West Hill Midwifery

12/19/2025

Did you know? A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of midwifery continuity of care found significant impacts on labor, birth, and maternal/infant outcomes. Birthing parents were more likely to birth vaginally and after 37 weeks gestation, and less likely to have a cesarean, episiotomy, or induction of labor.

Consider what continuity of care looks like in your community, alongside access to midwifery care. How might you support clients in your community in advocating for greater continuity where it’s an option for them?

You can learn more about the review here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2025.105300

12/14/2025

The Pregnancy HUB presents a FREE online conference for any pregnant, postpartum, or early parenting person who may have a history of substance use in BC. Pregnancy and early parenting can be challenging at any time and we could all use some extra support and learning to help guide us through this new journey. Please join us for a day of insightful learning and skill development to help you through your pregnancy and early parenting period.

In order to preserve registrants' confidentiality and anonymity, The Pregnancy HUB will be using Zoom Webinar and registrants' video profiles disabled. This conference will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.

To register, visit the link in our bio!

11/27/2025

11/19/2025

In the first week, it can feel like your baby wants to feed nonstop. Many parents worry this means they are not making enough milk.

The truth is: constant feeding is not a sign of failure. It is how your baby signals your body to bring in milk and establish supply.

Trust the process, and remember that what feels overwhelming is actually your baby doing exactly what they are designed to do.

11/17/2025

November 17 is World Prematurity Day, an opportunity to raise awareness about preterm birth and the unique health challenges premature babies face. Preterm birth occurs in approximately 10% of pregnancies, so recognizing the signs of preterm labour is essential to getting the specialized care mother and baby might need.

To learn more about preterm birth and how to recognize the signs, visit: https://www.pregnancyinfo.ca/birth/special-considerations/preterm-labour/

11/17/2025

Based on a Duke University study published in Science Advances in 2019, growing a baby is energetically comparable to or more demanding than running a marathon every day for 9 months. The study found that pregnancy pushes the human body to its metabolic limits over a long duration, in a way that is similar to elite endurance events but sustained for much longer.

Energy costs during pregnancy:

Pregnancy is an extreme feat of endurance because the body works constantly to grow a new human, even at rest.

📑Total calories: Pregnancy requires an additional 50,000 dietary calories over nine months. The mother’s body provides 96% of this energy.

📑Cardiovascular demand: To support the growing baby, a woman’s blood volume can increase by 30 to 50 percent, and her heart rate increases by 10 to 15 beats per minute.

📑Metabolic demands: The body’s resting energy use can rise by up to 30%, meaning it works much harder even when stationary.

While a marathon is a discrete event, pregnancy is a continuous process of biological transformation. The comparison highlights the total metabolic output over the long term. A woman’s heart, lungs, and metabolism work overtime every day for nine months, making pregnancy one of the most intense and sustained physical challenges a human body can undergo.

SOURCE: https://www.therunningweek.com/post/growing-a-baby-takes-more-energy-than-running-marathons-for-9-months-straight

10/23/2025

👶 Skin-to-skin contact involves placing the naked newborn on the mother’s uncovered chest immediately after birth. This simple practice helps babies adapt to life outside the womb, keeping them warm, reducing stress and crying, and supporting vital functions such as breathing and heart rate.

New Cochrane evidence confirms what many already practice: immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers gives babies a better start in life.

Babies held skin-to-skin within the first hour after birth are more likely to:

🩵 Breastfeed exclusively
🩵 Maintain healthy body temperature and blood sugar
🩵 Breathe and adapt better outside the womb

Importantly, the evidence is now so strong that researchers argue it’s no longer ethical to conduct studies that separate mothers and babies after birth.

“Withholding skin-to-skin contact would now be considered unethical, as there is enough evidence to show that the practice improves newborn health and survival,” says Karin Cadwell, senior author and Executive Director and Lead Faculty of
Healthy Children Project Center for Breastfeeding.

Read more on our website: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/strong-evidence-supports-skin-skin-contact-after-birth-standard-care

10/08/2025

Great tips on how to take iron for maximum benefit in pregnancy

09/28/2025

https://midwifery.ubc.ca/prospective-students/information-sessions/?utm_source=Cyberimpact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Midwifery-Messenger-Q3---2025--Highlights-and-updates-inside-

There are zoom info sessions on the midwifery program at UBC now!

Explore Your Future in Midwifery Passionate about maternal and newborn care? Curious about what a career in midwifery could offer? Join us at one of the UBC Midwifery Information Sessions to explore the possibilities and learn how to become a part of this dynamic profession. Our information sessions...

09/23/2025

The SOGC have issued a statement on the use of Acetaminophen in pregnancy.

09/23/2025

ACOG reaffirms the safety and benefits of acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
More than two decades of research have found no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children. Acetaminophen continues to be an important and safe option for managing pain and fever in pregnancy—conditions that can pose serious risks to pregnant patients and their fetuses if left untreated. Learn more about acetaminophen use during pregnancy: https://bit.ly/4mqIzWr

08/13/2025

For indigenous birthers wondering about choice of birthplace.