For Parents
12 Ways to Change Birth in Our Culture, Part 3: Initiating, Nurturing, and Supporting Birth Workers
In 2010, Pam England wrote a series of pieces about ways in which we can change birth in our culture. The Birthing From Within leadership and blog team has chosen 12 of these pieces and updated them to reflect current understandings within the birth world as well as our current approaches and offerings as an…
Read MoreBFW Dictionary: Birth Art
There are so many words that are special to Birthing From Within, words that we use in very specific ways that are important and meaningful — but not always entirely self-explanatory. The purpose of the BFW Dictionary posts is to shine a clarifying light on the language used by BFW and its practitioners and to…
Read MoreNourishing the Life Within: Vegan Herbal Broth and Golden Curry Lentil Stew
In Ancient Map for Modern Birth, Pam England writes of the importance of “Nourishing the Life Within” with tasty, satisfying, and nutritious food. In this series, we tap chefs, nutritionists, postpartum doulas, and other kitchenistas for their favorite ideas for: pregnant and postpartum parents…sleep deprived doulas, midwives, and nurses…and anyone whose inner spirit is in…
Read More12 Ways to Change Birth in Our Culture, Part 1: Magical Birth Stories for Children
In 2010, Pam England wrote a series of pieces about ways in which we can change birth in our culture. The Birthing From Within leadership and blog team has chosen 12 of these pieces and updated them to reflect current understandings within the birth world as well as our current approaches and offerings as an…
Read MoreInformation Frenzy and Awareness Moments
Are you wondering what “birthing from within” means? Or what it means for a person to “give birth from within”? In a word: awareness. It would seem at first glance that a person who gathers lots of information during pregnancy is motivated and headed in the “right direction.” However, a more important detail of preparation…
Read MoreWhat about Cesarean Birth?: A BFW Perspective
This piece on cesarean birth is a modified excerpt from Ancient Map for Modern Birth by Pam England. To read more (and see the full list of citations), buy your copy here. Many pregnant people know and accept that cesarean birth may become necessary and do not resist learning more about it or considering the possibility, even…
Read MoreBFW Dictionary: Labyrinth
On October 27, 2018, BFW facilitators Deidre Coutsoumpos and Koyuki Smith had the honor of presenting a workshop, “Learning through Listening: Using the Labyrinth to Move Through Trauma,” at the second Black Birth Matters conference hosted by Birthmark Doulas in New Orleans. Many participants were eager to learn more about labyrinths, both real and metaphorical, and how we…
Read MoreNourishing the Life Within: Chicken Quinoa Soup with Greens, Coconut, Turmeric, and Ginger
In Ancient Map for Modern Birth, Pam England writes of the importance of “Nourishing the Life Within” with tasty, satisfying, and nutritious food. In this series of posts, we tap chefs, nutritionists, postpartum doulas, and other kitchenistas for their favorite ideas for: pregnant and postpartum parents…sleep deprived doulas, midwives, and nurses…and anyone whose inner spirit…
Read MoreWorry is the Work of Pregnancy
The reduction or even elimination of WORRY is often a main goal of expecting parents, and of the professionals who work with them. The positive intention behind this approach is obvious…but perhaps we ought to examine it a bit more closely. One of Pam England‘s important insights is that “Worry is the work of pregnancy.” In other…
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