Helping improve pregnancy, birth and postpartum care and education for women and midwives.
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…
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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…
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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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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What happens at my 20 week visit? 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. Be sure to check out the other posts if you missed them! Overwhelmed by all the information about pregnancy? Looking for a checklist…
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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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…
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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….
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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….
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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….
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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…
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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…
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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…
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…
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…
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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…
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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…
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We’re continuing the series on routine prenatal care. 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. If you missed the first pregnancy visit, you can check out all the details here. Did you download the free template to…
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…
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Friday Friday Friday! Wahoo! Today is my last day in clinic at my current position and it’s bittersweet. I’m excited to move onto the next adventure but sad to leave behind some really awesome patients and co-workers. As I was packing up my office, I found some handouts I had forgotten about and wanted to…
Hello hello! A huge thank you to everyone who read the fistula stories from the past 2 weeks! You guys were so wonderful and sympathetic and thankful that I shared my story. Please continue to spread the story among birth workers! If you missed them, read the story here and here. Today we’re chatting about…
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Last week I shared part one of my fistula story. Today I’m sharing part two. The recovery from my fistula surgery was hands down one of the hardest mental and physical things I have ever done. This was mainly because the pain from natural childbirth was the basis for my previous pain scale but my…
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Hi mamas! This Friday post is for you. Just an early shout out to say Happy Mothers Day. And I mean that to all the mamas. Mamas with five babies. Mamas that have lost babies. Mamas that aren’t mamas yet. Mamas that adopted or fostered. To everyone, in every aspect they are a mother, take…
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Hello there! Today is not your average birth story. It’s a story about a fistula that developed after my second vaginal birth. I’m sharing my story today because this has been one of the loneliest, disheartening, disappointing and difficult roads I have ever walked. In looking for support, counseling, advice and wisdom I found there…
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Haaalllo and happy Friday! I hope your week was lovely wherever you are! We have been playing outside every possible minute because the weather has been spectacular in Alaska. The trees are budding and the leaves should be sprouting as early as next week. My tulips should open next week too! I love seeing what…
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Happy Monday! Today is a post for students! I’ve been watching the various avenues and techniques that midwifery students use to find clinical sites over the past 9 years. Some are successful while others are a big flop. I’ve noticed the same errors are made over and over, and while I’m not an expert by…
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FRIDAY! FRIDAY! FRIDAY! We’re excited around here. The playgrounds have officially melted and they are ready for PLAY! My kids and I played hide and seek for 30 minutes straight this week because we were so happy to just run around. Did you see the IOB Visit tool launch this week? These tools are part…
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Happy Wednesday to all! The snowpack is almost melted up here in the frontier and it has brought smiles to everyone’s face. Want to see a 4 year old do a happy dance? Pull out their bicycle that’s been in the shed for 6 months – pure joy! Today the initial OB template is live…
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Yeaaahhh Friday! Alaska had a huge melt this week and it has been WONDEFUL. After being careful about walking on ice for 6 months, you can now run on pavement worry free. Come on summer! This Five is packed. There were so many good things to throw in and I couldn’t cap it – so…
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Well hello! On Wednesdays, we try to focus on some good ol’ education. I call these posts “Women Ask Wednesday” and the topics come from a variety of situations – a journal I read, a friend’s birth, a conversation with a patient – you name it, it can spark a post! But these also tend…
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Hello all! I hope your weekend was fabulous. I had high hopes we would see some more snow melt but alas, the temperatures remained below freezing and it even snowed. Come on Alaska! What’s even funnier is I can see the tulips budding out of the ground through the snow. I guess they don’t mind…
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