Dawn Henderson, Registered Midwife

Another postpartum movement class for bereaved birthers, who have experienced all types of perinatal loss. May 16th.

All postpartum bodies need places that feel safe to return to movement, support pelvic floor and abdominal wall recovery amongst community as you find strength and capacity in yourself
again. After loss it can feel impossible to know where to go. You might not feel ready to return to the gym and postpartum classes with parents with living children can feel too difficult to
join. Jodie Pulsifer of Full Circle Physiotherapy has been supporting bereaved parents find a way to move again.

In 2024, The Butterfly Run is teaming up with Jodie to try to fill this gap in your postpartum journey and make sure we create spaces for all birthers on their parenthood journeys.

Title: One Foot in Front of the Next: PostPartum Movement after Loss

About: This movement class is geared for postpartum birthers after loss. If you feel you have not had a space to support your body movement after birth, you can join! We welcome people
as early after delivery as they feel they need and movement will be appropriate for any pelvic health related concerns, including incontinence, pelvic pain or prolapse sensations.

Date: Thursday May 16th 2024
Time: 10-11 AM
Location: Greentree Village Community Centre
Bring: Yoga Mat, Water Bottle
Link to register :
https://fullcirclephysiotherapy.janeapp.com/locations/jodie-pulsifer-physiotherapy-east-vancouver/book #/staff_member/1/treatment/146

Finally, a postpartum movement class for bereaved birthers (after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or perinatal loss of any sort). First class on Audrey’s birthday. The community really came together for this one. Big thanks to the Butterfly Run BC for sponsoring and working with Jodie from Full Circle Physio to pull this off.

One Foot in Front of the Next: Post-Partum Movement after loss

About: This movement class is geared for postpartum birthers after loss. If you feel you have not had a space to support your body movement after birth, you can join! We welcome people
as early after delivery as they feel they need and movement will be appropriate for any pelvic health related concerns, including incontinence, pelvic pain or prolapse sensations.

Date: Thursday Feb 15th 2024
Time: 10-11 AM
Location: Greentree Village Community Centre
4295 Garden Grove Drive, Burnaby
Bring: Yoga Mat, Water Bottle
Registration by donation :

https://fullcirclephysiotherapy.janeapp.com/locations/jodie-pulsifer-physiotherapy-east-vancouver/book #/staff_member/1/treatment/146

All postpartum bodies need places that feel safe to return to movement, support pelvic floor and abdominal wall recovery, and be part of community as you find strength and capacity in yourself again. After loss it can feel impossible to know where to go. You might not feel ready to return to the gym and postpartum classes with parents with living children can feel too difficult to
join.

Jodie Pulsifer of Full Circle Physiotherapy has been supporting bereaved parents find a way to move again. Jodie is honoured to hold the memories of all of the loved and remembered babies that have shaped her work. To the birthing parents of Babs, Audrey, Jayne, Grace, Mara, Lily, Amaryllis, Ira, Tiki, Johanna, Cedar and the many more who are unnamed - thank you for your bravery to join spaces that weren’t quite right and push us to fill that gap.

In 2024, The Butterfly Run Vancouver is teaming up with Jodie to support your postpartum journey and make sure we create spaces for all birthers on their parenthood journeys. With valentines day being a time of year to remember those we love, it is an honour to get to hear the stories of your babies and remember them with you as we move together.

Perinatal Loss Drop In Support groups starting this month.

The Butterfly Run BC is offering drop-in Virtual support groups for parents who have experienced perinatal loss. These drop-in groups will take place twice monthly, on Thursdays from 7:30-9:00pm. These groups are free for participants, and faciliated by a registered clinical counsellor.

Upcoming dates for these virtual gatherings:
Jan. 11th & 25th, Feb. 8th & 22nd, and March 7th & 28th, April 11th & 25th

Please email [email protected] to ask questions or register for an upcoming drop-in group.

Started the year off right with a lovely birth at Burnaby Hospital!

2023 Birth Stats for Dawn. Jade Team full stats to follow later this week!!!

Jenny and I had a more gentle year this year, caring for around 85 families, compared to 100 last year! We continue to love the continuity being a team of two gives us, and are finding creative solutions for getting time off. We expanded our Midwifery presence at Burnaby Hospital this year by welcoming Mackenzie and Mary, the Quartz team at Pom! We help each other out when we can and are looking forward to trying out a team of 3 schedule for the summer to ensure we all get some vacation and some in town time off!

