Shalom Birth Beginnings

08/28/2025

08/25/2025

08/25/2025

08/18/2025

✨Breathing support ✨

In the uterus your baby is completely dependent on the placenta to provide oxygenation through the umbilical cord.

Your baby is swimming in amniotic fluid and needs to clear that fluid to make room for air once born.

Most babies born vaginally will have no issues in doing this, they will let out a big cry and the pressure from that inhalation forces fluid in the lungs to move out into the tissues and let air in.

As the placenta stops pulsating to your baby and inhalation begins the reduced pressure will cause 3 shunts in the heart to close. These were alternate paths for blood flow while your baby is in the uterus and they are not needed after birth.

At times this transition can be delayed and that can be due to many things such as maternal medications, poor placental function etc.

So what do we do as midwives?

First we stimulate give bub a nice rub, ask mum to blow on the face to try and initiate a cry if these aren't
working we go straight to a bag and mask.

If you think of the lungs as 2 flat balloons.
We all know how hard it is to get that first breath into a flat balloon and once there is a little air in there the balloon inflates a lot easier.

Putting it simply that is what the bag and mask does, it pushes air into your baby’s lungs to inflate the “balloons” (lungs) and makes it a whole lot easier to take that first breath.

Keeping the CORD INTACT is a resuscitation technique on its own, research has shown babies with delayed cord clamping started to breathe and establish regular breathing earlier then babies who had early cord clamping.

In Australia it's rare at the moment for resuscitation to take place by the bedside in a hospital setting. At home births this can easily be achieved as you can see in the above photo.

Midwives : 👏
📷 : Emma-Jean Photography ♥️
✨ Words and informative Repost by Peace with birth ✨

08/17/2025

💫

• They told you about the contractions, but did they tell you about the expansion? Did they tell you how your body would open to make way for the whole universe to pass through? Did they tell you how your heart would explode with a love bigger than anything you’ve ever known as you pulled your baby to your chest?
They told you about the ring of fire, but did they tell you about the crown of stars? Did they mention that there is a moment when your baby enters the world and you leave your body to touch the heavens and become the light of a million galaxies?

These words by and this beautiful mother, are everything ✨

08/17/2025

08/17/2025

https://www.midwiferytoday.com/mt-articles/cultural-differences-waterbirth-practices/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMO4TpjbGNrAw7c5mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEezlNM18r87zxJ-_irYE9mCY06KvBhpR_qCkyoXwgzc37rBr0K5NnbfXZdxGU_aem_LkxSTjktqc2uo_U0nTmRmQ

08/08/2025

🍼 Help us stock the basics!

Our Holland center is running low on baby bath essentials. We need baby wash & shampoo, lotion, diaper cream, and newborn sleepers to support the moms and babies we serve every day.

✨ Shop our Amazon list and ship items directly to us: https://www.amazon.com/baby-reg/positive-options-december-2023-holland/PJ6SR7DSTF49

Your donations make such a difference—thank you for helping us care for our community! 💛