Indigo Forest, P. O. Box 1068, Ann Arbor, MI (2026)

03/12/2026

🪷One of the most FRUSTRATING things in labor is when the whole things seems to slow down, stall, and just has energy like the day AFTER a party!

Holistic approaches offer a number of strategies that often work great depending on what might be going on - all without side effects or complications . Consider options like:
• all without side effects or complications
• Ignoring early labor until you can’t
• Nourishment and hydration
• Keep lights low to protect the hormonal cascade
• If baby appears to be a challenging position, mom moves to help baby move
• Use water for pain relief and physical support for positions
• Gentle conversations or thoughtful mixing up who’s there if psychological factors are affecting the landscape of birth
• Stay rested as an intentional priority - stamina is much of the game.

Having a creative and patient birth attendant can be a hugely positive force in having these sorts of stalled or delayed labors resolve well and without surgery.

Ask lots of questions during your prenatal appointments to get to know each other, and learn what techniques they bring to the table to help families prevent or handle this type of labor variation.

03/10/2026

The kick count is a wonderfully helpful, and empowering tool, for pregnant moms, and can be a powerful antidote for pregnancy anxiety. AND MOST DIRECTIONS MISS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!

I once had a mom say that she was going in for frequent ultrasounds “to make sure her baby was alive.” Whew. 🥰 She was a little startled when I started showing her how much information she already had about her baby independently. The PROPERLY DONE kick test towards the end of pregnancy provides a lot of useful information about how your baby is doing on a day-to-day basis!

1. Pick a time when the baby tends to be active, like after dinner. NOTE the time.
2. From that time, count all intentional movements (kick, roll, punch, flutter- NOT hiccups)
3. Stop clock when you get to 10 movements, or 60 minutes has passed - WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
4. 10 movements in 60 min or less is a ‘pass’ for the day. If this does not happen, DO NOT ADJUST THE TIME, start over. Faster is not ‘better’, 5 or 55 min, all good.
5. A pass on the 2nd hour is a pass. NOT getting 10 movements in 60 minutes two hours in a row - recommendation is to go in for a non-stress test (or at least call your midwife).

I encourage you to sweetly communicate with your little one in this window, great time to connect!

If you’d like the full blog to get all the details or as a resource for your clients, just comment ‘KICK TEST’ and I’ll DM you the link. 🍃

02/19/2026

Truly.

♥️

02/16/2026

🍃The birth of the placenta is a highly charged topic, but first time moms don’t realize it. They tend to be focused on the birth of the baby, while the midwife or doctor’s attention is often immediately on the placenta. Traditionally homebirth and medical attendants have had wildly different approaches to this time.

🍃Shortly after birth of the baby, the placenta releases from the wall of the uterus and comes out (ie. ‘birthed’.) The uterus continues to firmly clamp down; it’s round and firm in the abdomen, and now the birth is officially complete. THIS IS THE ‘3rd STAGE’ of LABOR. I would argue that women are done a major disservice by not being educated on this wonderful and essential part of the birth. I have found over the years that things go much smoother when moms understand the biology, and also have their head in the game to be engaged and responsible for getting out their placenta as they often are with the baby.

🍃The surprise for many is the aggressive nature of ‘routine’ treatment after the baby, especially medically, when it’s very likely a nurse or assistant begins roughly rubbing your uterus seemingly out of no where.

🍃The issue is that this is the window in which there may be bleeding, and it’s become an intense focus for attendants. The synthetic hormone (Pitocin here in the US) that is now routinely injected has its own issues. It’s not as simple as ‘don’t do anything’, because if a mom has been induced, for instance, with that Pit, her receptor sites are often flooded and she may indeed need even more to get her uterus to now clamp down after the birth.

🍃This is a holistic conversation - one that ideally begins prenatally, during care and educating ourselves. So much more than a soundbite conversation. Talk to your doula or childbirth education teacher, they are likely to have a lot of info and insight for you.

01/27/2026

♥️ THERE IS NO GOOD REASON TO CUT THE CORD RIGHT AWAY.
* AND MANY REASONS TO LEAVE IT ATTACHED LONGER!
* Bare minimum - For the first 5 breaths the baby takes
* At least - 10-20 minutes
* Even better- 1-2+ hours when mom & baby are both ready

Cutting the cord too quickly deprives the newborn of millions of its own healing stem cells, along with critical portions of their own blood supply!

