Getting ready for birth
Birth plans - A birth plan, at its best, is a statement of your preferences for labor and delivery.
Birth plan creator - Summarizing your birth preferences is easy with our interactive checklist!
What L&D nurses wish you knew - Writer Margarette Burnette shares tips from labor and delivery nurses to help you better prepare for the birth of your baby.
9 questions to ask your doctor/midwife - A lacatation expert shares this checklist about things you should know before birth and delivery.
Childbirth classes - Many new parents don't make the time in their busy schedules to take childbirth classes any more and feel that if they are planning on epidural anesthesia that they don't need childbirth classes. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
Mother-friendly hospitals - "Mother-friendly" is a term that has been applied to maternity care in hospitals that reflects the best information from all the research available as to how women and families should be treated during labor and birth.
More birth preparation features - Birth Preparation - Childbirth Classes, Birthing Centers, Contractions & More
Birth stories
All birth stories - Share and read birth stories.
Why share birth stories? - Giving birth stories can offer you much more than an interesting read!
First-time moms - Birth stories from first time moms.
VBAC - Article directory on VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and related topics.
Short labors - Articles and stories about short labor and delivery.
Big babies - Articles and stories on mothers who gave birth to big babies.
Unmedicated - Articles and stories about unmedicated labor and delivery.
Medicated - Articles and stories about medicated childbirth.
Waterbirth - Articles about natural waterbirth.
Cesareans - Articles and stories from mothers who gave birth via Cesarean section.
Labor coach/birth partner
Do I need a birth coach? - An educator tells us why having a support person during labor and birth is important.
Finding a doula - Finding a doula, especially with the help of the Internet, can be an enjoyable and easy experience.
Coaching tips: Take charge routine - A doula trainer offers these steps for helping the birthing mother with the "Take-Charge Routine."
Coaching tips: Timing contractions - One typical responsibility of the labor coach is to time contractions, especially during early labor. But timing contractions is not always as simple as it sounds!
More birth partner features - A directory of birth partner articles.
Natural childbirth
Why have a natural childbirth? - An argument from a midwife for natural birth and delivery.
An easier first birth - A doula offers you some of her ideas for ways you can work with your body toward the goal of an easier birth!
Effective birthing positions - Which positions are most effective will depend on the circumstances of your birth.
Laboring in the water - Watch as one mom delivers her baby in this video clip.
Coping techniques - Listing of articles on coping with labor and delivery.
Homebirth - Articles on natural childbirth and homebirth.
Labor coping techniques
Labor pain management - Articles with advice for pain management during labor and delivery.
About epidurals - The idea of giving birth for the first time can be daunting -- you want to be prepared.
Non-medicated pain relief options - Looking to skip the epidural? Here are some non-medicinal options you might want to consider.
How to cope with labor pain - Articles with advice on enduring natural labor.
Birth complications
Inducing labor - Articles on labor induction.
Cesarean section - Articles on C-Sections and having multiple Cesareans.
Premature labor - Topics on premature labor.
Emergency birth - If you think you could have a quick labor, learn some tips from Childbirth Educator Kira Smith (ICCE) to prepare for an emergency delivery at home.
Labor & birth interactive
Custom a labor bag checklist - You want to be as prepared as possible for your birth. If you're planning a hospital or birth center birth, what should you bring with you?
Birth plan creator - Summarizing your birth preferences is easy with our interactive checklist!
Madame Zaritska predicts your birth - Madame will do her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.
Contraction timer - The main thing separating "real" labor from "false" labor is that in true labor, your contractions will get progressively longer, stronger, and closer together.
Customize a labor phone list - Here's a handy way to organize and print off all of those essential phone numbers -- for your caregiver, the labor and delivery unit, a neighbor and others!
Postpartum contract - Get the help you need to fight postpartum depression.
Baby checklists - An index of relative baby checklists.
On the boards right now
More great stuff
Birth message boards
Birth blogs - Read blogs from fellow mothers and mothers-to-be.
Amazing stories - Some truly amazing baby stories.
Birth stories - More stories about birth and delivery.
All birth features
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