom in her book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.     

Water Birth at Home: Two Perspectives

In this column, a grandmother, with a long history as an author and activist for normal birth, and her daughter, a new mother, offer their unique experiences of a water birth at home, attended by family members and midwives. Their unique perspectives demonstrate the trust in the normal birth process that is possible for every birth.     

Transitions: The Birth of Flora Arden

In this column, a young mother shares the story of her second home birth. Like the birth of her first baby, her daughter Flora’s birth was supported by the presence of a midwife and doula, the peace and quiet of her own home, and the love of her husband and family. Birth is described as transforming and a powerful transition for women. She describes the births of both her children as being “forever emblazoned on my heart as the sweetest and strongest days of my small life.” Paralleling this story of birth is the story of her mother-in-law as she faces brain cancer and seizes the power of that life transition.     

Witnessing a Natural,Safe, and Healthy Birth

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses her experience witnessing a natural, safe, and healthy home 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 normal birth.     

Preparing for the First Birth: Mothers' Experiences at Home and in Hospital in Australia

The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of a group of first-time mothers who had given birth at home or in hospital in Australia. Data were generated from in-depth interviews with 19 women and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. One of the categories to emerge from the analysis, “Preparing for Birth,” is discussed in this article. Preparing for Birth consisted of two subcategories, “Finding a Childbirth Setting” and “Setting Up Birth Expectations,” which were mediated by beliefs, convenience, finances, reputation, imagination, education and knowledge, birth stories, and previous life experiences. Overall, the women who had planned home births felt more prepared for birth and were better supported by their midwives compared with women who had planned hospital births.     

The Birth of Miles Henry DeVries

In this birth story, a second-time mother relates her experience of birthing her son at home after her daughter was born via cesarean surgery. Support from the International Cesarean Awareness Network, as well as a home birth midwife specializing in vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), made the dream of a vaginal birth a reality for this mom. This story highlights the importance of having a supportive care provider and laboring in a safe and comfortable environment when pursuing a VBAC.     

They Said So on the News: Parsing Media Reports About Birth

In this column, the authors reprise recent selections from the Lamaze International research blog, Science & Sensibility. Each selection discusses shortcomings in the news media coverage of childbirth issues. The authors demonstrate how to identify misleading claims in the media and highlight how childbirth educators can apply a common-sense approach and careful fact checking to help women understand the whole story.     

Celebrate Birth!—The Empowered Pregnancy That Changed My Life

Midwifery led care transforms the experience of Naima Beckles, a Black woman who gave birth for the first time over a decade ago. Here she describes how an empowered birth laid the groundwork for a career as a birth worker.     

In Search of a Common Agenda for Planned Home Birth in America

Leading maternity provider organizations in North America have been in conflict about birth at home and birth centers, debating issues related to safety, access, the value of obstetric intervention, and patient autonomy. In today’s environment, childbirth educators and doulas are often required to explain to parents why physiological birth and evidence-based, low-technology methods of labor and birth care are not available in every setting, and why maternity providers disagree about birth place. There are very few regions in the United States where home birth providers are integrated into interprofessional provider networks that allow for seamless care across birth settings. In October 2011, multidisciplinary leaders met at a Home Birth Consensus Summit in Warrenton, Virginia, to discuss the status of home birth within the greater context of maternity care in the United States. This article describes the intent and outcomes of the summit. Four of the nine consensus statements developed at the summit are of particular interest and importance to mothers and families and, hence, to childbirth educators and advocates. Consumers, educators, and birth advocates are encouraged to widen the circle, identify communications experts, lead individual projects, or serve as advisors.     

禹生石纽简论

“禹兴西羌”传说有真实的历史内桉。“西羌”是大泛指,“汶山郡”是中泛指,“石纽”是小泛指,“刳儿坪”是实指。其真实性是指真实事件的文化传承,不是指具体时间地点,因此,“禹兴西羌”是个文化问题,不是历史问题。“禹生石纽”是颠顼—系羌、蜀的传说,其地不可确指,但以北川羌族自治县禹里乡为典型,需要研究禹文化与羌文化的原生、次生和续生三重关系及其连接点,并运用于现实的活态,以利于建设禹羌文化旅游版块。     

传统生育文化对生育率的影响--以云南少数民族为例

在漫长的历史文化传承中,积淀出各民族独特的民族文化。根深蒂固的民族文化传统极大地束缚着人们的生育观念,从而体现出各民族不同的生育行为。虽然国家计划生育政策作为正规制度的一部份对各民族生育行为起着巨大的制约作用,但目前我们的关键问题不是如何制定计划生育政策,而是如何建立一种有效的机制使这种外生变量在潜移默化中溶入民族文化中,变为内生变量,以促进各少数民族传统生育观的转变,进而实际地影响各民族的生育行为,才能真正使国家的计划生育政策落到实处,保证云南少数民族生育率持续下降成为可能。     

