By the 1950s, most births in the United States were taking place in hospitals. Cesarean sections, epidurals, and heavy doses of pain medication became the norm. Women were denied feeling and experiencing birth through their bodies, and the drugs were having adverse effects on mothers and babies.

In the 1960s and '70's, women began to question and challenge the way obstetricians were treating them - as though childbirth were a sickness. Women began to reclaim their power, and the homebirth movement was born.

The 1990s became a time of maternity awareness, a time when people were concerned with making the entire pregnancy and birth experience a family experience. Today, a carefully monitored homebirth, with women who have been helped to stay low-risk through nutrition and good prenatal care, has been proven to be very safe and successful.

-- by Jill Cohen and Marti Dorsey
© 1987-2001 Midwifery Today, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

OUR MISSION

To offer quality education in Midwifery and Traditional Healing practices. Some of our principles are:

• That we are committed to the development of each student's innate spiritual being. We believe this will help them to utilize intuitive and inspirational energies in their lives and professions as healers.
  
• We are committed to educating practitioners who empower as well as guide clients in the healing process.
  
• We foster recognition and cooperation among all medical and traditional healing specialties and believe their unique contributions strengthen all the healing arts, and thus humanity.

Hands of light honors the differences of spiritual/religious views among people. Spirituality is approached, not as a religious experience per se, but as a tool to cultivate inquisitiveness and self-discovery. We believe that discussion on spirituality brings meaningful exchange among persons of different views and traditions, provoking a greater understanding of the human experience and the healing process. Hands of Light is committed to openness and exploration of the human experience within all traditions of the world.

DIRECTOR

ELIZABETH MAZANEC CPM, CH M. ED. - is a certified professional midwife doing homebirths since 1980 and a clinical herbalist practicing since 1974. She has 30 years experience in the fields of alternative and preventative health care. She has a BFA from RI School of Design and a M. ED. from Harvard. She was the founder of the North East College of Healing Arts & Science and has been teaching since 1980.

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH

Hands of Light believes that birth is a sacred event and an instinctual process. We believe that that birth serves as a rite of passage into womanhood and that Midwives are a guiding force in this process helping to empower women to make quality, informed decisions. Birth is a phase of development that can open up a whole new level of consciousness. We acknowledge that birth can be a challenging journey; a journey that is made easier with the love, support and guidance of a midwife. It is our job to help students understand the ebb and flow of birth’s rhythms and how these are crucial to the transformation and change a woman undergoes in the birth process. It is important for students to realize that allowing a woman to find her own process of discovery leads to a sense of accomplishment, empowerment, and fulfillment.

Continue to Traditional Midwifery