Happy Friday! I’m dreaming of warm weather and flowers blooming, instead of the icy darkness that is Alaska this week. And boy is it cold…it was -15 degrees F this morning…get your act together Alaska. Also, only in Alaska do people call over the hospital system: “Please be advised, there are two moose at the front entrance of the hospital.” It’s the nice way of saying, please don’t bother the moose. The good news is – our days are only getting longer! Every morning on the news, they report: “And today the sun will rise at 9:33 a.m. and set at 5:30p.m. giving us a total daylight of 8 hours and 3 minutes, an increase of 5 minutes and 45 seconds from yesterday.” Okay, done with fast facts about Alaska…
I came across so many fun things this week! Let’s start with one of my favorite memes ever…
…and onto the Friday Five!
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1. This article was my favorite of the week. The title tells it all: I’m an OB/GYN who attended thousands of deliveries before wondering why Americans give birth in bed. Although this may seem like a funny statement, how many standing deliveries do you think an OB/GYN performed in residency? I see this echoed in practice all the time and had a similar experience with my own birth (read about my birth here!). I love that the article said this sentiment: the beds were for rest after the birth and women came into the center, in labor and standing, and didn’t stop standing until they delivered! These articles make me want to start a birth center…
2. Are you going back to nursing school? Check out these March of Dimes scholarships – they are $5,000 each but the deadline is soon! Nursing school at any level is expensive – apply for all of the scholarships you can! Have a scholarship opportunity to share? Let me know here – I am all for helping people find some money for nursing school.
3. Out of pocket costs for having a baby are increasing…the average out of pocket cost in the United States is $4,500 (per birth) versus only $60 out of pocket in Finland! I’d like to get my hands on the actual study to see the actual numbers breakdown.
4. The video below…it’s a quick documentary of a family health and birth center in Washington D.C. that committed to reducing preterm birth rates and offering women a different choice of pregnancy care. It’s an older video, from 2008, but a reminder of the types of birth centers we need in our communities!
5. Just finished a book from one of my favorite authors – JoJo Moyes. It was called The Peacock Emporium and followed a woman navigating a recent move out of London while adjusting to a new life in the country that she didn’t expect and definitely didn’t want. She decides to open a store in the local town and becomes fast friends with some of the locals. A male midwife also has a role throughout the book and I enjoyed seeing midwifery through his eyes. Lastly, if you’re a fiction lover and looking for some good fiction – I can easily recommend 95% of her books for reading! Jojo Moyes is most well known for Me Before You (also a goodie!)
Bonus – one more video. This was a recommended TED talk from my DNP (Doctorate of Nursing Practice) program curriculum. It’s a good 20 minutes, but it’s worth it. Put it on while you fold some laundry – I promise you won’t regret watching it!
Happy Friday to everyone – hope you get to enjoy a long holiday weekend 🙂 Check in Monday for an AMAZING birth story from my awesome sister. You won’t want to miss it! Until then…
Jamie