On this site many doorways open to reveal the rich dimensions of a new psychology of awareness applied to pregnancy and birth. Look for sections on life before birth, the psychological drama that unfolds during birth for babies, parents, and caregivers, the bitter realities of birth trauma, and innovative ways to prevent or heal these traumas. In other sections we share our views about birth and the origins of violence, and offer essays by primal health pioneer Michel Odent, M.D. who documents how our beginnings in the primal period from conception to our first birthday is correlated with health or disease in later life. 

In addition you will find valuable lists and directories, including a list of training opportunities, the location of practitioners, and selected websites. Please look around The Bookstore, a unique collection of books and videos focusing on birth psychology.

These riches come to you as a gift from APPPAH, the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health--pronounced APP (as in apple) and PAH (as in ma and pa). Founded in 1983, APPPAH is an educational and scientific organization offering information, inspiration, and support to persons interested in the growing field of birth psychology. Come explore, learn, and work with us!

The prenatal in our title refers to the period of about nine months including conception and gestation, while perinatal refers to the crucial days surrounding the birth itself including the establishment of breastfeeding. We believe that these prenatal and perinatal experiences are formative for both babies and parents, and tend to establish patterns for life. At stake here is the quality of life--the quality of personal relationships and consequently the quality of society itself. Womb ecology has a way of shaping world ecology!

To learn about the Association, its mission, history, and accomplishments since 1983, just click on APPPAH at any time. Information on birth psychology is circulated quarterly through The Apppah Newletter, and The Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, this website, and through biennial International Congresses (odd years) and more frequent Regional Conferences. Since the beginning of the website in 1996, we have been pleased to share a portion of our growing archives on the World Wide Web. Currently, we are receiving over 1,000 individual computer visits ("sessions") per day from more than 100 countries.

The Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational foundation supported by a large number of dedicated volunteers, virtually all of  them professionals working in the field. We invite you to make frequent use of the many resources assembled here, to attend our educational conferences, and to lend your financial support.

We welcome your membership. When you join, you can choose a membership level that best meets your need for electronic or printed copies of quarterly publications of The APPPAH Newsletter and the Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health. You will be joining a community of professionals and parents passionately at work on the first frontier of human development--from pre-conception to birth and establishment of breastfeeding. Just click How to Join. 

For a more complete listing of all resources on this site, please turn to the Homepage. Your comments and suggestions will always be welcome. 

 David B. Chamberlain, Ph.D. Editor  
Website Team: Bobbi Jo Lyman, Maureen Wolfe, and Donna Worden

TO HOMEPAGE