Birth
It’s go time, mama! Whether you’re counting down the days or trying to plan ahead, learn more about giving birth with advice and essays from real mamas.
Brazilian mom gives birth to 16 lb baby—’didn’t expect this surprise’
"Most babies who are born full-term weight between 6-9 lbs."
I’m a Black mom, and I had to advocate differently for my NICU baby
Due to the history of the increased mortality rate of Black mothers during childbirth, we had to take every precaution.
Try these 4 yoga poses to induce labor—safely
Ready to get things moving? Experts say these yoga poses can help.
Do second babies come earlier? An OB weighs in
The good news is that your second labor may be only half as long.
I’m a preemie mom—5 things I wish I knew before my shocking delivery
My delivery taught me the first and potentially most crucial lesson of parenting: expect the unexpected.
6 expert tips on how to prepare for your first birth
2. Babies don't always follow birth plans, and that's OK.
C-section swelling may be common, but is it normal to swell above the incision?
Here's how to tell if swelling is normal or a sign of infection.
A brief history of the C-section
‘House of the Dragon’ highlights the fact that C-sections used to look very different from how they look today.
No doula? No problem—experts share how to advocate for yourself during pregnancy
Yes, you can still advocate for yourself, even without a doula.
How to have a positive birth experience with a C-section
Together with my doctor, we created a plan for my C-section to become the birth experience I wanted it to be.
Why my twins’ premature birth still haunts me
I held the twins for the first time when they were one day old.
An overlooked tool in pregnancy and birth? Breathwork
Let’s get back to the inhale, exhale, mama.
Dreading pregnancy or childbirth? It may be tokophobia 
Fear of giving birth can exist on a spectrum, but tokophobia is a rare, severe form. It may cause some women to elect for a C-section or avoid pregnancy altogether.
This is Motherhood: Jamie Jones wants BIPOC moms to get the birth support they need
In this bonus episode of the Motherly Podcast, guest host Joyce Brewer speaks with Jamie Jones, a childbirth educator at Birthsmarter, a doula, a pre- and postnatal corrective exercise specialist, and a certified personal trainer.
The heartwarming reason why this 8-year-old delivered her baby sister
How involving her daughter in her deliveries helped them both heal from pregnancy loss.
Mamas in Ukraine—and around the world—achieve the impossible
And while she was acknowledging her own pain she also said, “I could be giving birth in Ukraine right now—someone probably is doing that right now.” Women give birth in war zones, in hiding, in abusive homes, sometimes completely alone.
These photos from a trans father’s home birth are stunning 😍
"When I saw the photos I suddenly got the sense that they need to be out there, as they represent so well two causes very close to my heart: normalization of home birth and normalization of trans and non-binary people giving birth."
What Black mothers-to-be need to know before giving birth
I was confident in my ability to have the birth experience that I wanted. Unfortunately, that didn’t end up being the case. Now, I hope other Black mothers-to-be can learn from my experience and how to prepare themselves for all possible birthing scenarios.
Study finds some C-section babies may not need routine antibiotics
The findings can help prevent giving some infants unnecessary antibiotics at birth.