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…
Tag: midwife
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
What Happens At My 20 Week Visit?
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…
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…
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…