The Spring 2017 issue offers a mix of contributions. The opening article was written by Matthew Appleton of the United Kingdom, a registered craniosacral therapist and body psychotherapist living and working in Bristol, England. His article is based on a talk given at the Annual Congress of the International Society for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine (ISPPM), Maastricht, the Netherlands, November 2014. The article addresses how empathy and understanding on the part of caregivers regarding the impact of birth experiences on the baby plays an important role in determining the long-term effects of those experiences.
Amy Shapira of Israel explores the emotional ramifications of being born cesarean. Amy earned her MA through Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and brings elements of her master’s project and her experience as a physical therapist, childbirth educator, and lactation instructor to analysis of her very thorough literature search. Salome Dubenetzky, PsyD, introduces the difficult topic of stillbirth, with the tenderness and understanding of a mother who has experienced a stillbirth. Her research into the psychosocial implications of stillbirth as an unrecognized issue is presented here to increase understanding and competence in those professionals who may be directly involved with families facing this most difficult situation.
Authors Amika Dharmadhikari, Gajanan Kelkar, and Avinash Dharmadhikari of the Manashakti Institute in India generated discussion among the JOPPPAH editorial staff. It is the usual journal policy to publish only articles with unanimous support of the editorial team. Three of the four editorial team members found this article to meet the journal’s quality standards for clinical contributions and valued its potential to add a unique cultural perspective. However, our Associate Editor, Dr. Thomas R Verny, dissented on this article over concerns that it did not contribute new insights and that it was not scientifically sound. He also expressed concern about the potential mixing of religion and science. However, since this is rather common in work from India, the rest of the team felt the article merited attention as it does present another cultural perspective that includes recognition of the soul in clinical approaches. Our peer reviewers also supported publication of this article. The clinical approach presented is based on over 30 years of observations at the Manashakti Institute.
In the Sharing Space, long-term APPPAH member and supporter Robbie Davis-Floyd reported on the Mother/Baby Childbirth Initiative. This report is accompanied by a report from APPPAH President, Sandra Bardsley, updating the contributions of APPPAH (previously PPPANA) to understanding the importance of prenatal life and the experience of birth for each individual and for our world. William Emerson reviews Michael Mendizza’s newly released book, Playful Wisdom: A Father’s Adventure. Following the book review, is a new section featuring comments from JOPPPAH readers. In this issue, they welcome a comment from Johanna Schacht on their special winter issue that focused on the difficult topics of conflicted pregnancy and abortion.
JOPPPAH Editor-in-Chief, Jeane Rhodes, PhD continues to encourage your comments on any of their issues or articles, either posted to the journal pages on the website or sent directly to their editors at [email protected].
In this issue they offer the following articles:
The Influence of Birth Trauma on the Physical and Emotional Well-Being of the Baby by Matthew Appleton
The Emotional Ramifications of Being Born in a Cesarean Delivery by Amy Lauren Shapira
Stillbirth: Psychosocial Implications of an Unrecognized Issue by Salome Yekta Dubenetzky
Fetus – An Independent Entity/Personality: The Manashakti Research Centre Approach by Amita Dharmadhikari, Gajanan Kelkar, and Avinash Dharmadhikari
Sharing Space: Creating the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI): Anthropologically Informed Activism by Robbie Davis-Floyd
Continuing a Global Perspective of PPN Activism by Sandra Bardsley
Book Review: Playful Wisdom: A Father’s Adventure by Michael Mendizza
Reader Comments by Johanna Schacht
The full contents are available to APPPAH members – abstracts only for non-members or purchase a digital copy of this issue for $20
