Happy Friday…and hello October! Is this year flying by super fast for anyone else? Fall is nearly over in Alaska – our trees go from green to yellow to red to brown in about 3 weeks. And the hubby pulled the snowblower out of the shed this weekend while I bribed littles in and out…

Pregnancy is just hard on your back. There’s just no denying that fact! At 27 weeks of pregnancy, my lower back is feeling all the growing pains. I had lent my support belt out to another mama two years ago…and never got it back. Alas, I ordered one online and eagerly awaited its arrival in…

Friday!!!! Oh man, am I glad too. What do you guys have planned this weekend? I am off this weekend and plan to enjoy hanging out with family – with a lot of homework. This Friday Five has been in the making for a while and is full of goodies! Check out the new podcast…

Happy Wednesday! One of the main questions I get (and I mean, at least three times a day in clinic) since the pandemic started is this: Where can I get information on childbirth or watch childbirth classes online? Oh vey. Well, you’ve come to the right place. I posted a while back on a Friday…

Happy Monday! I had a short weekend around here due to a 24 hour shift on Friday night followed by sleeping most of Saturday (thank you to the husband!). I had two mamas with beautiful births so as always, the sleep deprivation is worth it. Today I want to chat about a survey conducted every…

HUMMMMPPP day. Praise hands. Pandemic = pedal to the medal at work, Monday through Friday (plus the weekends I’m working). Anyways, I’m about halfway through my DNP (Doctorate of Nursing Practice) and I figured I would offer some thoughts at the halfway point for those considering the degree, or the long road to a terminal…

Helllllloooo!!! And man have I missed blogging. It’s significantly more fun than graduate school. To start us back off, here’s a well overdue Friday Five (and we are covering way more than five!). It’s camping/summer/hunting season up in Alaska and we have plans to do just that over the next few weeks. Bring on the…

Hey guys!!! These tulips in our front garden fully bloomed this week and I cannot stop taking pictures of them. I wish they would bloom year round, or stay in bloom just a little longer than a few weeks…but the brief blooming period makes you appreciate the beauty more right? Alaska knocked it out of…

Hello! Graduate school has officially swamped most of my free time these days…hence the limited blogging. But, I finished some homework early today and BOTH of my babes are still napping so I was able to find some time to catch up with guys! I wanted to take a different view on Mother’s Day and…

This was yesterday’s post…but right before publishing my computer died – #reallife. Anyways, I hope this Tuesday finds you well and in good spirits. The sunshine finally melted all the snow in our yard and we have been blissfully playing outside with big grins on our faces all weekend long. I found I also needed…

It’s Friday!!! I have a little more joy going into a normal weekend (one without a 24hr shift) than a weekend that I’m working. I know babies come all sorts of hours – mine arrived at 1am and 6am after contractions throughout the day and night! But, the normalcy is inviting. I might even squeeze…

Hooray Monday! A Friday Five did not happen around here (see spouse working the weekend; start of graduate school; and need for sleep). And although sleep and playing with the littles happened, not much else did. But…Sunday showed us some blue sky patches after a long week of fog and rain. And the snow has…

Happy Wednesday! It’s been a little bit of an off week around here. We have a strange clinic schedule and are standing by for a predicted peak of COVID cases in Alaska over the next week. We’re face masking it like crazy and washing hands like it’s going out of style! Graduate school is back…

With all this time at home, I can’t think of a better time than now to journal or share your birth story! I’ve delivered a couple mamas over the past few months and they had the greatest stories to pass on to their babe when they were older. I encouraged them all to jot down…

Frrrriiiidaayyy! I am excited because I actually get to do some patient care this Friday. Most of my patient “visits” have been on the phone in the past 2 weeks so I’m excited to hear some “whoosh-whoosh-whoosh” on the dopplers. Hope this week has found you safe and social distancing isn’t making your household too…

Happy Wednesday! I have been doing tele-health visits all week from home. A theme I noticed and pregnant women are desperate for some good pregnancy resources. At our own hospital, we cancelled our regular childbirth classes, but our breastfeeding class is still happening via Google HangOuts. Hopefully you still have some type of virtual class…

Hello Tuesday! Another bonus post today! I was able to listen to this webinar this morning because I didn’t called into work last night (thank you Jesus). I love that kind of 24 hour shift. I attended a beautiful birth in the morning of one of my favorite families, then had a fairly uneventful rest…

Are an advanced practice nurse with an upcoming certification? Wondering what your certifying body is doing about mandatory certification deadlines? The NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) published this handy PDF for quick reference and sharing. Check it out! And if your certification is coming up….make sure you get your required items or…

Happy Monday (although it’s almost Tuesday in the lower 48). Alas, when you work the night shift the days tend to blur together. We did a lot of sleeping, playing outside and social distancing this weekend – hope your weekend was filled with the same! Today we have another webinar recap! The American College of…

Hello Friday! I’m headed back to work after a few weeks off. Telehealth keeps me doing patient care but being on labor and deliver and helping bring babies into the world is where my heart is! Excited for a weekend full of labor and hopefully some births (and maybe a nap??). This was a busy…

Today we’re chatting all things about the pregnancy test. This was a delight to research. I’m a true nerd at heart and love learning something new. Let’s chat the history of the pregnancy test (and some common pregnancy test questions!). How was the pregnancy test invented? The first true pregnancy test was invented in 1927….

Just a little bonus Tuesday chat…These are trying times for sure. Know that hope is not lost. Give grace. Be generous. Stay calm. Watch below while you’re making dinner and listen to some truth in the midst of fear. The three takeaways: You control your attitude. You control your budget. You control your opportunity. Take…

Happy Monday! If this baby boy in a Zumba skirt doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will! Today’s post is related to a couple midwifery things. First, a recap of ACNM’s (American College of Nurse-Midwives) town hall webinar on Midwifery Education and Student well being during COVID-19. Supporting midwifery students is so important…

For those interested, ACNM is hosting a webinar Sunday afternoon/evening reviewing federal/state regulations. This is a great webinar to log into, throw your headphones on, and listen to the updates while catching up on all the normal Sunday things (laundry, cleaning, playing with babies, meal prepping…). You can register here or on access the link…

Happy Friday! I hope everyone is well….this Five is full of resources. Let’s do it. 1. The American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) hosted a webinar on: Clinical practice challenges and solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first webinar in a series aimed at helping midwives navigate the issues/struggles with COVID-19 and their…

Hello Wednesday! Today we’re chatting cervical exams. I get questions all the time about checking the cervix. In regards to today’s discussion, we’re chatting the cervix in a pregnant woman, but some of the things discussed can be applied to non-pregnant women. What is the purpose of checking a cervix? A cervical exam is performed…

Happy Monday! Over the weekend I did a little bonus post on coronavirus and pregnancy/breastfeeding….as well as what to do at home with your littles! I just updated some things on the activities for littles part – as long as we’re stuck at home, I’ll keep the list going! Today’s post is aimed at some…

Hello Sunday (it’s not quite Monday yet…but I figured this was best shared sooner than later!) I hope the weekend finds everyone well and not too stir crazy if you had to be at home. Are you guys working? At home per local or governor recommendations? Most of Alaska has been advised to stay at…