Heart To Heart Midwifery STL

04/01/2026

Some of us can relate! 😅

03/31/2026

I have the utmost respect and love for doulas. Doulas work tirelessly for their clients often to their own detriment.

The emotional cost of doula work inside hospital systems can be astronomical. Hospital-based doula work (most births are in hospital) often becomes unsustainable because doulas are repeatedly exposed to trauma, coercion, and preventable harm. It’s not about doulas being “too sensitive”—it’s about the system itself producing situations that are emotionally injurious to anyone who witnesses them regularly.

This aligns with what many doulas describe:
**witnessing disrespect
**seeing consent being ignored
**watching unnecessary interventions
**supporting families through fear-based care
**absorbing the emotional fallout of obstetric violence

03/25/2026

03/22/2026

👩‍⚕️ Is it better to see the same midwife or a small team of midwives throughout pregnancy and labour?

Evidence from 17 studies involving 18,533 randomized women was included in this updated systematic review.

Women or their babies who received midwife continuity of care models (seeing the same midwife or team of midwives) were:

⚕️ Less likely to experience a caesarean section or instrumental birth with forceps or a ventouse suction cup.

⚕️May be less likely to experience an episiotomy (a cut made by a healthcare professional into the perineum and vaginal wall).

⚕️More likely to experience spontaneous vaginal birth.

⚕️Reported more positive experiences during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum.

⚕️Additionally, there were cost savings in the antenatal (care during pregnancy) and intrapartum (care during labour and birth) period.

Further evidence may change our results, and future research should focus on the impact on women with social risk factors and those with medical complications, and understanding the implementation and scaling up of midwife continuity of care models, with emphasis on low‐ and middle‐income countries.

Read the full Cochrane review: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004667.pub6/full

03/10/2026

I’ve always known the strength of women, but witnessing the birth of our daughter intimately took that understanding to another level.
Being in the room, seeing .erbert in that primal, powerful, spiritual state as she brought Everley into this world, it was pure awe.
The intelligence of the body, the strength, the trust in something ancient, it left me enamored .
I feel so privileged to have witnessed her in that moment, to support her, and to realize the incredible power she has. Today, I honor her, and all women, for bringing life and for the love and strength they embody.
I am forever in awe.

03/07/2026

The American College of Nurse-Midwives has released its updated Clinical Bulletin "Midwifery Provision of Home Birth Services" it has been published in the current edition of the Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. Full online access is included with your ACNM membership.

This bulletin reflects the rigorous scholarship, clinical expertise, and policy leadership that define ACNM. It synthesizes evolving U.S. and international evidence demonstrating that planned home birth, when attended by an educated, skilled clinician within well-integrated systems of care, can be a safe, satisfying, ecologically sound, and cost-effective option for appropriately selected pregnant people.

For members, this resource offers:
Evidence-based guidance to support clinical decision-making
Authoritative language for hospital integration discussions
Data to inform payer and policy conversations
Clear framing for counseling patients about birth setting options
A professionally vetted document to strengthen advocacy efforts

Authored by Michelle Palmer, CNM, PhD, CNE, Victoria Gordon, CNM, RN, MSN, Joanna Bronkema, CNM, RN, NP, Andrea Christianson, CNM, MS, Priscilla Hall, CNM, PhD, RN and Developed under the guidance of ACNM’s Research and Standards Committee, with leadership from Karen Jefferson, Director of Professional Practice and Policy, and Melissa Avery, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, this bulletin exemplifies the value of belonging to a national professional organization that invests in standards, scholarship, and the future of midwifery.

Your membership supports this work and gives you direct access to it.
Log in to your member portal to access JMWH and the full Clinical Bulletin.

03/03/2026

Denmark is taking a major step by moving to end the “cry it out” method for babies after a nationwide study revealed potential harms. Over 700 psychologists warned that this sleep training practice could negatively impact brain development and parent-child attachment. The findings emphasise the importance of responsive caregiving during the early stages of life for healthy emotional and cognitive growth.

The study examined the effects of letting babies cry for extended periods and found links to elevated stress levels and possible long-term impacts on brain function. While some parts of the U.S. continue to recommend the method, Denmark’s decision reflects growing concern among experts about the risks versus the benefits of this approach. Advocates of alternative sleep strategies stress nurturing and gradual methods to promote better sleep without compromising developmental outcomes.

This move is sparking viral attention globally among parenting and health communities. It highlights a shift in understanding early childhood care and the need for policies informed by psychological research. Parents and caregivers are now encouraged to explore safer, evidence-based sleep strategies that support both healthy brain development and secure emotional bonds with their children.

02/09/2026

“So we’ll be doing a pap smear today” the nurse said to me at my first trimester OB visit.

I don’t think it was intended to be disrespectful. In fact, she seemed nice.

But it was evident she was just so used to the system and routine way of doing things by the way she stated what would be happening to me rather than offering or asking what I would like to do, (which is the only thing that is appropriate).

It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to me in a medical setting. So I had no problem speaking up for myself. After enough bad experiences, I’ve learned.

“Oh, no thanks. I won’t be doing that,” I responded.

My most recent was current enough so doing another would be unnecessary. And with my history of bleeding in pregnancy and recurrent miscarriages, I just do not mess with things ESPECIALLY in early pregnancy.

The nurse looked stunned and confused, which told me they were not used to a patient refusing a *routine* procedure.

Based on her reaction, I couldn’t help but think how scarcely she must have patients refuse what they *tell* them they will be doing to THEIR bodies.

And made me wonder how many women even realize they can say, “no” to anything that makes them uncomfortable in a setting like that.

It’s intimidating when a medical professional TELLS you what will be happening to you.

So I just wanted to let women everywhere know that if you find yourself in a medical setting being told that some *routine* thing will be happening to YOUR body, and you have even an ounce of hesitation or discomfort with that, you are allowed to say “no thank you, I won’t be doing that.”

You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.
You don’t have to answer questions.

You can simply decline, or wait and take your time to research and decide. ♥️