It’s been a minute since a Five went live around here. Virginia is getting snow today instead of this sunny weather. The husband and I have a bet as if we’ll actually need the snow machine or not based on the snow forecast. Stay tuned to see who wins the bet. I also want to…
Author: amidwifenation
Two Tips for Practicing Midwives!
Hello hello! It’s been a crazy month around this house! We swung round the New Year, got smacked in the face with a GI bug, and I went to single parent-ops for a few weeks. Behind the scenes, I was also working on resubmitting a publication for Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. The last…
Book Recommendation: Babies are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered! by Rebecca Dekker
Hello Monday! We’re starting off the week with a book recommendation that I’ve been so excited to share. Babies Are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered! by Rebecca Dekker was recommended to me sometime this year and I finally got around to reading it in the fall. It was a quick read – it only…
My 5 Favorite Books from 2021
Hello Friday! And thank goodness – we made it to Christmas. I was looking over my book log this year and was thinking about which ones I loved the most. I do like to re-read books, although I haven’t had a chance in a few years to do so. I thought about which books I…
The 24 Week Visit
We’re continuing our series on routine prenatal care around here! With the bulk of the laboratory testing, physical exam and an established due date, routine obstetric care moves into a prevention, assessment and education cycle. The point of this series is two-fold: Provide evidence-based education on the components of each prenatal visit. Offer a tool…
Trish’s Birth Story!
Happy Monday! You guys are in for a treat today. One of my dear friends, colleagues and all around outstanding mamas is sharing her story. Trish is one of those people that fills up the room with laughter and warmth and easily makes you feel at home. When you meet Trish, you would have no…
Friday Five (#47)
My baby turns five this weekend! She did not smile at us for the first 4 months of her life. We literally didn’t think she could smile! But she has made up ground since and we are blessed to celebrate another year with her…. Are your ready for a packed Five?! Fasten your seatbelts…this one…
Student Resources (Bonus: An Exam Prep Template for Boards!)
Hello hello! I had a crazy week of work and a little car crash that took over my life – all is good, everyone is safe/healthy, and we’re back on track to share some goodies this next week. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. But one thing that keeps surfacing to the top…
Midwife Monday: 4 Tips on How to Prep for Clinic
Happy day to you! The leaves are blowing around like snow here in Virginia and it is gorgeous. I was prepping for clinic this week and was thinking about how I learned how to prep for clinic. I learned the hard way by good old fashioned experience. No one really taught me in school or…
Happy Birthday to A Midwife Nation!
Each year I take a look at the the reasons why I have a blog. I like to go back to why did I start a blog. Is it helping the midwifery profession and women? What has changed in the past year and what needs to change on the blog? What isn’t needed anymore and…
Friday Five (#47): Five Things I’ve Been Thinking Since Turning 35
Happy Thanksgiving! And good luck to all shopping Black Friday! I completed all of our Christmas and birthday shopping at the beginning of the month. It’s something I’ve learned over the past few years – early shopping equals more peace during the month of December for me. And along those lines, this Five is about…
Women Ask Wednesday: The ONE Thing Women Forget to Pack in Their Hospital Bags…
Howdy howdy! Just a quick post to talk about the one thing I tell people to pack in their hospital bag over and over and over: the heating pad. That little gem that plugs into an outlet is worth its weight in gold when you’re sitting in a postpartum room with a sweet little babe…
Midwife Monday: Best Postpartum Apps for Mamas
Who doesn’t love a baby in an old man fishing hat? Happy Monday to you! How are you enjoying fall? The leaves in Virginia are spectacular. And so is the weather. I spend as much time outside as possible with the littles. The fresh air is good for EVERYONE. Today’s post is one that takes…
Midwife Monday: A COVID-19 Vaccine in Pregnancy Reference Guide for Clinicians from the CMQCC
Hello, hello! And happy weekday to you! I caught some babies over the weekend and it was lovely. I even snuck in a mama that birthed on hands and knees and I did a hands off delivery! Very mid-wifey 🙂 I was checking email this weekend and got my monthly update from CMQCC (California Maternal…
Friday Five (#46)
Hello! This Five full of goodies. And it finally feels like fall. I had to turn on the heat in the house because we woke up to a house at 62 degrees. The littles were shivering and I acquiesced. I hope you’re enjoying the fall wherever you may be. I like to sit outside in…
Safe Over the Counter Medications in Pregnancy – New Handout!
