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.     

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.     

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.     

A Family-Centered Cesarean Birth Story

This is the family-centered cesarean birth story of my twin grandchildren. Because of good prenatal education; a well-chosen, dedicated care provider; and parents with focus, I am able to share a beautiful birth story. I hope relating this story encourages other childbirth educators to present various options for cesarean in their classes, thereby educating the public about this beautiful opportunity if a cesarean birth is necessary.     

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.     

From Psychoprophylactic to Orgasmic Birth

The assumptions on which educators based childbirth education principles were valid when psychoprophylactic birth became available. Yet, educators and health-care providers have changed their assumptions about birth as they have learned more from the midwifery model of care, how women want to give birth, and how capable the body is to give birth. Educators'' teaching must now emphasize the synchrony of hormones that facilitates birth, the Sphincter Law, and the sharing of woman-to-woman stories throughout the generations if birth is to be set in its rightful place—in the hands of the mothers.     

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.     

Robyn’s Birthing Story

This “Celebrate Birth!” column describes the experience of a long-time childbirth educator who attended the birth of her granddaughter Cora, her daughter Robyn’s second hospital birth. She discusses how Robyn’s instincts and confidence helped to overcome institutional issues to provide a good and safe birthing experience.     

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.     

The Birth of Joseph Gabriel

In this column, a mother shares the story of the birth of her first child. With confidence in the process of birth and in her ability to give birth, and with the support, confidence, and encouragement of her mother and sisters, Anne manages to cope with strong contractions through a busy day. Finally, her husband realizes how fast labor is progressing. Baby Joseph was born less than 2 hours after arrival at the hospital.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

《阅微草堂笔记》:一个经典文本和一种小说类型

《阅微草堂笔记》在中国小说史上的意义,不仅在于其自身的成就奠定了它作为一个经典文本的地位,更在于它是子部小说这样一种文类的标本。在史、子、集三种叙事传统中,纪昀明确地以子部为归属,着眼于三者的异同来确立和完善子部小说的特点,在题旨上注重事理的揭示,在叙事准则上反对过度虚构,风格简淡,回避现场感,其文类特征是鲜明而系统的。面对《阅微草堂笔记》,应当采用子部小说的原理来阐发文本及其小说史地位,否则牛头不对马嘴,只能徒滋纷扰。     

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.     

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.     

Louisa's Birth

In this column, Rachel Mann shares the story of the birth of her third daughter, Louisa. After a previous pregnancy loss, Mann chose to give birth to her third baby in a hospital with attending care from an obstetrician. In spite of the high-risk medical environment, she was able to have an unmedicated, powerful birth. Mann's careful planning, the support of her husband and doula, and her confidence in her ability to give birth helped make Louisa's birth all that Mann hoped it would be.     

Story Time and Narrative Time-On the Time in When We Two Parted

As narratives are composed of the content encoded and the medium giving concrete shape to them,narratives are inseparably intertwined with temporalities,those of story time and narrative time.In the poem When We Two Parted,there is the co-existence of story time and narrative time.The story time covers three sections depicting separately the past events,the present and the future.They are boiled down into the poem in thirty two lines in total,which gives rise to the variance between duration of story time and duration of narrative time.The durations endow the poem with distinguishable narrative effects.