ABSTRACTS OF FEATURE ARTICLES

What Makes a Good Birth and Why Does it Matter?
by Penny Simkin
The birth experience does not end when the baby is born. Women remember their children's births all their lives. They deserve to look back on their childbirths with satisfaction. This paper describes and differentiates among good, great, disappointing, and traumatic birth experiences. The discussion includes elements that contribute to a good experience, before, during, and after the birth.
To download and view this article (in pdf format), click here.

The Meaning of Giving Birth and Mastery of the Experience
by Lynn Clark Callister
Understanding meaning and mastery are essential in order to enhance the quality of women's birth experiences. Meaning may be global or situational and is influenced by multiple variables. Mastery is defined as confronting and mastering a challenging life event. Feelings of control contribute to mastery. The more confidence a woman has in her ability to cope with giving birth, the less perceived pain she will have. Taking time to help women articulate the meaning of giving birth, and demonstrating belief in a woman's strength, is essential in order to ensure positive outcomes from giving birth.

Childbirth: A Journey Through Time
by Phyllis L. Brodsky
Women were the original healers and midwives from the beginning of recorded history. Depending on the time in history and the culture, men were excluded during childbirth. Childbirth, until modern times, was a natural event in the life cycle and treated as such. Over time, men became involved inadvertently when they were called upon to assist in extremely complicated childbirths. The shaman, priest, physician, or barber-surgeon of the middle ages came to the aid of the distressed midwife. He had tools to extract the baby, perhaps in pieces. This marked the beginning of men invading the field of midwifery, and introducing science and technology into the natural phenomenon of childbirth.

The Lived Experience of First-Time Breastfeeding Mothers
by Oluremi Roseline Adewale
This qualitative descriptive study was designed to capture the lived experience of first-time breastfeeding mothers and to explore the perceived usefulness of the information provided by healthcare professionals. A semi-structured interview guide was utilized to explore the meaning of lived experiences. The five participants in this study described their lived experiences with breastfeeding. The responses of the five participants were audiotaped and transcribed. The major themes and concepts in the participants' responses were analyzed. The findings in this study were helpful in identifying the lived experience of first-time breastfeeding mothers, the difficulties with breastfeeding as perceived by participants, and the role of nurses in providing breastfeeding support and education that can enhance successful breastfeeding.

A Qualitative Study of the Bradley Method of Childbirth Education
by Deena McKinney
The Bradley Method of childbirth education is one among several options women have to prepare for childbirth. This article details the experiences of fifteen students and teachers who used this method for the births of one or more children. Analysis is qualitative. Key themes that emerged from the data include the role of partners in birth, empowerment, and overall satisfaction with the method.

VIRGINIA LARSEN RESEARCH GRANT: The Alabama Birth Study: A Statistical Analysis of Home Birth Midwives and Childbirth Education -- 1980 to 2000
by Nancy Mitchell-Merrill
Upon working with some legislative issues regarding midwifery, I learned the state of Alabama prints a home birth packet and does not compile the information into any useful format in the protection of those who participate in or choose homebirth options. The question arises, "What are the outcomes throughout the state for homebirth mothers and babies and what is the source of these outcomes?" Is it the educational level of the mothers, the instruction given by the midwives, or other independent educators? Thus, we ask the question to be studied, "How has information and education impacted the childbirth choices of women in Alabama choosing homebirth? Does information provided by homebirth midwives and childbirth educators in Alabama result in better birth outcomes for the mother, for the newborn?" We attempted to answer this question by surveying Alabama midwives, childbirth educators, and Alabama birth certificate data.

COLUMNS

Educator's Corner
by Linda Worzer
Grandma's Chiffarobe

Statistics
by Marcy White
We Should Listen to Our Mothers

Birthing a Research Project
by Marcella Hart

Political Issues
by Barbara Steppe
Experience the Experience

The Cochrane Library

Nutrition News
by Davorka Monti
Let's NOT Chew the Fat

Audio Visual Review
by Margery Simchak
The Dad Difference

Certification Update