What do you think of when you think postpartum warrior? For the third post in the State of Midwifery series, we’re diving into it. After having my fourth baby this past November, I have spent hours thinking about how to support people better in their postpartum period – both as a mother, as a midwife…
Author: amidwifenation
2023 State of Midwifery: The Key to Making More Midwives
Welcome to the second post in the 2023 State of Midwifery series. In case you missed the first post, catch it here: 2023 State of Midwifery: The 10,000 Foot View of the Profession. Precepting is the only path forward. If you were looking for the BLUF, or the bottom line up front, there it is….
2023 State of Midwifery: The 10,000 Foot View of the Profession
Welcome to the state of midwifery 2023! Get excited. I’ve got 5 posts for the series that are outstanding. https://nashp.org/midwife-medicaid-reimbursement-policies-by-state/ If you’re new to the blog, I started a state of midwifery series back in 2020, then repeated the series in 2021. (I missed 2022 because of a lot of things: mom of 3 littles,…
Can You Get Vaccines While Pregnant? (And your vaccine FAQs too!)
Vaccines. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, most people have strong opinions on vaccines today. During pregnancy, there are always a lot of questions about vaccines. You can get vaccines during pregnancy. Some vaccines, are only recommended DURING your pregnancy, while other vaccines can also be given prior to the pregnancy or postpartum. This post is…
10 Tips to Guide: When Should I Take A Break From Precepting Students
Last month, we chatted about 10 tips that you can use to guide when you should take a student. This month, we’re taking a 180 and talking about when you should take a break. I always say I love precepting and taking students. But it’s really hard. And midwifery is already hard work. But, the…
Should I Keep Working While I’m Pregnant?
This is one of the most common questions I receive at the first few pregnancy visits and during the last few weeks of pregnancy. I want to offer some evidence with a mix of existing guidance and education as an answer to this question in hopes of giving a little more support or information than…
10 Tips: How to Tell If It’s Time To Be A Preceptor
Are you thinking it’s time to dive into precepting a student? Let’s talk about it! I could talk about precepting, students and midwifery all day long. I’m not an expert by any means and learn new things every day. Let’s get that disclaimer out of the way. But I do think there’s not a lot…
Can I Eat Fish During Pregnancy?
The short answer: YES! Eating fish has many benefits for you and the baby. Fish has omega-3 and omega-6 fats, iron, iodine and choline. Omega fats and choline help support the development of your baby’s brain and spinal cord. Iron supports increased red blood cell production for women. Other adult benefits include reduced risk of…
How to Practice Ice Holds to Prep For Labor and Birth Pain
One of the most common questions I get in clinic is “What does a contraction feel like?” Ask ten women what a contraction feels like and you’ll get ten different answers: “charlie horse”, “cramping”, “hot poker in the stomach”, “dying”… This is closely followed by “What childbirth classes do you recommend?” (These ones are FREE…
Desiree’s Birth Stories!
Happy day to you! I have a treat in store for you guys. During my first tour through Virginia, I met Desiree as a patient. I was there for her dating ultrasound but wasn’t there for her birth. And I still remember caring for her all these years later (midwives have memories like this). I…
Hello New Year: Reflections and New Goals
Happy New Year! I stopped doing New Year’s Resolutions a long time ago. They don’t ever work for me and never seem to stick. But I do believe in reflection of the prior year and setting realistic goals. One of my favorite conversations that has happened a few years in a row with my sister…
A Home Birth: My Fourth Birth Story
Are you ready for a birth story? It took me a while to come to a place mentally to write my birth story of my fourth babe. There are a few reasons why it took a little longer to put everything down in black and white. One, I’m still processing the birth, but I think…
4 Tips for Student Midwives
In the past 6 months, I precepted two students, one in the clinic and one on labor and delivery. I also got to be a participant of student care with my recent home birth. Both experiences gave me some time to reflect on being a preceptor and being a patient that receives care from a…
What happens at my visits during pregnancy?
