MOV Birth

03/12/2026

And much of this is directly linked to the coercion-based medical system that thrives on convenience and litigation-driven inductions and interventions. Life will never be 100% safe... but women should be given the encouragement to birth where interventions are low and non-coercive motivation to avoid medication is high.

New maternal mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a slight decline in pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. in 2024, but progress remains fragile.

“These deaths represent tragic losses and are unacceptable,” said Dr. Michael Warren, Chief Medical and Health Officer at March of Dimes.

Discover more about what the data reveals here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/about/news/cdc-issues-new-data-maternal-mortality-rates-us

03/11/2026

pssst... baby blues are an indication of the beginning of something deeper...

While common, they're not inherently an indication of the healthy expectations of a well-balanced postpartum mother...

They may be as simple as the need to tell your birth story or get help with breastfeeding so you can get some more sleep...

They may be as common as trying to do too much in the first few weeks when you should be resting or eating more nutrient-dense food instead of the junk a lot of people like to "gift" postpartum healing families...

They may be as complex as the first indication that there are thyroid imbalances and gut health issues...

Whatever they are...
they're definitely not something to ignore and certainly a reason to lean in a little more and pay attention.

Healing, and hormonal balance, begin with nutrient-dense nourishment, plenty of rest, and a lot of support for at least the first month postpartum. However, understanding what is normal for postpartum hormonal changes can help you assess if what you’re feeling is OK, or if an imbalance should be a...

03/10/2026

Birthing in WV?
As of July 2025, WV no longer requires eye prophylaxis for your newborn.

If your birthing location or care provider are pressuring you into this, and especially if they are threatening CPS as many are known to do, here is the law you can bookmark.

Here is the code: https://code.wvlegislature.gov/16-3-10/

The West Virginia Legislature's Bill Status Page

03/03/2026

02/27/2026

Denmark is officially moving away from the cry it out method after a nationwide study revealed it was still being taught in most municipalities. More than 700 psychologists signed a unified statement urging immediate discontinuation of the practice. They emphasized that prolonged crying without comfort elevates cortisol and affects how the infant brain forms emotional and stress regulation pathways. This national push reflects growing scientific awareness of early neural sensitivity.
Researchers highlight that when babies cry alone, their stress signals rise sharply. Without caregiver response, the brain begins wiring for self protection rather than trust. These early patterns influence later attachment styles emotional stability and even learning behavior. Denmark’s decision aligns with decades of neuroscience showing that infants depend on caregiver regulation to build healthy neural circuits.
Despite this, the cry it out approach continues to be recommended in parts of the U.S. where outdated models of infant independence remain common. Scientists argue that babies do not learn self soothing through isolation. Instead they learn through repeated experiences of comfort which stabilize heart rate breathing and emotional processing. This helps form long term resilience.
Denmark’s shift highlights a global conversation about infant well being. The science is clear. Responding to a baby’s distress supports healthier development than leaving them to cry alone.

02/26/2026

Research tells us that babies who co-sleep in infancy, especially in those early years can receive around 13,000 extra hours of touch.

Thirteen thousand.

Because when you keep your baby close, day and night, they’re getting 10 to 12 extra hours a day of your skin, your warmth, your presence.

That’s not spoiling.
That’s wiring.

Touch is brain food.
It releases oxytocin and serotonin.
It lowers cortisol.

It teaches your baby’s body how to feel safe.
How to come back to calm.

We actually have studies showing that
co-sleeping babies have lower stress reactivity meaning their little bodies bounce back from stress faster.

More hours of touch by age three.

That’s not dependence.
That’s co-regulation.
That’s safety being built from the inside out.
That’s wiring.

So the next time you’re contact napping, bed sharing, or doing whatever gets you both some rest and someone tells you you’re creating bad habits remember this,

You’re not creating a clingy baby.
You’re creating a resilient one 🖤

02/25/2026

If we want birth support to be humanized, we need to stop living in fear and start trusting our God-given gifts we are meant to hone and refine and stop turning midwifery education into medical-first. Having medical options is a blessing... but it's a curse when we not only start learning and trusting that approach as the first method, but also when we stop living lives that support non-medical pregnancy and birth.

