By Naomi Starsiak
As a doula, it’s my job to keep up on information and statistics so I can give my clients the best advice available. I manage that by using several different sources, all of which you can use too.
Evidence Based Birth – http://www.evidencebasedbirth.com This website is generally my first stop. Its mission is to turn journal articles, meta-data studies, and other medically written works into information that is easy for parents to find and understand. The articles are written by medical professionals and are reviewed every few years to make sure the most up-to-date information is included.
NYS Department of Health – https://profiles.health.ny.gov/hospital A little hard to navigate but a great way to see side by side comparisons of different hospitals in the area. This website offers breakdown by Natural Birth and C-Section and each section offer further statistics on things like episiotomies, use of forceps, inductions, and anesthesia.
American College of Gynecologists – http://www.acog.org Most of the content is restricted to members but any handout you could get at an OB/GYN’s office is available for the public. This helps in contrasting the newest information available with what is actually being held up as the standard of care.
Spinning Babies – http://www.spinningbabies.com A site that talks about the body mechanics of pregnancy and birth. This site is created for pregnant moms and there are lots of videos and easy to understand articles.
I know that pregnancy tends to leave parents with a lot of things to do in a short amount of time, but if you don’t want to take my word for it then carve out some time and look over these sites.
Naomi Starsiak is a birth and postpartum doula, a natural birth consultant, and the co-owner of A Peaceful Birth doula & childbirth service. You can find her on Facebook at facebook.com/APeacefulBirthDoulas.
Have a question? E-mail it to Naomi at nestarsiak@gmail.com.