Howdy! We spent Halloween as the Incredible family. When you have girl-boy-baby boy, it just makes sense. It was super fun to dress up with the kids – I think they got a kick out of mama and dad dressed up more than anything else. Well, that and the candy. Today’s handout comes via a…
Friday Five (#45)
Happy day! I’m recovering from a 24 hour shift today. Did you see the post from Monday about how to recover from a 24 hour shift? I had some great comments about other things you can do: make sure you’re resting during your shift, staying hydrated and eating during your shift and going home with…
Midwife Monday: How to Recover from a 24 hour Shift
Hello! Just popping on today to offer a couple tips on how to recover from a 24 hour shift. I’ve worked 24 hour shifts since 2012. I did them in graduate school unintentionally…I would go to school all day and then work a night shift as a nurse. And since gradation, the 24 hour shift…
Friday Five (#44)
Well hello! I promise I’m still here. I had two trips to see family in New York and Tennessee that were back to back…and I took the three kids on the road by myself…for both trips. Hence the lack of posts this month! But we’re back in the swing. It’s a great Five. This one…
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Happy Wednesday friends! I had the privilege of meeting this sweet lady during my Alaska adventures. You can read all about her on her blog here: https://kristinsoult.com/. She’s just as lovely in person as she looks! I walked with her on her journey through loss. And it was heartbreaking. This spring, I read her blog…
Midwife Monday: Happy Midwifery Week and A Tip for Postpartum Rounding
Hello! It’s National Midwifery Week – wahoo for midwives! We do midwifery every week around here though. I’ll highlight a couple of midwifery week things throughout the week, but there are a few other things in the line up that I’m excited about. One of them I’ve been waiting to share for a few months…
The 20 Week Visit
We’re continuing our series on routine prenatal care around here! With the bulk of the laboratory testing, physical exam and an established due date, routine obstetric care moves into a prevention, assessment and education cycle. The point of this series is two-fold: Provide evidence-based education on the components of each prenatal visit. Offer a tool…
Midwife Monday: How To Organize Your License and Certification Information
I really thought about putting this up on the blog for some kind of fee-for-download. But, in total truth, the behind the scenes to make that happen is far more than I am able to teach myself right now. Coding is another language. It’s learnable, but it’s not more important to me than sleep. Instead,…
Midwife Musings on Trends in Obstetric Practice During the COVID -19 Pandemic
Hello hello! It was a quiet week on the blog last week. I did two weeks in a row of clinic to spin up for the new job and I didn’t have any brain power leftover. But, I did run into a lot of frustrations related to the pandemic that I thought it would be…
Kim’s Adoption Story
Happy Monday friends! Today is a special post. I have a dear friend that is sharing her adoption story. This is a friend that looked at me 13 years ago and said at an employee orientation “We’re going to be best friends.” We had never met before that day at orientation. And she was exactly…
Friday Five (#43)
Ya’ll, this might be my favorite Five so far this year. First, I discovered Droplet. Their animations and pictures (see above) are some of my favorite that I have ever seen! And Droplet states off our Five today! 1. Droplet The mission of this group is great: too many women discontinue breastfeeding prematurely for reasons…
Women Ask Wednesday: How Your Placenta and Your Breastmilk Can Protect Your Baby Against COVID-19
Hey hey hey! Wednesday! I hope your week is going great. My two year old turned on my heat sometime today and it took me until 9pm to figure out why my house was 75 degrees….seriously. Once they find the step stool, there is no height they will not climb or things they will not…
Women Ask Wednesday Recap!
