ABSTRACT
In this column, the associate editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education provides an overview of research
on the benefits of promoting and protecting the normal, physiologic processes of childbirth and the risks
of interfering with those processes without clear medical indication. The associate editor also describes the
contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators
in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth