7 Birds Midwifery

03/11/2026

Unassisted birth and doulas is not without risk to all involved. Unassisted birth, sometimes referred to as freebirth or unattended birth, refers to a planned birth that takes place without a qualified birth attendant present.

While doulas are birth experts, doulas are non-clinical. A qualified birth attendant refers to a properly trained midwife, obstetrician, or family physician.

At the International Doula Institute, we pride ourselves in always staying within our scope of practice. For this reason, we do not condone IDI certified doulas attending unassisted birth.

Doing so puts doulas in a position to easily slip into medical or clinical tasks which fall outside our scope of practices.

We believe all families deserve autonomy in their birth options. However, as IDI doulas we must be mindful to not step outide our scope nor create a false sense of security for birthing families.

Doulas do, however, attend out of hospital births with midwives present.

Read more: https://internationaldoulainstitute.com/2025/10/unassisted-birth-and-doulas/

03/08/2026

This post isn’t intended to vilify epidurals but to educate. Sometimes the epidural is necessary to endure a birth that has completely come off the rails and sometimes it’s simply the way a mother chooses to experience birth. Unfortunately, all interventions have consequences; some more serious than others. While some would argue there’s no “medal given for birthing unmedicated”, the benefits to both mom and baby are many. For those whose births dictated a different path, I hold you in love as you read this evidence. Again, this is intended to educate, not fear monger or judge anyone. 🫶🏻

A positive urine fentanyl toxicology test may have considerable consequences for peripartum individuals, yet the extent to which fentanyl administrati…

02/24/2026

Planned home birth with a qualified midwife continues to show strong outcomes for low risk families. The evidence is clear, and families deserve policies that reflect that reality. NACPM advocates for licensure and integration so CPMs can practice safely and legally in every state. Access to community birth is a maternal health issue.

Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2742137/

02/19/2026

"Midwifery models of care are models of care in which the main care providers for women and newborns, starting from pre-pregnancy and continuing all the way through the postnatal period, are educated, licensed, regulated midwives who autonomously provide and coordinate respectful, high- quality care across their full scope of practice, using an approach that is aligned with the midwifery philosophy of care, which:

i. promotes a person-centred approach to care;
ii. values the woman–midwife relationship and partnership;
iii. optimizes physiological, biological, psychological, social and cultural processes; and iv. uses interventions only when indicated.
In midwifery models of care, midwives provide integrated care, addressing the needs of each individual woman and newborn, within functional and enabling health systems, equipped with necessary resources and streamlined consultation and referral processes. They collaborate within networks of care as part of interdisciplinary teams characterized by equality, trust and respect. This approach guarantees that every woman and newborn receives personalized care, tailored to their health needs.

Midwifery models of care are adaptable to all levels of care and contexts, including home-, community- and hospital-based settings; the public and private sectors and public–private partnerships; resource-constrained environments; and humanitarian and crisis settings. This ensures wide accessibility, equity and relevance across different cultural contexts for women, newborns, partners, families and communities."

Read More: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240098268

02/18/2026

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When midwives are by women's side through pregnancy and birth, health outcomes improve & women are happier with their care. They are more likely to have:

👩🏻 Positive birth experiences
💕 More natural births
✂️ Fewer medical interventions

To improve the health of mums & babies, WHO urges countries to invest in lifesaving midwifery models of care.

bit.ly/4kShgEQ

02/14/2026

Who wants their baby to share your midwife’s birthday? 😂🥰

*UPDATE: I was informed that hunting season babies are off limits in Wisconsin 🚫

Friendly doula FYI 😂

02/14/2026

02/03/2026

You're invited to our FREE Birth + Beyond Workshop this Saturday, February 7th at 12:30pm at Sozo Chiropractic!

Register at the link in our bio! 💗

11/02/2025

Emergent need:

10/05/2025

Not just for higher BMI mamas, this is absolutely being suggested for any mama with risk factors for developing Preeclampsia.

Aspirin 162 mg vs 81 mg for preeclampsia prophylaxis in high-risk obese individuals: a comparative effectiveness open-label randomized trial (ASPREO) https://ow.ly/gOvX50VcySB

09/12/2025

AJOG Expert Review in Labor: Water birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal and neonatal outcomes https://ow.ly/nr7O50R9Nzi

08/02/2025

The findings from this recent study are very encouraging. We especially love the outcomes around breastfeeding as we prepare for

Reposted from original caption below.

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A 2024 study looked at maternal and neonatal outcomes in midwife-attended planned home births versus planned hospital births in Spain.

Researchers analysed data from 3,463 low-risk births between 2016 and 2018, including 2,713 hospital and 750 home births.

They found several differences between the groups, which is often the case in this type of study.

“Women choosing home births typically had higher education levels and were predominantly Spanish. They were 3.43 times more likely to have a spontaneous birth and significantly less likely to undergo instrumental births than those in hospitals.

“Home births were associated with higher utilization of non-pharmacological analgesia and a more pronounced tendency to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour post birth. stronger inclination towards breastfeeding.

“Hospital births, conversely, showed higher use of the lithotomy position and epidural analgesia.” (Alcaraz-Vidal et al 2024).

“There were no significant differences in neonatal outcomes between the two groups.” (Alcaraz-Vidal et al 2024).

The researchers concluded that:

“Home births managed by midwives offered better obstetric and neonatal outcomes for low-risk women than hospital births.

"These results suggest home birth as a safe, viable option that promotes natural birthing processes and reduces medical interventions.

"The study supports the integration of midwife-led home birth into public health policies, affirming its benefits for maternal and neonatal health.” (Alcaraz-Vidal et al 2024).