Hammock or Trampoline? I see this often, in first labors especially: Labor starts with a long pre-labor; the kind of labor that starts and stops multiple times, sometimes for days or even a couple of weeks. A variation of this is an early labor that presents itself with short yet transition-like, painful contractions that do not yet dilate the cervix. Both patterns seem to indicate a body working hard to get a baby aligned and engaged. Once things progress, there can be inten

Lamaze's 6 Healthy Birth Practices form an excellent evidence-based blueprint for you to inform yourself, and for me as a doula, to educate, support, and advocate for my clients. It is solid, supported by ACOG, and physiology focused. Let's get started with this series. Let labor begin on its own Why? Because labor starts well before labor starts. The same hormones that regulate labor, birth, breastfeeding, and bonding – oxytocin, catecholamines, endorphins, and prolactin – a