This seems like a straightforward question – what happens at my pregnancy visits – but I spend a lot of time talking about the current and upcoming visit’s components. Common questions include: When can I find out the gender of my baby? When is my next ultrasound? When do I have to take that glucose…
Gift Ideas for Student Midwives
This past week, we chatted gifts for midwives or birth workers and the post was (unexpectedly) quite popular! I’ve received some really touching cards and gifts over the past ten years from families, mamas and friends. Each has been a treasure to me and I know I’ll still have each of those treasures when I’m…
Gift Ideas for Midwives or Birth Workers
This post has been in the docket for a while. I have randomly added to the list for over a year but think it’s about time to share. Holidays are on the way and you may want to shower your favorite midwife, birth worker, doula, OB/GYN or labor and delivery nurse with one of these…
20 Tips for Mamas During Pregnancy
I’m finishing up this post sitting outside at sunset because the weather is finally cooling off in Virginia! Hallelujah! My husband told me the other day that my personality shines in the fall and winter – is that the opposite of hibernation? Either way, I am loving the cooler temperatures and looking forward to sweater…
Happy Midwifery Week!
In honor of the week, here are some of the best posts on the blog about all things midwifery. To each of you that are a midwife, this is the most wonderful and difficult calling of a lifetime (other than marriage and parenting IMO!). Thank you for doing what you do. Thank you for the…
Abby’s Second Birth Story!
Hello friends! Today we get to share in the sweetest birth story of my dear friend. Abby shared her first birth story a while back. If you missed it, she had a planned cesarean section for breech position. Well, she went on to have an awesome vaginal birth after cesarean – commonly known as a…
20 Tips for Midwives or Midwife Students (or any birth worker!)
Does anyone feel this way sometimes?! I used to think about this meme a lot while I was active duty! But Happy Thursday to you! We are suffering from a Disney World hangover and at house but loving all the memories we made. And the littlest one and I have been sick for a few…
10 Tips for Traveling While Pregnant
Whew…we just came back from a week at DisneyWorld! It was a blast but traveling while 29 weeks pregnant is no easy feat. Each pregnancy I’ve gotten better at managing the expected discomforts of the gravid (pregnant) belly and body. But it doesn’t make it any easier. Try these tips the next time you’re headed…
Recap from the 2022 Postpartum Support International Conference
In July, I went to the Postpartum Support International Conference in New Orleans, LA. My friend Tina from my DNP program tagged along and we had a lot of fun exploring New Orleans between the various lectures we attended. In retrospect, the conference isn’t geared towards providers and there really weren’t a lot of obstetric…
Help Alabama Open a Birth Center!
It’s advocacy day at AMN for the state of Alabama. Alabama is historically a hard state for midwifery. Stringent regulations have prevented licensure, practice and birth for many decades. But, there is light on the horizon. Dr. Stephanie Mitchell is a doctoral prepared certified nurse midwife that moved to Gainesville, AL to open up the…
“You’re cleared for exercise.” Now what?
Today we have a guest post from Megan, a physical therapist passionate about women’s health, pregnancy and postpartum care. I reached out to see if she would share some general background and knowledge about physical therapy in pregnancy and postpartum periods. She’s happy to chat more in person if you have additional questions and concerns…
The BEST Contraception and Family Planning Shared Decision-Making Tool
Disclaimer: Best is my opinion. But I have spent hundreds of hours reading about contraception and contraceptive counseling. And many of those hours have been spent pouring over existing contraceptive tools. I came to a point in my DNP program where my faculty advisor told me “Well, you’re just going to have to make a…
7 Newsletters You Should Subscribe To…
Hello and happy week! I am recovering from conference fatigue but loved all the new information and resources I picked up at the Postpartum Support International conference in New Orleans last week. I always make a list of things to look up and new resources people recommend at each conference – the list from last…
Why I’m Planning a Home Birth
Yep, you read that correctly. I’m planning a home birth! In retrospect, the first birth should have been a home birth. The husband wasn’t on board with that idea and I knew I would labor at home most of the labor. The second birth could have been a home birth too…and I try not to…
Update Your Discharge Teaching (Part 2)
Happy week! Is the summer flying by for anyone else? I looked at the calendar and it’s nearly JULY. Seriously ya’ll, where does the time fly? I’m excited about next month though – I’m headed to my first conference in a few years (the postpartum support international conference in New Orleans!) If you’re going to…
Update Your Discharge Teaching (Part 1)
Total truth: I am missing some Alaska this week. So please bear with me while we look at some pretty glaciers 🙂 I came off a 24 hour shift today and am plain old tired. There were lots of babies and some crazy triage calls…i.e. can you take oxycodone for a migraine in the 3rd…
New Tools and Tool Updates!