Births attended as primary: 43
Births attended as back up: 10
Biggest baby this year: 4245g (39+6)
Smallest baby this year: 1380g (29+6)
Longest gestation: 42+1
Shortest gestation: 29+6
Total labours: 40
Elective Caesarean Sections: 3 (2 for breech, 1 for abruption not in labour)

Stats for planned labours, one baby, vertex (head down): 40
Nullips (first time birthers) 26/40 65%
Multips (one or more previous births) 14/40 35% (2 with prior caesarean sections)
Spontaneous vaginal births: 35/40 87.5%
Waterbirths: 5/40 (hoping to see this increase as we get the Fraser Health waterbirth policy approved this year!)
Vacuum births: 0
Forceps births: 3/40 7.5%
Caesarean births: 2/40 5%
Nullip Caesarean births 2/26 7.7%
Multip Caesarean births 0/14
Epidurals: 11/40 27.5% (Nullips 9 34.6%, Multips 2 14.3%)
Planned home births: 14/40 35%
Unplanned homebirths: 3 (2 nullip, one multip/VBAC)
Transfers from home: 2 in labour (1 for mec and 1 for prolonged second stage) 2 postpartum (one for suturing a complex tear, and one for hemorrhage) All moms and babies are healthy and well. Both in labour home birth transfers ended in vaginal births.
Actual home births: 15/40 37.5%
Homebirth Nullips: 8
Homebirth Multips: 7 (including one VBAC)
Medical Inductions: 5/40 12.5% (2 for advanced maternal age, 2 for release of membranes, 1 for postdates)
Castor Oil Inductions/Augments: 2/40 5%(1 postdates, 1 prolonged released waters)

And so much more care not documented here given to the 1 in 4 people who experience miscarriage after they start care with us. This (and other perinatal loss) is such an important part of midwifery care that Jenny and I are both so passionate about.

(Photo of my last baby, because, why not!?)

Happy New Year! Pom Stats and Name scramble!

Happy New Year! 🥳🎉🎊
2023 FUN STATS:
Number of babies this year: 485
Number of Pom babies TOTAL = 7003
Average client’s age: 34 … Age range: 18-49
Clients over 40: 10% (highest in 18yrs)
Average gestation: 39wks+4days
Average weight: 3464g = 7lbs+10oz
Smallest: 1105g = 2lbs+7oz
Largest: 5260g = 11lbs+9oz
Sets of twins: 1
Breeches: 2.9%
Miscarriage rate: 14% (average)
Preterm: 4% (slightly lower than our average)
Postterm: 3% (our highest rate in 10 years)
Third or more baby: 10% (average)

In Celebration of the OP Baby Updated: October 2023 How many times have you heard “I had to have an epidural/c-section/ventouse/etc. because my baby was facing the wrong way”? An occipito posterior (OP) position occ…

Hamper Time!

Keep those hamper donations coming! 3 weeks to go! Etransfer is easy if you can’t get out to drop off a gift card! Any amount helps!

[email protected]

❄️✨ It's that time of year again. Please join us in gathering gift certificates and cash donations for our annual Pomegranate Holiday Hampers. ❄️✨

Each year, with your help, we provide Hampers to many families in our community. This year, Holiday Hampers are even more important.

Please consider donating Gift cards from Big Box or local stores that sell the essentials for a heartwarming holiday. This can include stores that sell food, gifts for the family and/or self care staples.

Donations can be brought to Pomegranate Community Midwives at - 2647 East Hastings St, Vancouver BC
Cash donations can be sent to [email protected]

Deadline for donations is December 15th

We thank you for your support and we look forward to making the holidays bright for many of the families in our care.

What a great time we had today! Jenny and I saw 12 Jade Team families and I saw a few orange and yellow team kiddos too!

See you soon! Jenny and I will be hanging out, 12-3pm!

Did you know that is on instagram? Jenny is managing our social media over there, keeping tabs on the comings and goings of your midwives!

Come see your midwives at Trick or Treat on Hastings Street! Saturday Oct 28th, 12-3pm! Can't wait to see you!!

Calling all Halloween characters and creatures, trick-or-treat on Hastings street is 12 days away! Don't forget to join us in Kamloops Plaza for more fun! 12pm-3pm October 28th

Late posting, its been a busy week!

On Sunday, my kiddos and I took part in the 5th annual Butterfly Run - a walk/run that raises awareness and funds for families experiencing infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss.

October is Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month, and Oct 15th was the Wave of Light, where we light candles to remember the babies no longer with us.

After the Butterfly Run, I went to a birth and missed lighting my candle, but our lovely physiotherapist, Jodie, lit one for me/for Audrey.

To all who have been through any type of perinatal loss, I see you. You are parents. Parenting a non living child is a heck of a thing.

Holding all those babies who aren’t with us in my heart always.

Homebirth views!