I am sad to learn we lost two men this week, two men who had significant influence on my understanding about fetal consciousness inside the womb and the harmfulness of some medical practices during childbirth. David B. Chamberlain and Marsden Wagner died and the world lost two prominent supporters for childbearing women and their unborn babies. These men were outspoken on the importance of optimizing the newborn’s potential for a healthy life inside the womb and maximizing the newborn’s potential by reducing harmful practices which can harm the newborn during childbirth.
David B. Chamberlain, PhD a psychologist and past president of APPPAH (Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health) wrote extensively on the subject of how we can shape our babies psychology while in the womb! I have always wanted to attend one of APPPAH’s conferences and meet him. His work inspired me to learn more about this fascinating field and to teach my pregnant clients how important their emotions can be in shaping their growing baby because their babies are very much aware of their environment and have memories from their time spent in the womb. Some of his work includes, Windows to the Womb: Revealing the Conscious Baby from Conception to Birth, The Mind of Your Newborn Baby, as well as numerous articles. Here is an interview with Suzanne Arms in 1994, published on the website Touch the Future called, Babies Know More Than You Think. http://ttfuture.org/authors/dbc
Hypno-birthing practitioners understandably love Dr. Chamberlain as well and have preserved some stellar video of him. http://chantalfabrice.vpweb.co.uk/Birth-Psychology.html
You may also recognize him from many birthing videos as he was often quoted and sought after for his wisdom.
Marsden Wagner is by far my favorite champion for normal birth. His dynamic personality, his outspokenness and honesty regarding harmful birthing practices rallied many of us to take up the cause and fight for eliminating those destructive routines that have no evidentiary business during birth. See how strongly that sentence was worded? That’s Marsden’s influence speaking! You know him from Business of Being Born as well as many other birthing videos. He was the Maternal and Child Health for the European Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for 15, so he has extensive knowledge on birthing practices across the world, he know what worked and what was harmful for moms and babies. He was a staunched supporter of midwifery care and midwives. He wanted us midwives recognized as professional maternity care providers who are the only qualified professional for normal, healthy moms and babies. Surgeons such as obstetricians are over-qualified and based on their education alone they can be harmful during the normal process of childbirth. BOLD and beautiful he was!
Here is a list of articles he wrote and you will notice how he purposely created provocative titles: “Fish Can’t See Water”, “Technology in Birth: First Do No Harm”, “The Global Witch Hunt” - The Lancet Vol 346, “Ultrasound: More Harm Than Good?” and “The Active Management of Labor”.
His books carried the same noticeable titles: Born in the USA, Creating Your Birth Plan, and Pursuing the Birth Machine.
I am thankful for the handful of times I met Mr. Wagner at various midwifery conferences. He will be missed. My profession needs strong men such as Drs. Wagner and Chamberlain to speak out against the Birth Machine and speak out for birthing women and their Unborn yet Fully Conscious babies.
Read more on these two men here.
David B. Chamberlain, PhD a psychologist and past president of APPPAH (Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health) wrote extensively on the subject of how we can shape our babies psychology while in the womb! I have always wanted to attend one of APPPAH’s conferences and meet him. His work inspired me to learn more about this fascinating field and to teach my pregnant clients how important their emotions can be in shaping their growing baby because their babies are very much aware of their environment and have memories from their time spent in the womb. Some of his work includes, Windows to the Womb: Revealing the Conscious Baby from Conception to Birth, The Mind of Your Newborn Baby, as well as numerous articles. Here is an interview with Suzanne Arms in 1994, published on the website Touch the Future called, Babies Know More Than You Think. http://ttfuture.org/authors/dbc
Hypno-birthing practitioners understandably love Dr. Chamberlain as well and have preserved some stellar video of him. http://chantalfabrice.vpweb.co.uk/Birth-Psychology.html
You may also recognize him from many birthing videos as he was often quoted and sought after for his wisdom.
Marsden Wagner is by far my favorite champion for normal birth. His dynamic personality, his outspokenness and honesty regarding harmful birthing practices rallied many of us to take up the cause and fight for eliminating those destructive routines that have no evidentiary business during birth. See how strongly that sentence was worded? That’s Marsden’s influence speaking! You know him from Business of Being Born as well as many other birthing videos. He was the Maternal and Child Health for the European Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for 15, so he has extensive knowledge on birthing practices across the world, he know what worked and what was harmful for moms and babies. He was a staunched supporter of midwifery care and midwives. He wanted us midwives recognized as professional maternity care providers who are the only qualified professional for normal, healthy moms and babies. Surgeons such as obstetricians are over-qualified and based on their education alone they can be harmful during the normal process of childbirth. BOLD and beautiful he was!
Here is a list of articles he wrote and you will notice how he purposely created provocative titles: “Fish Can’t See Water”, “Technology in Birth: First Do No Harm”, “The Global Witch Hunt” - The Lancet Vol 346, “Ultrasound: More Harm Than Good?” and “The Active Management of Labor”.
His books carried the same noticeable titles: Born in the USA, Creating Your Birth Plan, and Pursuing the Birth Machine.
I am thankful for the handful of times I met Mr. Wagner at various midwifery conferences. He will be missed. My profession needs strong men such as Drs. Wagner and Chamberlain to speak out against the Birth Machine and speak out for birthing women and their Unborn yet Fully Conscious babies.
Read more on these two men here.