Informed Decisions Archives

Does Induction of Labor Really Reduce the Risk of Cesarean ?

Written By: Dr Ummay Kulsoom The final weeks of pregnancy have the mix feelings of the silence before a storm and anxiety before an exam. It is filled with expectations, blooming with excitement and intimidating with a thousand questions. One of the greatest dilemma remains whether to wait for spontaneous labor or consider elective induction? Every third pregnant female in USA and England undergoes induction of labor. Since the publication of the ARRIVE trial (2018) more inductions are now being performed in the U.S. but there has not been an overall improvement in maternal or newborn health outcomes. The trial stated that [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2025-10-17T13:37:17+00:00Tags: Autonomous Birth, Informed Decisions, Respect Physiology|7 Comments

Be There for Her: The Importance of Social Support during Pregnancy

Written By: Lalithambigai Sekar A mother remembers the one cared during pregnancy and the one did not help in motherhood. Good or bad, she will never forget. Pregnancy is the most vulnerable period in a woman’s life, where it shapes lifelong impact on mind and body due to physical and mental stress happens during pregnancy, followed by childbirth and postpartum. The experiences during the first nine months shape mother’s view of parenting, her parenting skills, her self-esteem and her relationship with her partner followed by the family cycle for lifetime. Therefore, having an understanding and supportive hands during pregnancy offer [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2025-10-12T09:00:33+00:00Tags: Childbirth Education, Husbands, Informed Decisions, Mothers&Babies|13 Comments

Birth Consumerism & Preferences

Written By: Anisah Abdullah Creating Your Birth Plan: Empowering Your Ideal Birth Experience Creating a birth plan isn’t just about listing preferences – it’s an empowering way to embrace the journey of giving birth with intention, clarity, and confidence. Your birth is a unique moment, and having a well-thought-out plan helps ensure that everyone on your care team knows what matters most to you, so you feel safe, supported, and truly respected on this journey. Speaking Up for Your Birth Wishes Having open conversations with your care team about your birth wishes is key. Don’t hesitate to discuss your ideas [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2024-11-24T06:53:24+00:00Tags: Birth Plan, Childbirth Education, Informed Decisions|22 Comments

The Importance of Having a Fluid Birth Plan

Written By: Faheema Mohammed As an AMANI doula and childbirth educator, I teach and explain to expectant couples the importance of meticulously crafting a birth plan to state their birth wishes. However, the unpredictable nature of labor can render even the most well-thought-out plans obsolete. Even though, through childbirth classes and birth coaching the idea of a birth plan as a fluid document is discussed. The core understanding of birth plan fluidity becomes paramount as expectant couples attempt to navigate the intricacies of labor, where each contraction may herald in a new twist in their birth narrative. Let’s remember, labor [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2024-10-22T07:44:26+00:00Tags: Birth Plan, Childbirth Education, Informed Decisions|16 Comments

A Pregnant Journey

Written By: Fajr Dawn Peters I'm expecting! I am filled with excitement and anticipation of what this new addition could mean. Through all my thoughts and emotions, a fact I know deeply comes to the surface: 'I have to prepare.' Having had six children before, I know that knowledge is power and preparation is key. I must make informed, thoughtful choices because these choices impact outcomes; failing to make a choice is in itself a choice. I've chosen my provider, Aisha al-Hajjar, a wonderful midwife, mashaAllah, that I had been blessed to work with before. The role of the provider [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2024-11-05T23:32:32+00:00Tags: AMANI Birth, AMANI Birth Changing Lives, AMANI Birth Doula, Doulas, Informed Decisions|17 Comments

Our Brains vs Science: How Information Gets Processed That Either Leads Or Misleads

Let's face it. The dilemma a modern-day mother finds herself in is not fleeing from a hungry wolf to save her newborn baby, nor travelling at lengths to escape frosty winter months with her nomad tribe to find a new home that offers warmth and sustenance. It is one of the countless blessings that Allah swt has bestowed many of us with that we have safety and security of our livelihood and health. With that being said, as much as clean water and plentiful food supply accounts for the thriving of this generation, advancements in technology by leaps and bounds [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2023-01-29T10:26:27+00:00Tags: AMANI Birth, Childbirth Education, Informed Decisions, Mothers&Babies|4 Comments

Charting Waters With Prenatal Testing Options [Part III]

GROUP B STREP: SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL It is a well known fact in this modern era that humans, of any array of shapes and sizes, are inhabited at all times with microscopic organisms, that both dictate either the maintenance of our health or the sicknesses that we develop. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of those bacterial species that lives naturally in the human body, and is found commonly in the intestinal and vaginal flora. It is estimated that of all pregnant women, 20% are asymptomatically colonized in the vaginal and peri-anal region. Despite [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2023-01-29T10:02:40+00:00Tags: Childbirth Education, Diagnostic Testing, Group B Strep, Informed Decisions|1 Comment

Charting Waters With Prenatal Testing Options [Part II]

•Routine Diagnostic Tests During The Antepartum Period: A.IMAGING ULTRASOUND AND DOPPLER TECHNIQUES Ultrasound pulses, which are sent into the body and produce echoes as they bounce off organ boundaries and within tissues, are ultra-high-frequency sound waves, which extend far beyond the normal range of acoustic vibration, falling between 2 and 10 megahertz, or 2 to 10 million cycles per second. These echoes are picked up by a transducer, and further converted as scan lines on a display monitor to form a picture of the underlying tissue from the emerging pattern of these waves. Doppler techniques, that are employed [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2024-10-15T09:12:11+00:00Tags: Childbirth Education, Informed Decisions, Ultrasound Scans|0 Comments

Charting Waters With Prenatal Testing Options [Part I]

Prenatal Care: Viewing It Through A Critical Lens With all the technological advancements in the modern-day health care system, it's highly unlikely that there is a medical condition for which a testing option has not been developed. A myriad of screening tests are now available at the disposal of a pregnant woman today, many of which are classified as being "routine and mandatory" by care providers, making it all the more imperative that the processes, implications, limitations and subsequent results of these tests be comprehended by women, at least at a fair level of understanding. Thankfully, the tides are shifting [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2023-01-29T09:26:54+00:00Tags: Childbirth Education, Informed Decisions, Prenatal Period|0 Comments

We are Assisting Mothers for Active, Natural, Instinctive Birth...for a blessed start in life!