Midwifery Care North Shore

11/17/2025

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Slate grey nevus, also known as blue-grey spots or congenital dermal melanocytosis, are a type of birthmark that are typically flat and blue-grey, or sometimes purple, in colour.

They are most common on babies with Black and Brown skin and are generally found on the sacrum and buttocks, but can also be observed on arms and legs.

Slate grey nevus are NOT bruises. They are simply the result of pigment cells, or melanocytes, not reaching the surface of the skin.⁣ They do not hurt and generally require no treatment; they often fade by the age of 4.

If you identify a slate grey nevus when doing a baby examination, or NIPE, it is important to document it. This is to avoid it later being mistaken for a bruise.

Finally - you may have heard these birthmarks called ‘Mongolian blue spots’. This is derogatory, racially insensitive terminology and should NOT be used. If you hear it used in practice, please take the time to correct it. We can all play our part in decolonising language and midwifery education.

📸: 💕

10/26/2025

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The 2025 Cochrane review on immediate and early skin-to-skin contact after birth highlights that further randomized controlled trials comparing skin-to-skin contact with ‘usual care’ are no longer ethical.

The findings show there is now enough evidence to make immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth the global standard of care, and as WHO already recommends skin-to-skin the standard of care, the authors argue that randomizing the separation of mother and newborn may no longer be justifiable.

Read more:
https://centerforbreastfeeding.org/cochrane-review-2025

10/26/2025

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10/25/2025

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10/25/2025

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👶 Skin-to-skin contact involves placing the naked newborn on the mother’s uncovered chest immediately after birth. This simple practice helps babies adapt to life outside the womb, keeping them warm, reducing stress and crying, and supporting vital functions such as breathing and heart rate.

New Cochrane evidence confirms what many already practice: immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers gives babies a better start in life.

Babies held skin-to-skin within the first hour after birth are more likely to:

🩵 Breastfeed exclusively
🩵 Maintain healthy body temperature and blood sugar
🩵 Breathe and adapt better outside the womb

Importantly, the evidence is now so strong that researchers argue it’s no longer ethical to conduct studies that separate mothers and babies after birth.

“Withholding skin-to-skin contact would now be considered unethical, as there is enough evidence to show that the practice improves newborn health and survival,” says Karin Cadwell, senior author and Executive Director and Lead Faculty of
Healthy Children Project Center for Breastfeeding.

Read more on our website: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/strong-evidence-supports-skin-skin-contact-after-birth-standard-care

10/21/2025

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10/06/2025

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Are you a new or soon-to-be parent or caregiver?

The Pregnancy & Parent Learning Centre is now live and available to you!

Perinatal Services BC launched this online prenatal learning platform to help parents and caregivers feel confident and prepared during their pregnancy, birth and parenting journey.

Start your learning journey today by visiting learningcentre.perinatalservicesbc.ca

09/14/2025

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As some Indigenous mothers decide to give birth in their homes, due to concerns over discrimination in B.C.'s health-care system, doulas and midwives are expanding their understanding and use of culturally relevant care.

08/28/2025

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The perfect time to hire a doula is now!

I have spots available in the following months:

October - FULL

November - 1 spot

End of December/Beginning of January - 1 spot

February - FULL

March - 2 spots

April - 1 spot

My package is fully comprehensive and flexible - you can choose to have lots of support ahead of the birth with unlimited prenatal visits which leave lots of opportunity for connection and education, or you can choose to move those hours to after the birth and instead receive 20 hours of flexible postpartum support.

Please visit www.jillcolpitts.com to learn more!

08/24/2025

It’s My Choice is a online tool designed to help you choose the abortion that’s right for you.

There are two options for people in early pregnancy: abortion pills or the abortion procedure.

Both are legal and free in Canada, and both are highly effective.

Find the tool on
SexAndU.ca/its-my-choice
available in English, French, Mandarin, and Punjabi

And as always if you have questions or need further assistance SëxSense is here for you.

08/17/2025

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Not always what we hope for.
Or expect.
No one expects to feel so bad after they have a baby.
Sometimes feeling bad is related to circumstances surrounding the birth.
Sometimes it doesn’t seem related to anything at all.
Sometimes it just feels bad.
Try to ground yourself by reminding yourself that it won’t always feel this way.
And find support wherever you can.
Ask for help if you need it. 🩵

Illustration from 📕

08/17/2025

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NOT A GAS TANK
Your baby is not a car. The goal is not to put gas in the tank to see how far it can go between top ups. It’s to teach a tiny human to listen to their body and it’s caloric and hydration needs from an early age to help them grow and develop. This is FEEDING. How you feed is different than how I feed. How your family feeds is unique and not how my family feeds. From what we eat, to how often we eat, to when we eat it’s such an individual process!! Some adults are grazers. They like to snack on small meals all day. They sip water throughout the day and always have a water bottle handy. Some babies are like this, too. Some adults are bingers. They eat really big meals less often. They only drink water in big glasses around meal times. Some babies are like this, too. And there’s everything in between. The goal is not to reach some magic number of ounces in a limited number of feedings because an internet blog said baby needed x number or ounces in 4 feedings a day. That can cause undo stress for both parents and child. The goal is to learn your unique baby’s feeding habits and help them foster those habits within your family context as they grow and develop into a bigger and bigger human.