Frogster Chronicles

Childbirth is universal, but it hasn’t always looked the same. Across centuries, continents, and cultures, birth has evolved—shaped by beliefs, tools, traditions, and power. Here’s a brief walk through the history of birthing: what it looked like, who was involved, how mothers felt—and why it changed. 📚 Table of Contents Ancient Birth (Prehistory–500 CE) Medieval Birth (500–1300s) Renaissance Birth (1300–1600s) The Scientific Shift (1600s–1800s) The Medical Era (1900s–1970s) Holistic & Informed Birth (1980s–Today) 🗿 1. Ancient Birth (Prehistory–500 CE) Who was involved: Midwives, family, elders, sometimes spiritual leaders Where: Homes, nature, or sacred birthing huts How: Upright positions (squatting, kneeling), herbs, chanting, touch Mothers’ experience: Deeply connected to the earth and to other women. Cared for, honored, and sometimes feared Perception of labor: A sacred passage, full of symbolism and ceremony Knowledge came fro...

Recently someone told me that since labour carries the meaning of hard work, birth must be a hard work. In English ... however, birth goes beyond language. So I was curious what does labour translate into in other languages. And what does it say about birth. From English “labor” to Yoruba “Ìbí,” the language of childbirth is as diverse as the cultures that speak it. Each word carries with it a story—of community, tradition, spirituality, and the deep human connection to birth. This global journey through language reveals how childbirth is not just a physical act, but a reflection of how we understand life, lineage, and belonging. Language Term Literal or Cultural Meaning Historical and Cultural Context English Labor / Childbirth Labor = work; Childbirth = act of bearing a child From Latin 'labor'. Industrial-age framing of birth as effortful and medical. Spanish Parto / Tra...

🌸 Top Books for a Beautiful Birth & Empowered Postpartum Journey Whether you're preparing for your first birth or looking to enrich your knowledge for a more empowered experience, diving into the right resources can make all the difference. Below is a handpicked list of books that nurture the mind, body, and spirit—from gentle birthing techniques to natural postpartum care. 🌿✨ 🌼 For an Empowered and Gentle Birth 1. HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method By Marie Mongan (2005) Discover the revolutionary HypnoBirthing approach—a calming, natural technique that empowers birthing people to trust their body and birth without fear. This book blends deep relaxation, visualization, and breathing to make childbirth more comfortable, gentle, and instinctual. 💫 Curious to dive deeper? Check out the official HypnoBirthing site to explore the Marie Mongan Method in full bloom! 2. Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage By Rachel Reed (2021) This powerful read reframes birth ...

  💡 The Magic of Shared Resources As a start, I’d like to say—I’m a huge fan of the sharing economy in many cases. Sharing resources helps us consume less and build stronger communities , since trust and care are at the heart of this system. Of course, not every form of “sharing” sits right with me. For instance: Selling breast milk to gym bros? 🚫 Stem cell treatments for eternal youth? 😬 Using pregnant women’s pee for weight loss? No thank you. But sharing a hormone to help create life ? Now that sounds magical. 👶 Meet Moeders voor Moeders When I heard about Moeders voor Moeders , I was eager to join. (Also: clever name, top-tier marketing.) Their concept? Brilliant in its simplicity: Collect urine from pregnant women, extract a hormone, and use it to help other women conceive. 🔬 The Famous Hormone You Don’t Know This hormone is well-known—yet many don’t know it by name. Some fear it: that second dash on a pregnancy test when the timing isn’t right. Others dr...

👶 So What Happens After the Baby Comes? One big change: I connected deeply to my other mom friends. There is so much uniting in the experience. And no matter my attempts to keep connected to the non-mom friends too, that became more and more difficult. I was quite tired and on a new schedule. Don’t look for me after 8 pm. I am sleeping—or wishing I was sleeping. Regular partying, cocktail evenings... just seemed completely useless and not in my list of ways to spend the little energy I felt I had. Quality control raised massively when choosing how to spend my time and where. And quite a few of my non-mom friends became a bit distant. There wasn’t a massive amount of interest to meet the baby I had just produced. Which is HUGE. I know it’s not a rarity and it happens to many people, but it is still HUGE. 💬 The Questions Shift When we would meet, the conversation often went like this: How long is your maternity? When does she go to daycare? When are you going ba...

Happy Cow, Happy Baby Have you ever been asked the question: “Why are you breastfeeding, don’t you feel like a cow?” I was asked. It was a strange question as I never considered it to be a cow-like thing. Now I have considered it, I have embraced the joke. And have embarked on a discovery of its source. Why not? What is wrong with cows? They can manage the breastfeeding of four babies at a time. And have four stomachs to support that. Quite cool. Also natural. We can learn a lot from animals on how to be one—how to function as humans with our basic instincts. Sometimes it feels like we have forgotten that. Okay, I hate talking in terms of “we.” Sometimes I realize I have forgotten my instincts. And being a mom has reignited my desires to remember them. It has also given me the faith that I am capable of doing so. Rediscovering Instincts When babies are born, they operate purely on instincts. Eventually, they develop skills and forget some of those instincts. It’s a pi...