The birth rate in the United States and other countries is declining and has fallen below replacement. Healthy families are the foundation of a healthy country. It is also concerning that childbirth is becoming more dependent on technology. In 2018 I wrote a blog post about childbirth, past and present.…
In the past month I have read historical fiction that has taken me from Oklahoma to Avignon, France, and to England. Lisa Wingate’s novel, Shelterwood, finds its roots in Oklahoma history. The story has two timelines: 1909, shortly after Oklahoma became a state and 1990 when the bones of three…
Two books give insight into the practice of midwifery. Martha Ballard was a midwife in Maine in the late 1700s.
If a woman’s first childbirth was via cesarean section, usually the next birth will be by cesarean section. The CDC provides the statistics for repeat cesarean section. It is 85%. My daughter-in-law’s first baby was born by cesarean section, but she hoped to deliver her second baby normally (vaginally). She…
The book, Born for Life; A Midwife's story reminded me of my own experiences.
During WWII Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany. Like many occupied countries, there was a resistance movement. Mandy Robotham has written a historical fiction book, The Resistance Girl, based on events that took place during that time. The main character, Rumi, is a young woman who is the daughter of…
The trip to Finland in 2017 had several purposes. We were meeting some relatives for the first time at a family reunion in northern Finland. After the reunion my husband I traveled south by train. When we arrived in Vaasa (western coast of Finland) we rented a car. The midwife…
This summer I have had more time in the garden. The flowers and herbs are flourishing. I picked a nosegay including these herbs with their flowers: calendula, echinacea, feverfew, lavender, mint, lemon balm and marjoram. Some years ago, when I was working as maternity nurse and Lamaze instructor, I came…
As we look back through history, we come across women who demonstrated faith and courage. Their actions were based on convictions. Some are midwives, and some are nurses. The first book of Exodus records the confrontation between Pharoah and two midwives. Shiprah and Puah did not carry out the Pharoah’s…
A couple of books have stirred my thoughts and emotions. I read a lot—sometimes three books in a week. I don’t review many. These two books have touched me. The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin is historical fiction based on a real event. In 1888 a blizzard came on suddenly in…