从生育和丧葬仪式看布依族竹图腾崇拜

大量史料记载夜郎王为竹所生和布依族以竹为姓的典故。布依族的民间故事、民歌、神话传说都记录了布依族祖先为竹所生及竹生人的说法。布依族将竹作为其所崇拜的图腾,竹的功能得以神化。生和死是人生最重要的两个仪式,布依族在生育仪式中的“搭花桥”、“改都雅”和丧葬仪式中的“龙戈”、“古庄”、“豪洛”都体现了其对竹的图腾崇拜。布依族人民企图以祭祀等图腾仪式来达到对自然的支配和控制,通过大量的祭祀与巫术活动祈求得到图腾的保护。     

VPDN网络技术在计划生育管理中的应用

讨论 VPDN 网络技术,以建立市、县、乡、村四级计划生育网络系统为例论述 VPDN 网络技术的应用。     

贵州少数民族大学生生育价值观现状调查研究

选取657名少数民族大学生为调查对象,采用"生育价值观问卷",考察了少数民族大学生生育价值观的年级特点、性别差异、城乡类型差异及文理科的差异。结果表明:少数民族大学生在生育需要、生育方法、生育愿望和生育职责上有显著性别差异,女生显著高于男生。少数民族城市大学生在生育需要、生育方法、生育愿望和生育职责上显著高于农村大学生。少数民族大学生生育价值观在年级类型上差异显著,大一学生在性别偏好、生育数量、生育时间、生育质量上显著高于其他各年级。少数民族理科大学生在生育数量、生育时间和生育职责上显著高于少数民族文科大学生。     

豫南生育习俗文化述论

豫南民间，人们在本地域的文化生态环境中，形成了独特的生育习俗，这些习俗是豫南人生育信仰和经验的总结。千百年来，在不断生育的过程中，积淀了丰厚的生育文化，成为民俗文化中最具代表性的一个类型。     

论医疗机构在“错误出生”中的法律责任

提供医疗服务的医务人员或者医疗机构由于过失没有检查出胎儿有严重的疾病,致使父母误以为胎儿健康而未堕胎生下残疾儿,父母因此可以享有医疗损害赔偿权.赔偿范围应当包括原告母亲及先天缺陷儿的医疗费用,对缺陷儿的人力照顾费用及特殊教育费用.但由于产前诊断存在一些难以避免的误差,某些特殊情况下,不能在错误出生之诉中要求医疗机构承担违约或侵权责任.     

攀枝花市出生缺陷的现况调查

目的：掌握攀枝花市出生缺陷发生率,了解出生缺陷分布特征、影响因素、发生原因等,制定预防出生缺陷实施方案,提高出生人口素质。方法：按照“攀枝花市出生缺陷监测方案”的要求,在攀枝花市所有出生缺陷监测单位对2008年10月1日至2011年9月30日出生的围产儿进行监测。结果：共监测30111例围产儿,胎龄28周以上出生缺陷381例,出生缺陷发生率为126．5／万;男性出生缺陷发生率高于女性,差异具有统计学意义（x2=11．49,P〈0．01）;出生缺陷儿母亲各年龄组间差异无统计学意义。攀枝花市出生缺陷主要为总唇裂、多指（趾）、外耳畸形等。结论：攀枝花市三年来出生缺陷发生率呈下降趋势;全面实施出生缺陷干预措施,认真落实“三级预防”措施、强化孕期保健是减少出生缺陷发生的关键。     

高鹗籍贯确系铁岭

高鹗籍贯是沈阳还是铁岭,是红学界长期争论的一个问题。高鹗籍贯今沈阳的传统说法似成定论,但存在许多疑点,而且与他自称“铁岭高鹗”相矛盾。大量新、旧献资料证明高鹗的祖居地在清代奉天(沈阳)府辖下的铁岭县三台子,即今天的铁岭市东三台子。     

生育信仰和土家族巫文化

生育信仰作为一种精神民俗,是土家族文化的重要组成部分.它贯穿于土家人的整个社会文化发展史.它的产生和发展,与其他任何一种文化现象一样,有其必然性和合理性.因而,我们无论从心理学角度、社会学角度,历史的角度还是从现实的角度考察,土家族文化中的生育信仰,其文化内涵与社会功能是多元的,它对整个土家人精神生活和社会生活都产生了不可低估的影响.     

悲剧在伍尔夫小说中诞生——论尼采的日神精神和酒神精神在伍尔夫小说中的体现

弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫是尼采笔下酒神颂歌式的作家,她将音乐和诗的元素融入小说创作中,体现了尼采的日神精神和酒神精神的完美结合。悲剧在伍尔夫的小说中诞生了。