Queen City Birth Services

11/25/2025

Welcome baby Fiona!

11/18/2025

NYTimes Letter to the Editor ✒️

Many of you may have already seen the NY Times article "The ‘Worst Test in Medicine’ is Driving America’s High C-Section Rate" (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/health/electronic-fetal-monitoring-c-sections.html?unlocked_article_code=1.108.XT6J.Y2YuWc0Xc01e&smid=url-share ).
AABC sent a Letter to the Editor in response! Since our letter did not get published, we wanted to share it with you all here.
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Dear Editor,

Thank you for highlighting the overreliance on continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) and its role in rising Cesarean rates.

There is a solution to this epidemic. Midwifery-led birth centers use intermittent fetal monitoring instead of continuous EFM. They are an evidence-based model that delivers outcomes comparable to those of the top nations globally by offering holistic, family-centered care that protects and empowers patients, thereby enhancing both physical and mental well-being in our community.

Birth centers are fully integrated into the healthcare system and guided by principles of prevention, safety, appropriate medical intervention, and cost-effectiveness. While midwifery care can occur elsewhere, birth centers are unique in offering this dedicated, physiologic model.
Outcomes speak for themselves:
-Cesarean rates under 6%
-NICU admissions less than half the national average
-Low rates of interventions with superior overall outcomes

These results demonstrate the clinical excellence and fiscal prudence of the birth center model, reducing complications and costs while maintaining world-standard safety, lowering maternal mortality risk, and prioritizing maternal autonomy and satisfaction.

Respectfully,
Kate Bauer
Executive Director
American Association of Birth Centers
Perkiomenville, PA

11/05/2025

Our spacious birth suites have beautiful views from their windows.
We have 1.5 acres of land— with private doors to access the outdoors from each birth suite. Laboring families have the option to stretch their legs and get fresh air during their labors.

10/29/2025

Free birth is not the same as a birth center (or home birth) attended by a qualified midwife.
Licensed midwives are trained to assess risk before and during the birth, to address emergencies if they arise, and refer out to a higher level of care when appropriate.

A free birth is when a woman chooses to have a baby, usually at home, without a registered midwife or doctor in attendance. It’s much riskier than a planned home birth.

10/24/2025

True! 🙌 🤩

10/24/2025

It sometimes feels like there's a new childbirth-related news headline every week.

And no matter whether it's on the web, in the papers or on TV, it’s highly likely that it will be scary and focused on risk.

It may instill fear and undermine women’s confidence in their own bodies and babies.

Here are a few things that you should bear in mind when reading these headlines and the associated stories.

1. Both the originator of the research and the people who turn it into a story want to get the headline and the story to spread as far and wide as possible. Their job isn't to help you make an informed decision about what is right for you.

2. The goal of getting maximum publicity for a research finding or story is sometimes achieved by taking a sensationalist stance. Sometimes, key facts are glossed over, shared in a misleading way or left out completely.

3. Risk and fear sell news very quickly. There are many, many studies showing that birth is safe and that women's bodies are marvellously good at growing, birthing and feeding babies. But these don't make exciting headlines, and they don't make nearly as many people read, click and share, so they are often ignored.

4. There is almost never any discussion of the bigger picture or the wider context, either of the study or situation itself or of other work that has been done on the same topic. We need more information than can be found in the headlines.

5. In reality, research and report findings are never certain. All studies have limitations. Sadly, the complexity and the uncertainty gets compromised in favour of those risk-filled headlines which make you want to click, read and share.

Stay calm. Remember that the job of the media is to sell headlines, not to help people making pregnancy and birth decisions.

Breathe.

Get informed.

And then make the decision that's right for you.

If you'd like to see more of my work on this topic, you can find me at https://www.sarawickham.com/wrfm

10/22/2025

Nothing like the warm water of a birth pool to take the edge off during labor ❤️
Our deep water birth tubs are specifically designed for water birth and offer a peaceful entry earthside for your baby.

10/13/2025

Welcome Baby Hazel!

10/13/2025

10/13/2025

🤰🏾🔮Birth Balls By 🔮🧘🏽‍♀️

Do you use Birth Balls in your hospital?

📖 Positive effects of birthing balls supported by studies -

1. Reduction in labour pain (subjective experience)

• Some systematic reviews and trials also support a statistically significant decrease in pain during the active stage of labour when a birth ball is used.
• A trial among primigravidae (first-time mothers) reported lower VAS pain scores in those who used birthing ball exercises versus controls.
• Another RCT found that birth ball use improved childbirth self-efficacy (i.e. confidence in coping) and reduced pain.

2. Shortening of labour / improved labour progression

• Several studies report that use of a birth ball is associated with shorter first-stage labour, faster cervical dilation, or faster descent of the fetal head.
• A recent meta-analysis (2025) concluded that birthing ball exercises reduce cesarean rates, alleviate labour pain, and shorten the first stage of labour.

3. Increased maternal satisfaction, sense of control, and psychological benefits

• Several studies report that women using a birth ball report greater satisfaction, less anxiety, more sense of control, and empowerment in labour.
• The self-efficacy study (Gau et al.) showed improved confidence in ability to cope with labour.

4. Potential effect on cesarean delivery rates / mode of delivery.

• A 2025 meta-analysis suggests that birth ball exercises may reduce cesarean section rates.

5. Safety and no obvious adverse effects

• Meta-analyses and systematic reviews, generally report no increased risk of adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes associated with birth ball use.

10/13/2025

Welcome baby Rowan!

10/12/2025

Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) is a condition that affects some breastfeeding mothers, characterized by negative emotions that occur just before or during milk letdown. Unlike postpartum depression or anxiety, D-MER is specifically linked to the physiological process of milk release. Understanding D-MER is important for providing support and effective management for affected mothers.

D-MER is a sudden and brief wave of negative emotions, such as sadness, anxiety, irritability, or even a sense of dread, that occurs just before the milk ejection reflex. These feelings typically last only a few minutes and resolve once milk flow begins

Symptoms of D-MER vary in intensity and nature but are generally negative and unpleasant. They can include:
- Sadness or Despair
- Anxiety or Panic
- Irritability or Anger
- Dread or Guilt
- Emotional Numbness
-Homesickness

D-MER is distinct from other emotional or psychological conditions like postpartum depression (PPD) or postpartum anxiety (PPA):
- Timing: D-MER is closely linked to the act of breastfeeding and the letdown reflex, whereas PPD and PPA are more constant and pervasive
- Duration: The negative emotions in D-MER are short-lived, lasting only a few minutes during milk letdown
- Specificity: D-MER symptoms are specifically triggered by breastfeeding, not by other activities or events