"Every attempt at ending the practice of midwifery has failed."

BUT this is only because of midwives like Shiphrah and Puah, Exodus 1:15-21... and no one said they didn't face persecution for it. For we should know, 2 Timothy 3:12, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

And why do we still do it? Because being a disciple of Jesus creates a joy and peace within this hard service, and the rest of our challenging lives, that surpasses the misguided and fear-based perspectives of the world. We don't live in a perfect world, and women need loving (patient, kind, non-egotistical) care as they transform through growing, birthing, and caring for life.

Throughout history, women (midwives) have been in communities for other women to turn to for support with women’s concerns—not just reproductive health care, but also issues such as spousal abuse.

02/25/2026

Just a reminder of a really important question.

In an editorial in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine, Professor Hannah Dahlen looked at the meta-analysis by Hutton et al (2019), which looked at 14 studies involving around 500,000 women.

It showed (again) that home and hospital birth are equally safe and that homebirths in well-integrated settings appear to lead to better perinatal outcomes.

She then raised an important question: 'Is it time to ask whether facility based birth is safe for low risk women and their babies?'

If you’d like to know more about the evidence on home birth, see https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/is_home_birth_safe/

We have an entire page of studies and links to load of evidence-based information about homebirth.

Dahlen HG (2019). Is it Time to Ask Whether Facility Based Birth is Safe for Low Risk Women and Their Babies? EClinicalMedicine doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.08.003

02/24/2026

Been working on some Midwifery Skills training... psst... it's even fun to play with your kids - especially if you have simulators to go along with it!😍


Get the printable in the Etsy shop (and help support local midwifery training skills days)!

This Role Playing Games item is sold by Esali. Ships from United States. Listed on Feb 24, 2026

02/18/2026

A pacifier in the first 6 weeks of life drastically reshapes the baby's mouth for breathing, vagal nerve stimulation comforting, eating, and speaking in the future.
Pacifiers reduce weight gain, nutritional gain, immune function, and brain development by replacing breastmilk as a nutrient-deficient breastmilk replacement.
Generally, if you get past the first 6 weeks of life without using a pacifier, you probably won't even feel like you need the break because breastfeeding usually balances out a bit at this point when the growth spurts slow down.
This means you need a LOT of support in the first 6 weeks after birth. This includes quality breastfeeding support as well as support for daily tasks in the home. Mothers that want to, or need to, get up and do more are more likely to use a pacifier so they have the option of not nursing their baby when they don't feel like it, or can't because of lack of help.
This doesn't mean help to hold and shush the baby! Babies NEED to nurse, and it's not just for nutrition. A pacifier CANNOT do what breastmilk and breastfeeding do any more than formula and bottles can do what breastmilk and breastfeeding do.
Accept help.
Ask for help.
Give quality help...especially if you're friends and family... and if you're a postpartum practitioner of any kind STOP charging an amount only accessible by privileged families for mothers to survive... thrive... through birth and postpartum!

02/17/2026

"There is a confluence of forces shaping this moment: increased regulatory oversight, ideological polarization within segments of the homebirth community, and the ever-present tension between autonomy and accountability."

"What began as a tradition rooted in trust, autonomy, and reverence for physiological birth has been swept into waves of radicalization and reaction. "

"Instead of practicing from a place of confidence, knowledge, and tradition, many midwives now practice from a place of fear. Defensive decision-making replaces holistic judgment. Risk aversion becomes the norm. "

[This is immensely reflected in the current generation of midwifery preceptors and their students... believing a certain style is the only way and conforming to check boxes rather than logic... and rather than supporting all styles of midwives to give options for all the styles of peoples, we're pushing for fear-based regulation and educational systems to all be the same].

"when even midwifery, traditionally the sanctuary of physiological birth, becomes medicalized, women may feel they have nowhere safe, respectful, and evidence-aligned to turn."

This year, I have been approached by at least a half a dozen midwives to conduct chart reviews for cases pending with their regulatory agencies or to provide expert witness testimony for trials. Th…