♥️ Before birth, the baby’s entire blood supply moves between their body and placenta for oxygenation, via their cord. Term babies have around 30-40% of their blood in their placenta at any one time. This is not excess blood, just like 30% of your blood is not excess. It also plays an absolutely essential role in helping the baby to adapt to life outside the womb, when parts of their body need more blood than it did when they were in utero.

For the baby’s first breath to be successful without stress, the lungs must immediately get an extra 1.5+ oz of blood, in order to come online for the first time. Without it, the needed blood will be borrowed from vital organs, such as the brain and heart. So sadly, cutting the cord to “work on the baby to breathe”, can unfortunately cause some of the same damage that we’re working to prevent. (Resuscitating a baby with their cord. attached brings far better results; intact cords are the norm at home births, but rarely even considered in US medical settings.)

♥️ ALL babies benefit from keeping their entire blood supply at birth! Evidence points to needing an intact cord for an absolute minimum of 1-3 minutes, which allows for primary transfer of blood from the baby’s placenta back into their body; or a minimum of five good breaths. 1-3 is ideal & safe even in most cesarean births. LONGER IS BETTER! I personally think 10-20 min should be the routine minimum at vaginal births. At home we respect mom and baby’s timing - in my practice we averaged 1-2 hours. Often the mom felt ready after coming back from her first p*e, and then we ALWAYS asked the baby if they were ready (yes, out loud). ♥️

01/25/2026

Most women can feel this in their own body when they’re in labor. It’s also why sometimes when moms are first in labor and go to the hospital, contractions stop when they walk in. It’s a hormonal mammalian response at a biological level.

Some strategies for everyone, regardless of the location they’re birthing in?

1. Make sure you’re well informed about both birth and your facility - the unknown raises anxiety, which inhibits helpful hormonal cascades.

2. Make sure you and your partner have third-party support, a friend or relative who’s confident and experienced in Birth, or professional Doula, who acts your medical advocate and can help you ensure that you’re getting informed consent as things unfold.

3. Use light to your advantage. The same bright blue light that keeps us awake from our phone screens at night is also found in fluorescent lights at the hospital. And it affects the labor hormone oxytocin, as well as the sleep, hormone melatonin. If it feels good to mom, keep the room more dim. And if early labor starts at home use candlelight in the night. Romantic settings worked to get pregnant 😁, and help the same hormones do their job for smooth births.

01/25/2026

🎙️Catch our most recent podcast! “Rediscovering the Power of Birth” - Beth joins Ginny Yurich on 1KHO podcast episode no. 647

Together we explore the profound impact of birth experiences – not only on babies, but on mothers and families. Ginny shares her personal journey through five births, beginning with little information and progressing towards empowerment. Our conversation offers wisdom, context, and a respect for every birth story. In this episode, we underscore the transformative power of birth, the need for informed choices, and the importance of regaining generational wisdom around childbirth. It’s a wonderful conversation, don’t miss it!

Look for 1KO, episode 647 - The 101,000 hours outside podcast with Ginny Yurich.
Or comment 647 and I’ll DM you the link directly. 🫶

01/23/2026

Every family is different—and your birth plan should reflect that.

I think it’s important to have a birth plan no matter where and how you plan to birth - birth center, hospital, planned surgical birth, or home (where at least a transport birth plan should be printed out for a ‘just-in-case’ scenario.)

Birth plans can be powerful tools for clarity and informed consent, and help staff you may have just met quickly see your family’s priorities. They are usually most powerful as a one page, positive and matter-of-fact document. (NO CHECK LISTS!)

They do not guarantee anything, aren’t legally binding in their current form, and do sometimes create friction in the system.

Your process of drafting and discussing a plan will help you and your partner get clear about your priorities and be on the same pate. It often exposes whether the provider or hospital culture you’ve chosen is aligned with physiologic birth as you intend. No plan can “fix” a high‑intervention culture. If that’s where you are birthing, it’s critical that you understand this BEFORE you are in the throes of labor so you can line up additional support or potentially change providers.

I know birth plans have got a bit controversial in some areas. Have you used them yourself? (Or doulas, do you encourage your clients to use them?) If so, how did it go?

