Holy pretty flowers! That’s how Alaska grows them ya’ll – it’s amazing. July and August look like a Better Home and Gardens magazine in this state. I was looking for some cheer in all the snow and ice and found those beauties. It’s the perfect image for the Friday Five.
Let’s do it.
1. This podcast on the state of midwifery in the United States at a Journey to Midwifery. Amber interviewed Hilary Schlinger who is a CPM and a CNM. Her views on the current paths to practice midwifery are explained in detail with some eye opening points about the state of the profession. I love her life goal: that there is only one type of midwifery in the United States. She talks about the challenges within the profession. For anyone that practices midwifery or desires to be a midwife – this is the conversation we need to talking about and this needs to be the goal of both sides. She talked about one of the main goals in the profession should be to grow the midwifery workforce (YES!) and this gem: midwifery could have a model where the midwife follows the woman to the most appropriate birth setting, not the woman follows the midwife (WOW...). Next month I have a series of posts about the state of midwifery in the docket – this podcast gave me a lot to think about in working on that series (if you haven’t seen the state of midwifery posts from 2020, they are here, here and here!).
Hilary also recommends this book recommendation for a perspective on why nursing and midwifery should disentangle from each other:
You guys know me, I already ordered a copy! Hilary also recommends an online course that she offers for midwives that would like to transition to homebirth.
At the end of the podcast, I decided she is a Yoda about the profession of the midwifery and that I need to be her friend ASAP.
2. It’s scholarship season! If you want to be a midwife, now is the time to apply for those scholarships. ACNM scholarships have a deadline from January to March – apply here. Also check out the MAKE MORE MIDWIVES page to see other available scholarships. My recommendation – apply for them all and apply every year! Work to make a strong scholarship application and then tailor it to each scholarship as needed. Look at it as a chance to practice some writing skills.
3. It’s “contraception week” on the blog (has anyone else watched the Great British Baking Show – I love that they name the weeks “bread week” or “pastry week”). If you missed it, my contraception tool launched! You can find it on the TOOLS & HANDOUTS page. This article, Removing Unnecessary Medical Barriers to Contraception: Celebrating a Decade of the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, was a lovely review about the CDC document and the changes in provider’s perceptions of handouts. I didn’t know so many providers thought IUDs were unsafe prior to the initial launch of the guidelines (see below). I love new knowledge like that. If you’ve never read the criteria, check them out here. There is always a copy of this document on my desk!
4. Do you need a mom’s night? Sarah Mackenzie is hosting one – TONIGHT! You have to register beforehand, but if you can’t go, a replay will be sent out to all who register. Sign up here. You can also sign up for free gifts and you don’t have to be present to win! Good old mama chatting and free gifts – you bet I signed up! (I’ll have to watch the replay most likely…).
5. I haven’t read this book but I have read almost everything else this man has published. Dr. James McKenna is an expert on “breastsharing” or cosleeping and breastfeeding. He had a book published last week called Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions that I came upon by total happenstance (see link below). If you haven’t read his stuff before, it’s wonderful. My experience as a mama and a provider is that we’re not educating women on how to safely practice cosleeping or the benefits. Almost everything I’ve ever heard is fear based – and that’s never okay. I ordered the book as soon as I found it and I expect it to be an excellent read!
Find out more information about James McKenna here.
If you are still looking for more on co-sleeping, this article is on the RESOURCES page but are reposted here as well:
Other goodies…
- This presentation put on by Ramsey+ last week. If you need a jumpstart on finances for 2021 check it out! Love this team!
- World Read Aloud Day is February 3rd! It’s read aloud day every day at our house but we’ll read some extra books aloud that day to celebrate. Reading aloud has done some amazing things for my kids – it helps them to learn words, story telling, language and routine (we do a lot of reading at quiet time and before bed). If you ever need to give a child a gift, give them the gift of reading or books.
- Ever go to a clinic or hospital, receive care, and think: “That was a waste of time.” Well, Dr. Atul Gwande published this article in 2015 about unnecessary medical care that is worth the time to read. He is such an excellent writer and manages to intertwine story and facts seamlessly. If you like the article, Dr. Gwande writes the same way and I recommend his other BOOKS here!
- This fact sheet on contraception! They also have one of the best infographics on the cost of contraception including the transportation, childcare and loss of wages!
- The NP Business Matters Podcast. If you’re a nurse practitioner or an aspiring nurse practitioner (or getting a post-Masters in another nursing specialty or business), consider listening and supporting this podcast!
Whew. That was a busy Five. I always think oh, I won’t have enough things for the Five! Then every week, I have too much it just spills over into the next week. Hope you guys enjoy the weekend!
Hugs,
Jamie
Want more?
1 year ago on the blog…Friday Five (#8)
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