Birth

Why my twins’ premature birth still haunts me

I held the twins for the first time when they were one day old.

An overlooked tool in pregnancy and birth? Breathwork

Let’s get back to the inhale, exhale, mama.

Dreading pregnancy or childbirth? It may be tokophobia 

Fear of giving birth can exist on a spectrum, but tokophobia is a rare, severe form. It may cause some women to elect for a C-section or avoid pregnancy altogether.

This is Motherhood: Jamie Jones wants BIPOC moms to get the birth support they need

In this bonus episode of the Motherly Podcast, guest host Joyce Brewer speaks with Jamie Jones, a childbirth educator at Birthsmarter, a doula, a pre- and postnatal corrective exercise specialist, and a certified personal trainer.

The heartwarming reason why this 8-year-old delivered her baby sister

How involving her daughter in her deliveries helped them both heal from pregnancy loss. 

Mamas in Ukraine—and around the world—achieve the impossible

And while she was acknowledging her own pain she also said, “I could be giving birth in Ukraine right now—someone probably is doing that right now.” Women give birth in war zones, in hiding, in abusive homes, sometimes completely alone.

These photos from a trans father’s home birth are stunning 😍

"When I saw the photos I suddenly got the sense that they need to be out there, as they represent so well two causes very close to my heart: normalization of home birth and normalization of trans and non-binary people giving birth."

What Black mothers-to-be need to know before giving birth

I was confident in my ability to have the birth experience that I wanted. Unfortunately, that didn’t end up being the case. Now, I hope other Black mothers-to-be can learn from my experience and how to prepare themselves for all possible birthing scenarios.

Study finds some C-section babies may not need routine antibiotics

The findings can help prevent giving some infants unnecessary antibiotics at birth.

My epidural worked *too* well—here’s what I wish I knew

I had a panic attack while in labor, but now I know what to ask for next time.

4 simple things you can do to have a better hospital birth

It’s possible to have a great birth experience in a hospital. You just need a game plan in place before your due date.

Where does the placenta come from? We didn’t know either

The placenta is a fascinating organ you probably know little to nothing about.

What we wish we packed in our hospital bags

The moment you start feeling contractions is not when you want to toss together the bag.

These are the best birth photos of 2021—and they’re breathtaking

These are the winners of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers 2021 Birth Photography Image Competition.

Preparing for your birth? Have you heard of Motherly’s birth class?

Pregnancy and birth are some of the biggest moments of life—it can feel…

Giving birth shouldn’t be a death sentence, but for Black moms, this is the reality

For decades, Black mothers and their needs during pregnancy have been ignored and pushed aside.

10 tried-and-true ways to induce labor naturally

If you’ve reached full-term in your pregnancy and are ready to try to speed things along by trying to naturally induce your labor at home, we feel you.

Dylan Dreyer shares first family photo at home with baby Russell

The TODAY host’s third baby “graduated” from the NICU this week. [Editor’s…

I’m a midwife, and I can’t be silent about our broken birthing system

A midwife speaks about the world's other other health crisis we need to confront.

A midwife’s guide to having your best birth

From prepping your partner to not listening to scary birth stories, here's what you need to know.