Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
May 20, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
May is 2021 Preeclampsia Awareness Month. May 22 is World Preeclampsia Day. Preeclampsia, or high blood pressure in pregnancy, affects approximately 5-8% of all pregnancies in the United States and is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. The 2021 campaign’s theme is Beyond Pregnancy. When a pregnant person experiences preeclampsia either during their pregnancy or after giving birth (which can happen even if preeclampsia was not present during the course of pregnancy) the impact of this serious disease lasts long after the birth and postpartum period are over
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May 18, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Many important perinatal topics are recognized during the month of May. It is a busy month in that regard as some topics have a day designated for them, others take place over a week and still others continue for the entire month. We cover many of these recognition periods here on the blog, In regards to birth and postpartum doulas, the period of time that doulas are “recognized” can be a bit confusing. In fact, some individuals and organizations recognize and honor doulas on March 22. Alternately, a full week beginning March 22 is celebrated. The entire month of May has often been called “International Doula Month” and now, I have just become aware that in the United States, the Senate just passed a resolution recognizing the Week of May 9th as “National Doula Week.”
May 13, 2021 | by: Molly Giammarco, MPP
Lamaze is excited to host a three-day virtual event focused on international, federal, and state advocacy September 27-29, 2021. Through educational content-offerings and meetings with Congressional representatives, Summit attendees will have opportunities to earn CEUs and advocate for federal maternal health bills in U.S. Congress.
May 12, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
May is Maternal Mental Health Month. This is an excellent time to check in and reevaluate what information you are currently sharing in your classes, when you share it and what resources you provide to families who might be dealing with a mood disorder related to their pregnancy or postpartum period. Childbirth educators are in a unique position to normalize perinatal mood disorders (PMDs) which impact up to 20% of pregnant or postpartum people. Untreated perinatal mood disorders impact quality of life and parenting experiences for the entire family including the children.
May 07, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System released a report: Births: Provisional Data for 2020. This report includes information on U.S births by age and race and Hispanic origin of mother/parent. Data on cesarean delivery and preterm births also are included. This preliminary information for 2020 covers a period when the entire world was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report may provide insights into reproductive behavior under the time frame of the COVID-19 situation.
May 05, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Today is the annual International Day of the Midwife. Every year on May 5th, global attention turns to the role of the midwife in helping families grow all around the world. This year’s theme is “Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives.” Lamaze International childbirth educators are committed to sharing evidence based information and best practices so families can make informed decisions about their perinatal care. The research on midwifery care demonstrates that midwives are critical to ending preventable deaths for birthing parents and newborns. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, and globally, we are not on track to meet that target. If there is any hope to to reach this important benchmark, there will need to be more midwives, and a greater acceptance of the integrated role for the midwife in perinatal care around the world.
April 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Here we are at the end of April, and virtual teaching for childbirth classes is still the norm as the world works to put this COVID pandemic behind us. With that in mind, here is another teaching idea that is very easy to do in a virtual format. This Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators is a twist on a fun idea I learned from Ildi Sebestyen, an LCCE colleague. I have taken Ildi’s in person activity and modified it to work virtually on many different online conferencing platforms. Helping families use the tools they will have at their disposal in their birth location of choice is important. This activities reinforces ideas for birth and peanut ball use during labor. You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators for free here by following this link.
April 27, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As maternal-infant health professionals, we must identify our own biases and the oppressive policies and systems in the environments and institutions that we work and practice in. I would like to recommend a very engaging and thorough free online Diversity Science course developed by Diversity Science titled ‘Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Project.” I recently had the opportunity to work through the three modules that make up the course and found it to be a well organized, thoughtful, and effective presentation that invited me to consider my beliefs and behavior. This work and course development is led by Rachel Hardeman, PhD, MPH, and Diversity Science, and is funded by the California Health Care Foundation in response to strong evidence of racial inequalities in perinatal care and outcomes.
April 23, 2021 | by: Mindy Cockeram, LCCE
Tuesday, in Connecting The Dots, in Part I of The Impact of Common Labor Interventions on Newborn Weight Loss and Breast/Chestfeeding Cessation, we examined how the use of analgesics for pain relief, Pitocin for induction and a large IV fluid load delivered throughout labor, can lead to breast/chestfeeding challenges for new parents in the first few hours and days of life.
Today, in Part II, we examine the appropriate timing of a newborn’s baseline weight assessment. When, after birth, should a newborn’s baseline weight be established? Using a weight that may have been impacted by labor interventions can hinder maternal breastfeeding confidence and skew pediatric goals for normal newborn weight gain. We also look at an evidence based tool for determining if weight loss really falls into the supplementation zone.
April 20, 2021 | by: Mindy Cockeram, LCCE
How many parents have you met that experienced the following birth scenario: Labor began with an induced labor using Pitocin (UK-Syntocinon), an epidural for pain relief and a long pushing stage or even an unplanned cesarean? The parents felt overwhelmed with joy when the baby was born and relief that the labor was over. As the new emotions settled in, the next stage of parenting began - breast/chestfeeding a baby on cue around the clock. Discharged home, the sleepy baby suddenly became more wakeful and eager to cluster feed. Day three became a challenge: jaundice set in and the pediatrician recommended supplementation due to excessive weight loss. The scenario ends with an emotionally drained parent worrying about their milk supply, supplementing with bottles of formula daily and potentially giving up on breast/chestfeeding before the mature milk even has a chance to arrive! Did their body really let them down? Did they really not have enough milk?
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