Hello hello! Today was a milestone. I submitted what I think is the LAST edited version of a manuscript that will hopefully be published in the fall (fingers crossed!). And my littles napped long enough for me to put the final touches on the 38 and 39-40 week templates. And then I was able to…
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
Happy Monday to you! I’m celebrating turning 36 years old as well – which oddly enough, seems to be the most uneventful and peaceful birthday I have ever had! Does that happen as you get older? I even made my own birthday cake – more as an activity for the kids than anything else –…
Behind the scenes lately…
Hey friends! Wow. If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been in the past 6 weeks, I’ll tell ya. It has all to do with this little one! We’re expecting baby #4 in the fall and goodness, gracious me – I have never been so nauseous my entire life. Does nausea get worse the more times…
The State of Midwifery Sneak Peeks…
Happy day to you! If you’re a long time reader of the blog, usually spring time means a series on the state of midwifery. This year I opted to skip the series because we’re still in the throes of a pandemic. There have been some great changes in how prenatal care was delivered – enter…
Updated Templates Emphasis Prenatal Resources And FAQs For Each Visit!
Why is prenatal care important? The answer is simple: Women that receive prenatal care early and often have healthier babies. And just as a reminder, it’s written in the corner of every prenatal template! But isn’t prenatal care just going to the provider’s office, getting your vital signs taken, and listening to the baby? Nope,…
What do you pack in your hospital bag for birth?
Hey there hey! I did some research a while back to see what was on the internet about what to pack in your hospital bag for birth. It’s a question that every first time mama asks during clinic. Less so for the seasoned crew. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with what was online. I mean, it’s…
A Fistula Update
It’s been one year from today that I had surgery for my fistula. Most people probably don’t remember the days of their surgeries. This one was memorable. Mostly because I thought it was going to fix something that was wrong. But it didn’t. I journaled the details of my fistula recovery through eight weeks. (You…
What Happens At My 36 Week Visit?
36 weeks! You’re counting down the days now. This visit should be focused on labor education and prep for the hospital or birth plan. Most people see their OB provider every week from 36 to 41 weeks. That’s almost an hour of talking time to ask all your questions or concerns. But…as you guys know,…
The Disruptive Innovator’s Toolbox
Happy Monday! First and foremost, if you haven’t signed up for the newsletter, today is the last day before the March newsletter goes out. If you’ve been a long time reader, everything that was in the Friday Five is moving to newsletter format. Plus a lot more. Sign up at the bottom of the blog…
How to Heal Those Dry, Cracked Hands!
Hello! I’ve got a quick Midwife Monday tip for the hundreds of beautiful hands out there catching babies and caring for mamas. Whether you’re in the hospital, the clinic or in the birth/home settings, we’ve all been washing our hands and using hand sanitizer like it’s going out of style this pandemic. (Side note: Does…
What Happens At My 32 Week Visit?
32 weeks! The third trimester usually flies by from 28 to 34 weeks. Then the last few weeks seem to drag out. It’s the perfect time to to all the planning for birth and postpartum. And that’s the idea behind this template! In case you missed the other posts so far…here are the links! Overwhelmed…
What Happens At My 28 Week Visit?
The 28 week visit is a busy one – you need a checklist to guide the visit! Don’t miss a thing…get your checklist today. Overwhelmed by all the information about pregnancy? Looking for a checklist to guide to each pregnancy visit? Don’t expect your OB provider to do all the work – take control of…
Friday Five (#48)
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…
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…
What Happens At My 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. In case you missed the other posts so far…here are the links! Overwhelmed by all the information about pregnancy? Looking…
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…