What is skin-to-skin contact (SSC)? Skin-to-skin contact, also called “kangaroo care,” is when your baby is placed on your chest after birth instead of being wrapped in a blanket and placed in a crib or incubator (warmer). How do I have skin-to-skin contact with my baby? Your naked baby should be placed directly on your skin without a blanket or…
By Patricia Markland Cole, MPH, MotherToBaby Massachusetts November is Diabetes Awareness Month and both of my parents in recent years have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (a preventable form of diabetes where the body can no longer control the amount of sugar in the blood), so it’s a particularly relatable month for me. Because “the apple does not fall…
There are a lot of marches these days…do we really need a march for moms? The past few months have brought the world a lot of shocking news. One positive consequence of these are uncertain times is that it has stoked a fire of activism in the United States in a way that we have not been seen in decades.…
The profession of midwifery has evolved with today’s modern health care system. But there are many myths about midwives in the United States based on centuries-old images or simple misunderstandings. You might be surprised to learn the truth about some of these common midwifery myths. True or False? Midwives have no formal education. FALSE. Most midwives in the United States…
Your health needs don’t stay the same throughout life, so why should you just “go where you have always gone” for care? Explore the various types of women’s health care providers available to you—whether you need a gynecologic exam, are thinking about family planning/birth control, are considering becoming pregnant, or need help through menopause. Making this decision is personal and…
Healthy, physiologic birth means allowing your body to go through labor under its own innate power. It is the optimal functioning of childbirth, and is a safe process that includes labor, birth, and the first hour after birth for both you and your baby. Healthy birth does not routinely require medical intervention. Characteristics of healthy labor, birth, and the first…
What Is Diabetes? Diabetes is a health problem that results in too much sugar in the bloodstream and not enough in cells where it can be used for energy. The problem occurs when the body is not able to make the hormone insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the insulin that is made doesn’t work very well (type 2 diabetes). Gestational…
The type and amount of discomfort during labor and birth varies from woman to woman and changes throughout the various stages of labor. Midwives are leading experts in helping women decide how to cope with childbirth pain. Whether you wish to try strategies such as movement, massage, water immersion, or relaxation techniques, or epidural, nitrous oxide, or other medications, your…
Labor is the work that your body does to give birth to your baby. Your uterus contracts, your cervix (the mouth of the uterus) opens, and you push your baby out into the world. Experiences of labor are as unique and varied as the nearly 4 million women who give birth every year in the United States. Familiarizing yourself with…
Normal Healthy Childbirth for Women & Families: What You Need to Know clearly explains and advocates the benefits of normal, physiologic birth for the average health care consumer. This helpful tool was created from a 2012 consensus statement developed by ACNM, the Midwives Alliance of North America, and the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. Released in early 2014, this…