Birth

Resources in this category:

Birth Centers Online
http://www.birthcenters.org/

Comprehensive online guide to birth centers, medically supervised alternatives to hospitals.

The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth
http://www.bradleybirth.com/

The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth seeks to prepare pregnant women and their partners for a well-informed, natural birth experience through a series of 12 classes. This method of childbirth education is also called "Husband-Coached Childbirth." This site contains information on diet for pregnancy and a directory of certified Bradley Method instructors.

Cesarean Section -- A Brief History
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/cesarean/cesarean_1.html

"Imagine no antibiotics, antiseptics, anesthesia, rubber gloves, clotting agents, invisible dissolving sutures, ultrasound, or even sharp scalpels. It's amazing that cesarean section was even attempted before this century. Yet, written records go back to 1500, when a Swiss sow gelder saved both his wife and child by this method. Since then, the procedure has been performed more often than you might expect, right up to the present, when nearly a quarter of all births are delivered cesarean. Read the whole history, with engaging text and gory woodcuts."

Childbirth Options
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48450

This IPL pathfinder is designed for pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant women who want to know more about their options for giving birth. It provides print and Internet sources that will help clarify your choices so that you can make the best decisions for you, your baby and your family.

Childbirth.org
http://www.childbirth.org/

Numerous links to "educational, informational, and personal" resources related to pregnancy and childbirth, organized into categories such as pregnancy, labor, complications and feeding. Also offers web-based chat rooms, as well as discussions forums. Searchable.

DONA: Doulas of North America
http://www.dona.org/

Information about doulas, women trained in labor assistance, from this international organization. "A place to find out about professional labor [and delivery] support, whether you are looking for a doula or looking to become a doula."

Lamaze International
http://www.lamaze.org/Default.asp

Resources about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting for everyone from those considering pregnancy to those who have a newborn infant. Searchable.

VBAC.com
http://www.vbac.com/

This site provides mothers-to-be and maternity care professionals access to research-based information, resources, continuing education and support for VBAC* (vaginal birth after cesarean).