EIPMH training in Harare, Zimbabwe

Woman Centered Care – What does it mean?   This CME day is intended to explore the unfolding research and clinical relevance of the Neurobiology of Childbirth to Obstetricians, Midwives, Paediatricians, Anaesthetists , Psychiatrists and Psychologists   Guest Speaker Dr Ibone Olza Paediatric Psychiatrist and Researcher from European Institute of Perinatal Mental Health. Madrid, Spain…

Requiem for Aurora

By Ibone Olza, MD, PhD, Perinatal Psychiatrist. Translated by Peter Hicks. At the beginning of this year, three months after giving birth to her second child, Aurora fell to the ground from a fourth-floor balcony in the middle of an episode of puerperal psychosis.This complex disease had beaten her. It was not the first time…

Ecopsychology and the newborn. Part III: Breastfeeding, sustainability and Eco-feminism

Part I Part II   When talking about newborns and their initial environment, it is necessary to consider the ecological impact of infant feeding practices.  In 1991, an extensive review of the ecological benefits of breastfeeding was written by Andrew Radford. To summarize his findings, the simplicity, the convenience, the readiness, the total completeness, the…

Ecopsychology and the newborn. Part II: restoring the original paradigm

Part I   Restoring the original paradigm   Humanization of childbirth has also changed the practices regarding newborn care. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is now recognized as the ideal care for newborns, especially premature babies, and is recommended by the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, 2003). The kangaroo…

Ecopsychology and the newborn. Part I: How does the attachment to nature start?

by Ibone Olza and Sharon E. MacDonnell Originally Published in: Ecopsychology. June 2010, 2(2): 105-109.   ABSTRACT   How and when does the ecological unconscious develop in the human newborn? Research from the neurobiological findings of attachment theory has shown the deleterious effect of mother separation on the brain development of newborns. Innovations in newborn…

PTSD and obstetric violence

by Ibone Olza, MD, PhD Originally Published in Midwifery Today Int Midwife. 2013 Spring;(105):48-9, 68 Childbirth can be a traumatic event for many women. Different studies have found a high prevalence of trauma symptoms following childbirth. In a British study, up to a third of all women reported that labour was traumatic and that they…

Dr. Nils & Jill Bergman about the baby who fall asleep when dad sings Ommm

Due to the viral spread of this video, we have asked  pediatrician and neonatologist Dr. Nils Bergman and his wife Jill Bergman, educator in Kangaroo Mother Care, about the baby’s reaction.  Does she really sleeps with the Ommm, or does she disconnects due to a stress situation? Here are their answers: Dr. Bergman’s Analysis: Father starts to make a loud monotone note … immediate…

Empowerment and trust: my experience at Terra Mater Perinatal Mental Health Conference

By Lynne McIntyre “Bienvenido a España!” is a message that everyone sees when they first arrive in this, my adopted country. For the tourist, business traveler or study-abroad student, this message is relatively uncomplicated: Enjoy your time here, before returning to “real life”. For me, an expatriate American who moved to Spain earlier this year,…