My upcoming Pregnancy and Birth Course and Community, Navigating Birth, has an entire bonus on Birth Plans, including same plans for every scenario. Comment ‘Birth’ for the waitlist link - you’ll get first announcement.

01/20/2026

The stats are nearly unbelievable. In spite of the United States spending more per birth than any other country in the world, we actually have some of the worst outcomes. And it’s not because the US has unusually high risk populations.

The difference between us and the other 52 to 64 countries that get better outcomes for mothers and babies than we do is that they use midwives to care for other babies unless the surgical specialty OB doctor is necessary. The United States uses this high risk specialty to care for normal mothers and babies. And as we all know, we tend to use the toolbox with which we are the most familiar.

The world health organization has repeatedly said that there is no reason for there to ever be a cesarean surgical rate anywhere, no matter how high risk or malnourished the population, over 10 to 15%. The United States averages at least be 25 to 30% across-the-board ,with some areas as high as 75%.

When mothers rely on obstetricians, who have zero training usually in nutrition, for instance, their risk factors are massively increased as problems are left to advance without empowering families to affect their own health through information and healthy approaches

protect yourself by:
1. Use a midwife for your care if at all possible inappropriate.
2. Always have a medical advocate with you, and a friend or relative experience in Birth or a professional Doula in addition to your partner.
3. Let your facility know how the birth went. What went good? What was a challenge. They usually have a link on their website for feedback. If things were done wrong, it really helps to let them know. I have been surprised to see far more interest, and responsiveness to feedback then we did to complaints in person at the time. In our town, Doula‘s are now allowed in the operating room during C-sections as a second support person due to consumer complaints.

01/19/2026

The epidemic of routine induction has implications that have not been brought into the conversations.

Practical questions:

Is it a a genuine and pressing medical need if it can be scheduled a few days or weeks ahead, or can be postponed at the last minute because there’s no room at the Inn? And if it is a genuine need and we’re worried the baby may not tolerate waiting for labor… What makes us think it can better tolerate artificially strong labor?

As with all medical interventions, induction has its place and its gifts.
I would also argue like all medical interventions, using it routinely bypasses the biological wisdom of mother and baby, and creates additional potential risks.

Even with induction, seeming to be a choice, informed parents want to make, I always encourage them to check in with her baby, talk with her baby, and include them in the process and decision-making. In my small sampling, it seems to me that outcomes are far smoother and efficient. Wouldn’t you like to be included?

this is such a bigger conversation. Midwives, mothers, doulas - love to hear your stories!

Here’s mine. Back when I was an apprentice, we had a young mom who was having her fourth baby at age 26. They had just moved and we’re pretty overwhelmed. Finally at the prenatal at 42 weeks, the senior Midwife told the mom, I know you haven’t had time to find the baby clothes and the sheets for the bed. You want a birth hunt… But it’s time you have to do it today. She went into labor a few hours later. REALLY seemed Baby didn’t wanna come if they weren’t ready for them!!
nter

01/16/2026

🚿If you have a shower, you have a cure for your snotty baby!

🙌Home remedies to the rescue!

Watch the reel for your encouraging practical approach for safe ways to hold your baby in the shower - to make sure they’re secure in your arms.

Take them in the shower with you and let the warm steamy water run over their little faces.

They will snort a little, but you will be friendly, upbeat, and help all that snot run out of their head. 🤪

Dry and dress your baby in your warm bathroom, do not let them get chilled!

Expect them to finally be able to have a great feed, and a solid sleep afterwards.

🥰🥰You’re welcome!🥰🥰

01/13/2026

Is labor unbearable? One mom told me within an hour after birth that she was surprised that, having experienced labor, she’d rather have a baby every month than her painful periods!

Natural birth is quite manageable for most women who are well-informed and well-supported. Who are nourished and encouraged to move. And especially that are respected in the positions of HER choice. Even if a mom plans on having an epidural or a C-section, it’s protective to have some tools in your pocket.
 What helped you work with your labor sensations?

Share your GOOD stories, your positive voice of experience is how we encourage those coming along behind us!

Indigo Forest

03/12/2026

03/10/2026

02/19/2026

02/16/2026

01/27/2026

01/25/2026

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01/23/2026

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01/16/2026

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