Emerald Perinatal, Certified Birth Doula, Childbirth and Lactation Educator

Happy New Year everyone! Wonder who the first baby in 2024 will be this year.

Perinatal Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a fairly common mental health problem that can affect men and women at any time of life (Young 2019). It is called perinatal OCD when a woman develops OCD during pregnancy or after birth—the perinatal period. Perinatal OCD affects at least 2 in every 100 wome...

Life of a New Midwife: The Heart of Healing A new midwife of color tells about some challenges she faced in her journal through midwifery school and how her first year as a midwife is now bearing fruit.

Happy holidays to everyone.

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

Lol

Some serious multitasking! 😅

This looks great!

Improve your practice! Attend online classes with Gail Hart!

Posterior Presentation will start at 10 am PST December 3. Gail will discuss the importance of positioning, maternal sense of control, and flexibility to approaches. Discover how to help prevent cesareans by understanding how to prevent and fix posterior presentations.

Neonatal Resuscitation with the Placental Circulation Intact will start at 10 am PST December 10. In this class Gail will present the concept of safe and effective physiological resuscitation methods that don’t require a high level of technology for implementation.
Go here to see all upcoming classes and to sign up. https://www.midwiferytoday.com/product-category/online-classes/

Thanks for the write up!

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AB Christa Duquette CD(DONA), SBD, HCHD https://doulamatch.net/profile/8743
AB Cydney Martineau https://doulamatch.net/profile/10710
AB Lindsey van der Lee CD(DONA) https://doulamatch.net/profile/27946
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FL Jenn Randall https://doulamatch.net/profile/14630
GA Alycia Cullen CD(DONA) https://doulamatch.net/profile/23540
GA Lauren Heaslip https://doulamatch.net/profile/27981
GA Christina Pruitt https://doulamatch.net/profile/631
GA Stephanie Wagner https://doulamatch.net/profile/14753
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IA Melissa Schnurr https://doulamatch.net/profile/5405
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MD Kymberly Lewis https://doulamatch.net/profile/20885
MD Becky Rohrback CD(DONA) SBD https://doulamatch.net/profile/4505
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MN Stephany Martinez, Certified Doula & Lactation Counselor https://doulamatch.net/profile/22091
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NY Shamina Rao, CD(DONA), CBC, RYT https://doulamatch.net/profile/16581
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OH Gia Cappabianca https://doulamatch.net/profile/27448
OH LaTanisha White https://doulamatch.net/profile/29964
OH Stephanie Wyborski, BSN, RN, CD(DONA) https://doulamatch.net/profile/24552
OR Jennifer Creswell https://doulamatch.net/profile/29621
OR Katie Gould https://doulamatch.net/profile/28453
PA Paige Greeley https://doulamatch.net/profile/29169
PA Jennifer Hinds https://doulamatch.net/profile/29136
RI Danielle Delomas, CD(DONA) https://doulamatch.net/profile/16060
RI Jacquie Procopio, PCD, CLC https://doulamatch.net/profile/13747
SC Lindsay Millwood https://doulamatch.net/profile/19474
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TX Angie Heffner, CD(DONA), (HCHD) https://doulamatch.net/profile/14951
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TX Rachel Stonebrook https://doulamatch.net/profile/14975
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Shared by Kaleigh Mancha

“My son was born at 39+6 at home, surrounded by love & lots of family. I received comprehensive prenatal care with a nurse midwife & high risk OB (due to severe hyperemesis gravidarum), yet we had no idea what was in store for us postpartum. Within 10 hours of being born, we were transported to a local hospital where we learned our son had a ‘incompatible with life’ heart defect: transposition of the great arteries. Despite 4 ultrasounds prenatally, it was not found. He had heart surgery his 1st day of life to stabilize his condition & then underwent open heart surgery at 8 days old. He was in the NICU/ CICU for over 3 weeks. This video is our 1st latch. Alone in the hospital room due to COVID, quietly we stared at each other. I prayed he could latch onto my swollen breasts with all his medical equipment. He had an incision from sternum to belly button, an IV sewn into his neck, an IV in his hand, an arterial line in his belly button & multiple lines for meds. I cried daily desperately longing to hold & nurse my baby. When I was able to do so, I was nervous of his medical equipment, but so relieved & grateful.

During his NICU stay I pumped over 1,000+ oz which I donated to multiple families in need in my community.

These photos were taken by my husband at 10 weeks old in honor of World Breastfeeding Month. While it’s been a wild beginning, I love the deep connection my baby & I have having persevered through together. These photos remind me that breastfeeding is healing, nourishing, an act of resistance, a connection to my ancestors & descendants. Leche is life. I am beyond grateful for a supportive, loving partner who made sure I had/ have everything I need for us to experience a successful breastfeeding journey with our little heart warrior.”