Labour Day may have come and gone but, like so many labour stories, we blew past that due date and are delivering our Editor’s Pick Birthing Magazine a few days late.

All puns aside, Birthing Magazine has been providing information about “pregnancy, childbirth and beyond” since 1997, sharing information about birth options including “midwifery, home birth, full duration breastfeeding and attachment parenting.” 

Editor-in-Chief Nicole Bross describes how the magazine has changed since it was originally published, while still maintaining a strong core purpose: “The magazine had a very strong focus on advocating for choice in childbirth and fighting for midwifery care to be government-funded. That came to pass in 2009, and now we’re advocating for the expansion of midwifery services so that every pregnant person can have a midwife if desired.”

The magazine is published three times a year by the non-profit Birth Unlimited organization. It’s not just for expectant parents and maternal health providers, although it certainly is an invaluable resource for these key audiences. There is also, for example, a recent school issue (Spring 2025) on diverse learning needs, with information on everything from options for “children’s instruction and adult learning from prenatal classes to going back to school as a parent of small children.”

The next issue of Birthing Magazine will focus on the topic of complementary care, says Nicole, sharing “all the different ways parents-to-be can supplement their primary care while they’re expecting.” The magazine has always encouraged their readers to question the status quo, and fosters informed choice. It’s about advocacy and empowerment, as demonstrated by their online story “Birth Advocacy: Dads, Doulas and the Importance of Partner Support,” with author Melanie Grier stating that “for every story of birth trauma there’s a story of birth resistance.” 

There’s a long history of birth stories featured by the magazine over the years, and there’s even a Best of Birth Stories issue planned for the future. The editorial team is always open to pitches for all types of stories, so anyone interested in writing for Birthing Magazine should check out their submissions guidelines. 

You can purchase a copy of a past issue of Birthing Magazine on their website, or access a digital copy through your local library’s e-magazine stand.