Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
August 05, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
August is all about lactation! August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding* Week, August 8th - 14th is Native Breastfeeding Week, August 25th - 31st is Black Breastfeeding Week and in the USA, the entire month recognized as National Breastfeeding Month. Today’s research review summarizes a study that examined nursing and the passage of COVID-19 antibodies from parents who received a COVI-19 vaccination after birth and during bodyfeeding.
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August 02, 2021 | by: Sujata Gami
I have been teaching perinatal classes since 1996 and have taught in India, Canada, Thailand, and United States. Over the years, I have learned and grown both as a Lamaze Educator, as well as an advocate for maternal health. I have developed patient-education perinatal curriculums for hospitals, planned and implemented trainings for L & D nurses on labor support skills, implemented a hospital -based doula program, and trained, mentored colleagues to teach evidence-based Lamaze childbirth education classes.
July 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
You simply cannot teach a birth class without addressing the pain associated with labor and birth. Frankly, it is the elephant in the room, even if no one mentions it. People arrive to a childbirth class already having heard from multitudes of friends, family and even strangers, how much (or rarely - how little) giving birth hurts. If they have not given birth before, they are left wondering how bad it might be, and are they going to be able to handle it. I find that addressing this head on and providing tips to reduce pain throughout the class or class series helps normalize it and also helps families to understand that they have options, both non-pharmacological and medication, to help reduce the pain. Consider this Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea the next time you teach this topic.
July 26, 2021 | by: Jill Wodnick
“Hope is never silent” declared activist Harvey Milk. It is withholding hope for respectful, equitable, and high quality maternity care that I choose to be involved with Lamaze International. Being a Lamaze childbirth educator and member centers my hope to a plurality of voices necessary to transform a very fragmented system of maternity care.
July 19, 2021 | by: Crystal Sada
To me, advocacy is helping people find their voice. Educating them so they empower themselves to make change, be it change for their birth or going further and making change for others. Standing next to them and providing support. In my childbirth classes I try to remain as balanced as the evidence will allow. I share that I am educating so that they can make the choices that are right for them at the time. My goal is preserving the birth memory because we remember our births for the rest of our lives. Even a birth ending not the way we originally planned can be an amazing memory, as we found with our second and third births.
July 16, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Humor in the health care setting can improve the health and the well-being of patients. When someone laughs or experiences a funny situation, their stress hormones go down, their blood pressure lowers, they experience less pain and their immune system gets stronger. Additionally, it builds trust between the people who are laughing. While these are good things to have happen during a labor and birth, if possible, letting families experience these benefits during their childbirth education can go a long way toward a positive birth experience.
July 12, 2021 | by: Lesley Pascuzzi
I advocate because until the journey to pregnancy and parenting is equal for everyone, there is always more to do. I want to ensure the road traveled happens with support, knowledge, confidence, and empowerment for all. I advocate because I want to be a part of a new trend that brings a holistic and realistic influence to birthing families. Let’s say to women you will be heroic in labor and birth. Let’s say to their partners you have the power to create an experience where she feels private, safe, and unobserved.
July 09, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Later this month, The world acknowledges Birth Trauma Awareness Week, July 19-24th, 2021. One in four people who give birth describe their birth as traumatic. For birthing people of color, the rate is even higher.
Lamaze International is offering a virtual learning opportunity on this topic that is an affordable way to learn more about this topic from a subject expert, and receive continuing education hours that are accepted by many perinatal organizations including nursing associations.
July 07, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in collaboration with the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, recently updated their recommendations on the timing of medically indicated late-preterm and early-term deliveries. The recommendations are based on placental, fetal and maternal complications. Late-preterm or early term refers to a delivery before 39 weeks and 0 days gestation.
July 01, 2021 | by: Janelle Durham, MSW, LCCE
During pandemic, many birth educators discovered some benefits to online virtual classes, and may choose to continue to offer them even as many classes return to in-person. If you’re continuing online, do you know how to keep your classes secure? It’s important to know how to minimize your risks of “Zoom bombings” where unexpected people appear, and may say (or chat) offensive things, have their webcams aimed at something offensive, or share offensive videos.
First, I want to reassure you that the chances of this are small. Between me and my co-workers, we taught hundreds of classes online this year with no incidents. But I did have a severe Zoom bombing at church early in the pandemic when we didn’t know how to prevent it or how to manage it. So, just like there are simple smart things you can do to keep your physical classrooms safe for in-person students, there are simple steps you can to do protect and manage your online classroom.
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