Barbara Harper
Encyclopedia
Barbara Harper is a waterbirth activist.
The Oregonian
newspaper once referred to Barbara Harper as "the Billy Graham
of waterbirth" when they described her "missionary
" style of promoting waterbirth around the world. She has stated that she prefers to think of herself more as the "Mother Teresa
" of waterbirth, having put all of her personal and professional resources into making waterbirth an available option for all women.
She has lectured in 43 countries, including many medical school
s, nursing
schools, midwifery
programs and university women’s studies departments. Barbara has been interviewed by newspapers and magazines and has appeared on radio and TV shows to talk about her work with waterbirth and gentle birth.
as an RN
. She was always passionate about mother
s and babies, even in nursing
school. Her maternal grandmother, Estella Ethel Harper Lemonyon, was a nurse and midwife and worked in rural Mercer County
, Ohio
.
and experiences resulted in the publication of Gentle Birth Choices, book and DVD. She also produced Birth Into Being: The Russian Waterbirth Experience in cooperation with Alexi and Tatiana Sargunas in 2000, after traveling many times back to Russia
.
. Her daughter, Beth, the oldest, was born in a typical 1970s style hospital birth.
Barbara moved in 2009 from Wilsonville, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, where she raised her children over a 17 year period, to the east coast of Florida.
The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
newspaper once referred to Barbara Harper as "the Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
of waterbirth" when they described her "missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
" style of promoting waterbirth around the world. She has stated that she prefers to think of herself more as the "Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
" of waterbirth, having put all of her personal and professional resources into making waterbirth an available option for all women.
She has lectured in 43 countries, including many medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
s, nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
schools, midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
programs and university women’s studies departments. Barbara has been interviewed by newspapers and magazines and has appeared on radio and TV shows to talk about her work with waterbirth and gentle birth.
Early life
Barbara started her career in maternityMaternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
as an RN
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
. She was always passionate about mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
s and babies, even in nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
school. Her maternal grandmother, Estella Ethel Harper Lemonyon, was a nurse and midwife and worked in rural Mercer County
Mercer County, Ohio
Mercer County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Its county seat is Celina and is named for Hugh Mercer, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.The Celina Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Mercer County.-Geography:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Waterbirth International
She founded Waterbirth International in 1987 after visiting Russia for the first time and sitting down with Igor Charkovsky, where she was "influenced by his faith in birthing women and their babies". She also worked extensively with Binnie Dansby, in the early 1980s learning about cognitive-repressed experiences and memories of birth.Gentle Birth Choices
Her researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and experiences resulted in the publication of Gentle Birth Choices, book and DVD. She also produced Birth Into Being: The Russian Waterbirth Experience in cooperation with Alexi and Tatiana Sargunas in 2000, after traveling many times back to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Personal life
Barbara has three adult children, her two youngest sons were born at home in waterWater birth
Water birth is a method of giving birth, which involves immersion in warm water. The immersion can mean giving birth to the infant in the water or using it as a tool during the labor process. Proponents believe that this method is safe and provides many benefits for both mother and infant,...
. Her daughter, Beth, the oldest, was born in a typical 1970s style hospital birth.
Barbara moved in 2009 from Wilsonville, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, where she raised her children over a 17 year period, to the east coast of Florida.
Resources
- Gentle Birth Choices, Barbara Harper, Inner Traditions, USA, 2005 ISBN 1-59477-067-0