Birth Basics

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Here, you’ll find evidence-based content on all things birth-related, ranging from positions to speed up labor to positions to reduce vaginal tearing , and from eating and drinking during labor to delayed cord clamping.

  • why does labor start at night, ideal birth environment, ideal labor environment,

    Why labor often starts at night: The psychology of labor and birth

    By Kaitlyn Kulda • August 17, 2024
    What does an ideal birth environment look like?
  • birth center vs hospital, birthing center vs hospital, what is a birth center, is a birth center right for me,

    What is a birth center and could one be right for you?

    By Renee Walton • April 16, 2024
    Birth center basics to help you decide
  • black women C section, C section rate, likelihood of C section,

    What the data from 1 million births says about your likelihood of having a C-section

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • October 8, 2024
    NBER report finds black women’s C-section rates outstrip anyone else’s 
  • LARC after birth, IUD after birth, IUD before leaving the hospital, IUD after giving birth, postplacental LARC, postplacental IUD, reducing short interpregnancy interval,

    IUD placement right after birth might be unethical—and unnecessary

    By Kristen Curran • September 10, 2024
    Why we shouldn’t be placing “postplacental” LARC
  • “Birth can be traumatic, and birth can be healing:” A tale of two birth stories

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • July 30, 2024
    Birth trauma didn’t have the last word
  • fetal monitoring system, wireless fetal monitoring system, patch fetal monitoring system,

    Wireless fetal monitoring: A win for women in labor

    By Melayna Alicea • November 7, 2024
    Exciting new technology from Northwestern University + UNC-Chapel Hill
  • new mom reject birth control, new mom refuse birth control, new mom use fertility awareness, natural family planning postpartum, new mom use natural family planning, romper birth control,

    Why some new moms are shunning hormonal birth control

    By Melayna Alicea • October 15, 2024
    “My body has been through the wringer”
  • unnecessary C section, black women unnecessary c section,

    Why are black women more likely to have unnecessary C-sections?

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • October 8, 2024
    Medical necessity isn’t the only driver of C-sections
  • “Measure the placenta!” to prevent stillbirth

    By Kristen Curran • February 15, 2024
    3 extra ultrasound measurements could make a big difference
  • unmedicated hospital birth, unmedicated birth in hospital, natural birth in hospital, natural childbirth in hospital

    Here are the 6 ways Labor and Delivery units tend not to “follow the science,” especially for unmedicated birth

    By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • December 7, 2023
    You may encounter these outmoded practices when you go to the hospital.