Happy middle of the week. I am seriously hoping to catch some babies this week as I venture back into the labor and delivery arena after a few months out of work. I can hear those little newborn cries already! When I set out to start the blog, I thought a lot (and still think…
16 Week Template is LIVE!
It’s kind of like Christmas in July…but it’s August. And this template took me the entire summer. But the 16 week template is LIVE! Check it out on TOOLS & HANDOUTS for free download and sharing. Sneak peaks are below… Just a reminder, these areas of emphasis are just themes of the 16 week visit….
Friday Five (#42)
Hello weekend, I am so glad you’re here! I spent the week in orientation for the new job. Does anyone else always feel a little mentally exhausted learning a new system’s way of doing things? I’m looking forward to some couch time this weekend. Onto the Five. It was a busy week in the news….
Friday Five (#41)
Hey hey hey! Hope your week was great! Our week was full of more potty training, unpacking and organizing (in between all the mothering!). And so much baby drooling. Bless this little man. So much drool, not a tooth in sight, and smiles all the day long. This Five was really fun to put together….
Midwife Monday: A New Resource to Aid Diagnosis of Breast Skin Conditions in Asian, Indigenous, Black and Brown folks
Hello Monday! I’m teeing up to start the new job this month and still trying to organize the house. There is stuff everywhere! I get a little organizing done every day but it feels like a snails pace. I’ve got a new resource today for students and practitioners. This one popped up on my radar…
Friday Five (#40)
Today is the day, today is the day! We haven’t had our stuff from moving for TEN weeks. TEN WEEKS! Yes, other than hotel rooms, I have been sleeping on an air mattress that long. I am confident too that my little babe learned to sleep through the night because I did not hear him…
Women Ask Wednesday: What apps can I use to manage anxiety?
Happy hump day! Want to hear a little birth tradition? Have you ever heard of lighting a candle when a mama is in labor? The idea is that you see the light of the candle and send warm, encouraging thoughts or prayers to the mama through her labor and birth. Anyways, one of my friends…
Women Ask Wednesday: 3 Tips for When Breastfeeding Doesn’t Go as Planned
Oh boy. For starters, I don’t even know if I’m the person to write a post like this. Breastfeeding is a journey for every woman and her baby. I think any mama would agree that it’s hard to know where that journey takes you and it’s full of unexpected bumps along the way. Also, I…
Student spotlight: 15 Questions to Ask for a Midwife Job Interview
Hello hello! We’ve got a student spotlight today but this is helpful information for almost anyone. I recently went through the process to interview for a new job. It’s the 6th job I’ve had in 13 years of being a nurse and a nurse midwife. I prepped for the job interview in the same way…
Friday Five (#39)
FRIDAY! We are in full summer mode with littles. Kiddie pool time twice a day. Bug repellant and sun screen in equal amounts. And…my favorite, some homemade strawberry shortcake. Delish. The Five is full as usual! Let’s jump to it. 1. This article examining lower cesarean section rates in hospitals that have midwifery programs. The…
Reduce Allergies in Your Child During Pregnancy with Your Diet!
Hello! Our move to the east allowed us a little travel through the beautiful Inside Passage. I miss those mountains terribly. Alas, I’m holding out for the pretty fall of Virginia. Today we’re chatting allergy prevention in babies. Within the prenatal series happening around the blog is a focus on nutrition. Some women don’t realize…
The 16 Week Visit
We’re continuing our series on routine prenatal care around here and shifting the series to Mondays instead of Wednesdays! With the bulk of the laboratory testing, physical exam and an established due date, routine obstetric care moves into a prevention, assessment and education cycle. The point of this series is two-fold: Provide education from the…
Friday Five (#38)
Hello hello! Wow, what a whirlwind of a summer so far. We did a cross country move from Alaska to Virginia. With three littles, there was never a dull moment. We nearly lost the cat at a Panera. We definitely lost two crib mattresses somewhere in Wyoming. We drove 3,500 miles without a break down…
A MIDWIFE NATION 