Here's just a few of the great sites out there on the internet to do with birth, breastfeeding, doulas and general parenting topics. Some sites are listed more than once if they fit into different categories.
If you know of any links you think I should include here, let me know by signing my guestbook, or email me at kwoodbridge@uniserve.com.
Updated October 29, 2002
| Doula/Midwifery Links | Birth Links | Breastfeeding Links |
| Unassisted Childbirth Links | Circumcision Links | |
| Parenting Links for Parents of Multiples | Hello! You found hidden text! | Birth/Pregnancy Loss Links |
Doula/Midwifery Information & Education
Doula Services Association (DSA) is the professional organization for Doulas in Western Canada. They operate a referral list for doulas in every price range and in different regions of British Columbia. 
DONA website. Doulas of North America (DONA) is the certifying body for labour and postpartum Doulas in North America. I have chosen not to pursue certification.
Douglas College is where I attend all of the perinatal education courses I've taken, including my labour and postpartum doula training, my breastfeeding counselor certificate, and, most recently, the anatomy and physiology of the childbearing year.
BirthLove is a site with a LOT of great information on it. It's also based right here on the west coast. You can find some good articles on mainstream practices, like induction, the use of cytotec and cesarian section, and up-to-date information on Gloria Lemay. You can also check out the online Doula courses taught by Gloria there.
Plus-Size Pregnancy is a great site for all doulas and midwives (and, for that matter, doctors) to take a look at. Check out especially the Are You A Size-Friendly Midwife page.
BC Vital Statistics webpage, with statistics on all the births in BC (or all the reported births anyway, which most are). Interesting Reading.
Birth Junkie is a site of resources for doulas. Some good stuff.
Canadian Doulas is a listing of birth professionals in Canada.
Ovarian Connection was a great magazines based in B.C. for all things birth/reproduction-related. It no longer publishes unfortunately. The website is still up and I believe you can still order back issues. It was great while it lasted.
Birth Information
BirthLove is a site with a LOT of great information on it. It's also based right here on the west coast. You can find some good articles on mainstream practices, like induction, the use of cytotec and cesarian section, and up-to-date information on pretty much everything. I really can't say enough how good it is. It is a paid site but worth every penny.
Home Birth Association of British Columbia is a great local resources page, and is closely associated with Gloria Lemay, a traditional birth attendant. If you've only heard snippets about the case, check out these two sites for a more complete picture of what's going on.
Online Childbirth Class at the Unhindered Living Site. It's mentioned elsewhere on this page, but I feel it bears repeating. If you are pregnant, check out this site.
FDA Approved Obstetric Drugs: Their Effects on Mother and Baby. This could be quite the eye-opener.
Birth Day is the homepage of Nancy Wainer Cohen, who wrote Silent Knife and Open Season two absolutely EXCELLENT books on cesarian prevention. If you or someone you know is being "scheduled" for a repeat c-section, these books are a must-read.
Plus-Size Pregnancy is an excellent resource for larger women and their caregivers. Lots of good info!
Gentle Birth is a site with some good information on gentler birth options, including water birth, delayed cord cutting, and others.
Henci Goer is the author of Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities, a great book for debunking a lot of those things that people (especially medical professionals) "know", but which simply aren't true or supported by research. She's also the current "Birth Guru" on the Parents' Place website. I had the great pleasure of meeting her when she spoke at the 2004 Doula Education Day at Douglas College..
Waterbirth International. A pretty good site with waterbirth information and resources, and the costs and sources of the paraphernalia involved.
Mother Magazine is a magazine out of the UK.
Natural Woman, Natural Man is a non-profit organization based out of California which supports breastfeeding, natural birth, keeping baby boys intact, non-vaccinating, family bedding... really, it's hard to put in just one category! Check it out for some good essays on the above topics
BC Vital Statistics webpage, with statistics on all the births in BC (or all the reported births anyway, which most are). Interesting Reading.
Breastfeeding Support, Information & Activism
La Leche League is an international organization of support groups and information for nursing moms. Check out these pages to find a group near you.
La Leche League Canada is, of course, the official site of La Leche League International in Canada. They have some of the best information on the web (or anywhere) about breastfeeding.
La Leche League USA. Check out their FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for quick answers to common breastfeedng questions.
ProMoM.org, which stands for Promotion of Mother's Milk, is a breastfeeding site with a great list of 101 reasons to breastfeed. I also love their "3-Minute Activist" page.
Militant Breastfeeding Cult is a cool site for those committed to breastfeeding. Also has some nice breastfeeding centered e-cards you could send to new moms.
Breastfeeding.com is a fairly good relatively mainstream site with a lot of breastfeeding information.
BFLRC.com is an information page for Lactation Consultants and Breastfeeding Counsellors. Lots of good information.
Twinslist.org is a good site with a lot of specific information and resources for parents of twins and supertwins (more than two). Check out their Nursing page for some great ideas on nursing twins or more.
The Nestle Boycott! I do my best, although it's hard if you don't know all the companies that Nestle actually owns (this site has a list). If you don't know what the boycott IS, check out this site for more information.
Baby Milk Action is "non-profit organisation which aims to save lives and to end the avoidable suffering caused by inappropriate infant feeding". Some good info.
Breastfeeding and Attachment Parenting Twins is a great resource for parents of multiples.
