Happy Friday! I am so excited for this Friday – it’s the first Friday in a long time that I’m not working a 24 hour shift – in other words, I don’t have the prospect of being awake at 2am. Hooray!

Let’s start off this Friday Five with a book recommendation! If you need a good fiction recommendation, look no farther than The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow. It was such a fun, creative read. The last half of the book is a page turner. Other than The River by Peter Heller, I think it’s my favorite fiction read of the year. Thanks to my sister for the recommendation!

Let’s get to it!

1. Every Mother Counts: Founded in 2010, this organization has a strong mission:

EVERY MOTHER COUNTS’ MISSION IS TO MAKE PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH SAFE FOR EVERY MOTHER, EVERYWHERE.

Love that! They use storytelling to spread the word about maternity care…check out their videos here! They also have some reports specific to maximizing midwifery. Check out these trends when compared to physician care (below) and their urgent matters PDF here.

2. This page by March of Dimes: Advice for Before or Between Pregnancies. I definitely don’t talk about health between pregnancies and this article was a good reminder to do some more talking about just that!

3. Preconception Health. Pretty simple mission: a national campaign to promote wellbeing and support young adults to achieve goals/live healthy! Love this page about well visits and navigating health insurance!

4. The 4th Trimester Project – An awesome postpartum project put together by mamas for mamas. Love how the site is organized into all the topics you have questions about in the postpartum world: bottoms, breasts, emotions, sex and more. If you’re a mama or a healthcare provider and would like to take the survey….follow this link to participate! Love their mission to “find you village!” and meet other mamas! I also love this little list on how to prepare for postpartum bottom soreness!

5. This post on 21 Ways to Love Yourself (even after kids)!

And a few more things to round out Friday (and because I’m currently on break from graduate school!):

• A website aimed at equality in midwifery education for all: Equity In Midwifery Education (did you check out the new page this week??)
• What every American can do to prevent the spread of coronavirus at home and in their community
• The CDC’s mitigation strategy for preventing community spread of coronavirus
• This article about macrolide use in the first trimester of pregnancy. Always, always check with your provider if your prescribed medications are safe during pregnancy!

So many good resources today! All added to the RESOURCES page! I’m cozying up with these books right now. I’m trying to read as many books as I can before the next semester starts. Have a recommendation? Please let me know (I think I need some fiction recommendations just by glancing at my nonfiction list below…):

• Burnout by Emily Nagoski
• Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande
• The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atil Gawande

Lastly, COVID-19 is global. Make sure you’re taking precautions wherever you may be.

Good old hand washing, covering your mouth and using those old mama bear instincts go a long way.

Happy Friday ya’ll!

Jamie

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