Every baby's first breath on Earth could be one of peace and love. Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth could be safe and loving. But our world is not there yet

I became a fierce advocate for gentle birth as a solution for the most pressing problems of our times - a solution that begins at the source.

Oxytocin is the hormone of love. We share it when we have a good conversation, we share it when we make love, and when we hug, and BIRTH is the biggest brightest time of rich oxytocin-sharing.

I love to receive babies into this world, so crawling around on my knees in the birth room is my best place, and most often you can still find me there.

Childbirth being one's most significant life passage, those close to us when we open to birth a baby will never be forgotten.

The number of maternal deaths is significantly understated because of a lack of effective data collection both in the US and around the world.

After disasters, reproductive healthcare falls by the wayside. Yet babies continue to be born. When all infrastructure falls apart, when the hospitals and all their technological equipment are destroyed, midwives come in handy. They can help women give birth with or without electricity, running water, equipment - even shelter is optional. When babies are ready, they come.