IBFAN (International Baby Food Action Network) is another very informative site, with a very interesting guide to infant feeding in emergency situations. If you don't know what the World Health Organization recommendation is, check this site out. You could also check out the Canadian chapter of IBFAN, INFACT.
Mother & Child Health is the site of a local Nutritionist and Herbalist, with good information on the use of herbal remedies during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Check out her journal entries for the week she was attempting to wean her daughter.
Natural Woman, Natural Man is a non-profit organization based out of California which supports breastfeeding, natural birth, keeping baby boys intact, non-vaccinating, family bedding... really, it's hard to put in just one category! Check it out for some good essays on the above topics
Breastfeeding of Preterm Infants is a good site with advice and information regarding breastfeeding problems and sollutions for parents of premature infants. Some invaluable advice.
Circumcision Information
NOCIRC is an organization opposed to the routine mutilation of baby boys. An excellent site with lots of information.
NOHARMM, another organization with a lot of great information and links. NOHARMM is opposed to genital mutilation of either boys or girls, here or in the third world.
Intact, a Canadian anti-circumcision organization. They have lots of good information and a good video.
Doctors Opposing Circumcision is a small-ish site with some good information.
Nurses for the Rights of the Child is yet another site opposing circumcision of baby boys.
Circumcision Information and Resource Page has a lot of information, including a fair number of case studies and research. A good site to give to your doctor.
Intactivism is a very good site with a lot of cultural information and musings on circumcision. Check out their Brit without Milah page for some good information on Jewish religious circumstition, and their article, "How to convince a circumcised man not to circumcise his son."
In Memory of the Sexually Mutilated Child. This site (as you might gather from the title) is a little less concerned with being politically correct than some. But it has more information on it than most too, and from more sources, including ones that are actually pro-circumcision (for various reasons). Highly recommended by me, but my bias should be clear by this point.
Restauration du Prepuce is a french-language-only site on foreskin restoration and circumcision.
FatherMag is a a parenting magazine aimed at dads, and this is their page regarding routine infant circumcision. Lots of other good links here.
Menstuff is men's resource page. Check out their Circumcision Page.
Natural Woman, Natural Man is a non-profit organization based out of California which supports breastfeeding, natural birth, keeping baby boys intact, non-vaccinating, family bedding... really, it's hard to put in just one category! Check it out for some good essays on the above topics
National Organization of Restoring Males. Just because circumcision was performed at birth doesn't mean there's nothing that can be done. This might be a bit of an eye-opener for some. You can also pick up a copy of The Joy of Uncircumcising at this site.
Unassisted Childbirth Information
Unhindered Living is an unassisted childbirth, vegan, anti-circumcision, homeschooling page. I especially like their Online Childbirth Class. You don't have to be vegan or homeschooling to get something out of it.
Bornfree! is the website of Laura Shanley, a very vocal advocate of unassisted childbirth. Her site includes UC stories from many women, and references to her current book on the subject.
Parenting Sites
National Vaccine Information Center (US) is a good and well-informed site on the whole vaccine controversy.
Unhindered Living is an unassisted childbirth, vegan, anti-circumcision, homeschooling page. There are also quite a few interesting articles on everything from food allergies to ADD/ADHD (a topic that's pretty personal to me). You don't have to be vegan or homeschooling to get something out of it.
Breastfeeding and Attachment Parenting Twins is a great resource for parents of multiples.
Natural Woman, Natural Man is a non-profit organization based out of California which supports breastfeeding, natural birth, keeping baby boys intact, non-vaccinating, family bedding... really, it's hard to put in just one category! Check it out for some good essays on the above topics
Mother & Child Health is the site of a local Nutritionist and Herbalist, with good information on the use of herbal remedies during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Also, check out her journal entries for the week she was attempting to wean her daughter.
Diaper Free! is a very interesting site about the practice of "Elimination Communication". The premise of the site and the book is that babies can be diaper free, almost from birth, with little mess or fuss, and much ease for parents. This is NOT about early toilet training, but about learning the elmination cues of your infant. Interesting reading just in general.
Maya Wrap is the maker of a particularly good quality baby sling used by tons of parents instead of the snuggli-style carrier. Actually a lot healthier for baby and mom alike, and can be used for babies when they are newborns, a year old, two years, or even older. Check out their Video Page for a good instructional video on how to wear and use the sling properly.
Eco-Logique is the Canadian company which makes the Keeper, a great re-usable, non-polluting alternative to tampons. Okay, so it's not strictly a parenting link... I've been using one of these for over three years now and not only is it easier to keep and use than tampons and pads (less to carry around), it's definitely cheaper in the long run.
Primer on Natural Family Planning is a good source of information on natural contraceptive methods including the Lactation Amenhorrea Method (LAM) and others.
Parenting Sites for Parents of Multiples
(Twins, Triplets and More!
Breastfeeding and Attachment Parenting Twins is a great resource for parents of multiples.
Twinslist.org is a good site with a lot of specific information and resources for parents of twins and supertwins (more than two). Check out their Nursing page for some great ideas on nursing twins or more.
Multiple Births: Prenatal Education & Bereavement Support is a site with several well-written articles on things that parents of multiples need to be aware of (both before birth, and after).
Pregnancy/Birth Loss Information
Mothers Against Circumcision.