Healthy Birth of Rochester

02/16/2026

2026 Study (just out): Very preterm babies who had skin-to-skin in first 6 hours showed improved stress regulation at 4 months. So why aren't we doing it? 👇👇👇

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The Study:

Setting: Three Scandinavian neonatal intensive care units, level 2 and level 3.

Included 91 infants born at gestational age 28+0 to 32+6 from April 2018 to June 2021.

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The Results:

The babies who had immediate skin-to-skin in first 6 hours:
- demonstrated heightened positive emotionality compared with controls.
- showed an association between mother-infant cortisol levels at baseline

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The Conclusion:

According to the abstract:
"Infants who experienced iSSC during the first 6 hours after very preterm birth showed improved infant socio-emotional stress coping and suggested enhanced mother-infant HPA axis synchrony at 4 months."

The study was by Lode-Kolz K et al., BMJ Paediatr Open. 2026

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There is now a body of evidence that shows the clear benefits for a child's neurodevelopment of prolonged, uninterrupted early skin-to-skin for very preterm, preterm and full-term babies.

And yet, in so many places - skin-to-skin is not prioritised or supported.

This has to change.

What do you think?

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Dr Nils Bergman, neuroscientist and world-leading champion of Kangaroo Mother Care is giving a LIVE keynote presentation at our upcoming virtual conference:

Dr Bergman's LIVE talk: Zero Separation Has Science, Evidence and Policy: Now What?

Dr Bergman will describe what maternity professionals CAN ACTUALLY DO in their roles to better support skin-to-skin for ALL BABIES.

Plus, conference attendees get the chance to take part a small-group discussion with Dr Bergman after his presentation!

MICROBIOME PLAN 2026
👉2-day LIVE virtual conference (plus 30 day replay access)
👉 25-26th April, 2026 (plus 30 day replay access)
👉 This is for all maternity professionals who support parents during pregnancy, birth, postpartum and with infant feeding.
👉 10 CPD Hours and 10 CERPs
👉EARLY BIRD TICKETS just USD $97

LINK TO JOIN IN COMMENTS

02/16/2026

I am posting this again because I keep hearing horrendous birth stories from pregnant people who didn't realize the importance of childbirth education, and are absolutely stunned and traumatized 😔😢

The Educated Parent: The Importance of Childbirth Education By Amy V. Haas, BCCE Congratulations! You and your partner are expecting a baby! What next? Well, if you have already chosen your care-provider, your next step will be to find a Childbirth Education class that fits your family’s needs. Th...

02/14/2026

30 years ago I was a new Bradley Instructor, with lots of questions about proper pregnancy nutrition. So I called Dr. Tom Brewer. And i kept calling until what started as quick questions became a mentorship. I spent 5 yrs. studying with Dr. Brewer, and helped him with his Hotline. I answered emails, while he answered the phone calls. This resulted in my publishing 5 different papers on the subject of Nutrition during pregnancy and the Brewer Diet. This was the 2nd one:

Preventing Pregnancy Complications with Nutrition By Amy V. Haas, BA, BCCE Nutrition in pregnancy-a no-brainer, right? Who would think it was so controversial? Disagreement over a healthy diet during pregnancy continues to rage, with one side saying that what a woman eats will have no effect on her....

02/12/2026

https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/fixed-point-due-dates-and-wider-windows/

Sara Wickham explains why giving a 'due date' for birth can cause worry and upset, and suggests that we need to revise our thinking around this.

02/11/2026

We spend an awful lot of time in Bradley classes talking about just this.

Learn why many first cesareans for failure to progress are preventable—and how labor practices, environment, and support can protect vaginal birth.

02/10/2026

Did I mention that Bradley Childbirth classes are incredibly comprehensive? I once had a couple of Doctors take may classes who told me they learned more about childbirth in my Bradley series than they did in all the years of medical school. Even if you are a birth professional you can still learn something new. And so can your partner. Because in this instance you are parents, not professionals!

The Educated Parent: The Importance of Childbirth Education By Amy V. Haas, BCCE Congratulations! You and your partner are expecting a baby! What next? Well, if you have already chosen your care-provider, your next step will be to find a Childbirth Education class that fits your family’s needs. Th...

02/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1C5iawLFRp/

02/10/2026

I talk about this in Bradley classes. So many parents are told their babies have lost too much weight after birth, and need supplemental feeding (often formula, which can cause other problems). Receipt of IV fluids was not taken under consideration. It can undermine a breastfeeding parents confidence in their ability to feed their babies.

That first number on the scale right after birth often isn’t a baby’s true baseline weight, and understanding why can save so many mothers unnecessary stress in those first days.

Babies are born covered in amniotic fluid, blood, and vernix, and many have not yet had time to p*e or adjust their fluid balance outside the womb. On top of that, many mothers receive IV fluids for hydration, medications, epidurals, or induction. Research shows that some of this extra fluid crosses the placenta and temporarily increases a newborn’s fluid volume at birth. In other words, babies can be born carrying extra fluid that isn’t actually part of their long term body mass….

Then, over the first 24 to 72 hours of life, babies naturally begin to p*e out that extra fluid as their kidneys start working independently. This process is called “postnatal diuresis.” As a result, the number on the scale drops, and families are often told their baby has “lost weight.” BUT in many cases, this isn’t true weight loss from poor feeding or inadequate milk. It is simply the baby returning to their real fluid balance after birth.

Several studies have shown that larger volumes of maternal IV fluids during labor are associated with GREATER early newborn weight loss, suggesting that part of this early drop reflects fluid shifts rather than nutritional problems. Babies whose mothers receive higher amounts of IV fluids tend to show more early weight loss, even when feeding is going well.

This matters because early weight checks are often used to judge breastfeeding success. When fluid related weight shifts are mistaken for feeding problems, families may feel pressured, discouraged, or pushed toward supplementation before it is truly needed.

Of course, weight monitoring remains *important*, and TRUE excessive weight loss or signs of dehydration should always be taken seriously. But numbers should always be interpreted alongside feeding effectiveness, diaper output, and the baby’s overall clinical condition.

Sometimes the scale is showing us fluid adjustment, not feeding failure.

So if you see the number drop in those first days, remember that birth is a huge transition. Babies are moving from a fluid filled environment to regulating their own bodies for the very first time. Give them, and yourself, grace as that adjustment happens.

Watch the baby, not just the scale.

02/10/2026

In addition, the establishment of the human microbiome starts in utero and progresses through vaginal birth, skin to skin afterbirth, delayed cord, clamping, and breastfeeding. The lack of these factors can impair the microbiome and the development of the immune system to the point where it contributes to the development of metabolic and non-communicable diseases later in life.

Metabolic health starts in utero. Learn how pregnancy diet programs lifelong health through blood sugar regulation and key micronutrients.

02/09/2026

Me too

02/09/2026

By Request - an explanation of the Brewer Pregnancy diet and how it helps to prevent PIH and preeclampsia. (P.s. we cover this extensively in Bradley classes 😁)

Preventing Pregnancy Complications with Nutrition By Amy V. Haas, BA, BCCE Nutrition in pregnancy-a no-brainer, right? Who would think it was so controversial? Disagreement over a healthy diet during pregnancy continues to rage, with one side saying that what a woman eats will have no effect on her....