RECIPE FOR AN EMPOWERED EXPERIENCE
3 cups
InformedConsent
3 cups
Support
2 tsp.
Joy
1 cup
Wellness
2 tsp.
Respect
2 tbsp.
Empowerment
1½ cups
Compassion
Resources
Enjoy the resources below as a starting place to discover the abundance of information out there! This is by no means an exhaustive list nor is it reflective of the the many amazingly diverse resources that exist.
DOULA & MIDWIFE ORGANIZATIONS
Organizations to provide information about midwifery, find Doula support & more!
Midwifery Organizations
New York Homebirth Midwives - www.nyhomebirth.com
American College of Nurse Midwives - www.midwife.org
MANA: Midwives Alliance of Northern America www.mana.org
NARM: North American Registry of Midwives www.narm.org
Citizens for Midwifery - www.cfmidwifery.org
New York State Licensed
Midwife Regulations
New York State Office of the Professions
www.op.nysed.gov/prof/midwife/midwifeqa.htm
Doula Organizations
CNY Doula Connection - www.cnydoulaconnection.com
Doulas of Central New York - www.doulasofcny.com
Radical Doula - www.radicaldoula.com
Mohawk Valley Doulas
www.mohawkvalleydoulas.weebly.com
DONA International - www.dona.org
Accounts to Follow
Social media (especially Instagram) has allowed for midwives, doulas, birth workers, & families to educate, provide support & share their stories!
@DoctorMidwife - Your black, certified, Doctor Midwife (✊🏽DNP, CNM)
@Empoweredbirthproject - Reminding birthing people of their power & healing through storytelling
@Badassmotherbirther - Birth Advocate
@Biffandi - Harbinger of the trans revolution
@NationalBlackDoulas - Growing Black Birth Workers & Addressing the Black Maternal Death Rate in the U.S.
@birthbecomesher - We celebrate the singular experience of birth through educational resources, empowering imagery, and a positive and uplifting community.
@birth_unscripted - Birth photographer Natasha Hance and team work together to provide reliable professional birth photography to the DFW community.
@humanbirthproject - Empowerment through knowledge - an advocacy project from Kimm Sun, a New York City midwife.
@queerbirthworker - QTGNC Full Spectrum Birth worker, Transitioning Companion & Reproductive + Birth Justice
@yournaturalbirth - Birth the way YOU want: Naturally
Podcasts & Apps
PODCASTS
The Birth Hour - "A birth story podcast"
https://thebirthhour.com/
Birth Kweens - "Birth Kweens is a wildly honest and fun dive into all things natural-pregnancy, birth, postpartum and women’s health related." https://www.birthkweens.com/
Doing It At Home - "Our mission is to empower moms and families to make the birth decision that's most aligned with them. Whether it's doing it at home, or not."
https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Birthful - "Tap into the confident, calm & fearless parent within you." https://www.birthful.com/category/podcast/
Indie Birth Podcasts - "They are organized by these categories: Birth Stories, Pregnancy, Miscarriage and Loss, Labor and Birth, The Postpartum, Birth Politics and Philosophy, Midwifing, Spirituality, and more."
https://indiebirth.org/podcastarchive/
Informed Pregnancy Podcast - https://www.informedpregnancy.com/
Outspoken Voices - "a podcast for LGBTQ + families, addresses many of the challenges and triumphs that LBBTQ families face as they consider pregnancy, adoption, surrogacy, and parenting" https://www.outspokenvoicespodcast.com/
APps
Mindfulness: Expectful, Mind the Bump, Headspace
Positive Pregnancy
Calm Childbirth Hypnobirthing
Hypnobirthing
Ovia
Sprout Pregnancy
Full Term Contraction Timer
Food Journal: Cronometer
Movies
Movies are a great way to understand the realities of maternity care in the United States, but also to get family involved in support & labor/birth preparation.
Why Not Home
Orgasmic Birth
Happy Healthy Child
It's My Body, My Baby, My Birth
The Business of Being Born
WEBSITES
There are endless websites with evidence-based information, support & more.
Here is just a small selection!
Resources
Evidence Based Birth - www.evidencebasedbirth.com
Midwifery Today - www.midwiferytoday.com
Spinning Babies - "Easier birth with optimal fetal positioning" www.spinningbabies.com
Waterbirth International - www.waterbirth.org
The Well Rounded Mama - "Because people of all sizes deserve compassionate, gentle, helpful care."
www.wellroundedmama.blogspot.com
Plus Size Birth - "Healthy is Possible at Any Size"
The Paleo Mom - www.thepaleomom.com
Mama Natural - www.mamanatural.com
Mother Rising - "Holistic Pregnancy Blog"
www.motherrisingbirth.com
www.gayparentstobe.com/gay-parenting-blog
Proud Parenting - www.proudparenting.com
Trans Birth - Support for Trans and Non-binary folks
Meet the Wildes Blog - "modern love story' of two-mum family"
www.meetthewildes.com/category/same-sex-parenting
The Rainbow Babies - "General information on the many aspects of GLBT pregnancies and parenting." www.therainbowbabies.com/index.html
Black Women Birthing Justice www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.org
Sista Midwife Productions - "Our goal is to connect black birth workers with each other and the families who need them." https://www.sistamidwife.com/
Black Mamas Matter Alliance - "We envision a world where Black mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy." www.blackmamasmatter.org
Through the Looking Glass - "Serving families with disabilities since 1982." www.lookingglass.org/home
Therapy/Counselling/Mindfullness
Inner Lakes Therapy- Group practice of licensed trauma-informed clinicians
https://www.innerlakestherapy.com
Jennifer Lye, LMHC, PMH-C - Mental Health Counseling Expert in Birth Trauma and Postpartum Support
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jennifer-lye-west-islip-ny/787113
Sean Chiddy, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, mindfulness based somatic therapy specializing in trauma
CNY Therapy Solutions - Group practice of licensed mental health counselor specializing in perinatal mental health
https://www.cnytherapysolutions.com
Sara Rosney, LCSW, PLLC - Mental Health Counseling & Support - www.sarahrosneylcsw.com
Upstate free Perinatal Family Support Group
https://www.crouse.org/services/maternity/familysupport/
Inward Bound Mindfulness Education - In-depth mindfulness programs for teens and adultshttps://ibme.com/
BREAST/Chest FEEDING SUPPORT
Kelly Mom - www.kellymom.com
Black Women Do Breastfeed blackwomendobreastfeed.org
La Leche League International - www.llli.org
Baby Cafe USA - www.babycafeusa.org
Breastfeeding Online - www.breastfeedingonline.com
Books
These are some classic & new books to choose from to educate you and your families about all things pregnancy, birth & postpartum.
The New Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy and Birth, Stephanie Brill
The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, Susan McCutcheon, Erick Ingraham & Robert A. Bradley (Introduction)
The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother, Heng Ou, Amely Greeven & Marisa Belger
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, Sheila Kitzinger
Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn: the complete guide, Simkin, et al.
The Natural Pregnancy Book, Aviva Romm
Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, Aviva Romm
Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Julia Chinyere Oparah and Alicia D. Bonaparte
Mindful Birthing, Nancy Bardacke