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A MIDWIFE NATION

Helping disrupt traditional prenatal care and education for women and midwives.

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Happy Thursday! It is hot, hot, hot in VA. Tip #14 for mamas today is to read some books to prepare for birth. The templates have recommended book lists on each handout - these are the ones I recommend over and over...and over. Save some money and buy them used on ebay :) Google is not where you are going to find you answers and usually won't help you prepare for labor, birth or postpartum. You have to put some effort in too! If I had to rank the top 3...I would say:

Who is Jamie/@amidwifenation?? Behind the scenes I’m a mama of three (expecting #4!!!!), married to an amazing guy and trying to catch some babies part time between mamahood and family life. I’m passionate about shared decision-making, practicing to the evidence and empowering women with education, encouragement and the space they need to navigate pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood as they desire. I love to read (my TBR is beyond achieving but I’ve accepted that and am happy to pick up one good book after another; although I’m quicker to discard a read that’s not good much faster these days). I love the outdoors, gardening and am newly obsessed with succulents. I’m passionate about pouring into family and hobbies outside of midwifery because it make you a better midwife. But a big piece of my heart tugs at helping the current midwifery force and student midwives so they don’t burn out at 5-7 years. And long term, I’m here to help disrupt traditional prenatal care and challenge the maternity system in the US with the midwifery model as the standard - not the exception. I’m up for the challenge - will you come along with me?! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Want to help? Check out the free tools on the blog for over the counter meds and prenatal visits - these are FREE for mamas or providers to use. Link in the linktree ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️!!!!

Want a tip from the granny midwives for your practice? Try to deliver those baby shoulders during restitution when the shoulders are moving into the widest angle of the pelvis (bonus: you'll prevent some shoulder dystocias too!) Try it in your next birth and see what you think!

AMAZING resource to add to your postpartum discharge education and postpartum visits. A 24/7, 365 hotline, with multiple languages for support, resources and understanding. Add this to your clinic resource list, your discharge teaching, your handouts (you know it's going on the templates ASAP!).

I have seen SO many initial prenatal visits in the past few weeks! And a theme among the visits was no one knew what to expect and the mamas were a little overwhelmed by everything that happened at the visit.

Want to know which 2 apps I recommended for providers, which book I cannot stop recommending (hint: he writes Better and The Checklist Manifesto), what tip I recommend for students to succeed a resource for sustainable life as a midwife, and what I've been up to the past month?....

Make your prenatal care great in 2022!

Back from vacation! We went to Italy for a few weeks and are finally back to the normal swing of things. 🇮🇹 Already missing the laid back culture, food and sights. Lake Como, you have my heart forever - gorgeous lake + mountains 🏔 = dreamy. Stay tuned for new templates and tips for mamas and midwives. And if you’ve been to Como, tell me which city was your fav?! Xoxo, Jamie

Yep, I’m going on a vacation - for TWO WEEKS 🎉🎉🎉. I won’t be on social media and I’ll be enjoying time with family and friends. The Successful Student Midwife was just updated with new tips for success! This kind of compiled advice is only on one place (I thought about printing the list just to put on my office door!). Check out the link in the linktree. And practicing midwives, if you haven’t booked your vacas yet this year, get to it! #vacation #preventburnout #sleep

Tip #12 💪 For midwives: Strive to be a disruptive innovator. That’s right, you’re going to strive to overthrow the “we’ve always done it this way.” You know there are better ways and you have the solution.

Make your prenatal care great in 2022!

I recently did a little research to see what was recommended out on the internet for mamas to pack in their hospital bags…and boy is there a lot of stuff to wade through. Y’all it should be that hard. I put a list together today on the blog of what the hospital usually has, the must haves, and the nice to haves for your stay. Save or share this post for your upcoming birth day! And let me know if you have other things you’d recommend too. I was already thinking I forgot to put fog wipes for glasses wearers on the list!! See the linktree for the post….hugs! #birth #hospitalbag #packinglist #nesting amidwifenation #39weeks #40weekspregnant

The clinic patients have themes of questions that come and go - just like trends in clothing or fads. Lately, all my patients are asking “Do I have to give birth on my back or in the stirrups?” It’s an easy one to answer: “Nope!” You should be able to choose your birth position. Birthing in a side lying position is associated with fewer lacerations and a lower risk of a shoulder dystopia. Squatting and standing have slightly higher rates of a vaginal tear but usually shorter pushing stages. Even mamas with an epidural don’t need to push on their back and in the stirrups during second stage. My second babe was born standing up in the shower! (The picture is moments after birth when I scooped him up and saw he was a boy!) If you have a preference during your birth, speak up! It’s your birth. You don’t get a redo. #birthmatters #birthpositions #pregnancy #midwives #advocacy

Make your prenatal care great in 2022!

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.

Make your prenatal care great in 2022!

🔥IF YOU HAVE THOUGHT...🔥

Medical Disclaimer and Copyright

A Midwife Nation was created for information purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, recommendation, diagnosis or treatment. All site content – to include images, text, audio and other formats are for informational purposes only. The information on this website is subject to change without notice and you should always seek to verify the accuracy and source of the information provided. Information provided on this website is not complete, or exhaustive, and currency of the information is subject to change frequently. You should always seek the advice of your medical provider for any questions about your health or healthcare, and should never disregard or delay medical care because of something you have read on this website.

This blog was created by Jamie Guertin, DNP, CNM, RNC-OB in 2019. Copyright 2019-2022, amidwifenation.com. All rights reserved. Copyright protects the content of this blog (original content, images and artwork) and use of any content without permission is illegal. Tools and handouts are free for use and credit should be given to the original source. For any questions, please email amidwifenation@gmail.com. Thank you!

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