Corpus Christi Birth Center

07/24/2025

📣 PSA - Wash ya hands !!! 🧼 🙌

Today I got messages from tons of moms of kids—ages 2 months to 16 years—all running high fevers. 😷 In fact, it’s 11:30pm and I just sent my last text of the day to a worried mama.

Last week it was mostly adults with fever testing positive for you-know-what-vid.

This week it’s clearly the kids’ turn. 🙃

👉 So here’s your reminder:

💧 Wash your hands & the kid’s hands
🌞 Get outside when possible
🍊 Stay on top of vitamins (D, C, zinc, elderberry, and pre/probiotics are my top recs!)
🌿 Have a basic immune support protocol ready at home. ((See links in comments))👇🏻

🧠 FEVER FACTS FOR PARENTS:

Fever is a healthy immune response. 💪🏻
It’s the body turning up the heat to fight off infection. It’s not always bad and doesn’t automatically mean danger!

.… in general ….

✅ WHEN It’s Okay to Stay HOME
with fever 🏡 :

• Fever under 104°F in older kids; under 101.4°F in younger kids AND alert, drinking and playful at moments.
• Child is drinking fluids, not worried about dehydration
• No trouble breathing or bad pain
• Still peeing, even if eating less
• Fever responds to cool compresses, lukewarm baths, remedies or fever reducing medications

🏥 WHEN to Contact us during a fever:
• Fever & Child is “not themselves”- a lot more sleepy, not eating or drinking well, vomiting, achey, rash, ear pain, grumpy, etc
• Fever lasting more than 4 days
• Needing a Test- like urine or a swab
• When ya need reassurance or a visit

🏥 WHEN we might say go to Urgent Care
• If we happen to be booked full or closed
• Parent intuition says so
• Needing quick X-rays, breathing treatments, or quick rsv/strep/flu/cov tests closer to home
• Symptoms such as any uncontrolled pain, fever, dehydration, or lethargy

Urgent Cares to Consider

1. DAVAM on 1488 – Fast testing, great with kids, does X-rays & breathing treatments. May be pricey.

2. Medella (Magnolia & Tomball) – Open late (9 PM), efficient, good for school-aged kids. Testing not always fast.

3. Texas Children’s Urgent Care (lots of satellite locations but main one is 2nd floor above ER in woodlands) – Long wait. Best for small kiddos needing pint sized blood draws, urine checked, or imaging.

🚨 Straight to Emergency Room with Fever

• Baby under 2 months with fever ≥100.4°F. Older kiddos temp above 101.4 with worrisome symptoms.
• Seizures or not waking easily
• Difficulty breathing, blue lips, or grunting, or chest retractions (sucking in chest) or can’t manage their snot well
• Stiff neck, severe headache
• Vomiting/diarrhea with no relief
• Blue lips or pale, mottled skin
• Not urinating for 8+ hours
• Child is unresponsive or confused
• Sudden rash with very high fever (esp. if purple)

…🙏 And most importantly…

Remember, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind
(2 Timothy 1:7).

When your child has a fever or you feel unsure, lay your hands on them and pray. You don’t need to wait for a provider to bring or speak healing—you have spiritual authority as their parent.

You were chosen to love, protect, and intercede for them.

Your prayers matter.

Here’s a prayer you can speak over them:

“Dear Lord, I speak peace over ((childs name))) body. I command every sickness to leave and health to be restored. Heal them from the top of their head to the tips of their toes. Give me clarity and strength to care for them. Thank you, Lord, for your protection and healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Don’t underestimate the power of your presence,
your touch,
and your faith.

You are equipped, and you are not alone.

See links in comments for protocols to have on hand.

📌 Disclaimer: This post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not substitute medical advice. Every child and situation is unique. If you’re ever unsure what to do, please contact your healthcare provider or visit the nearest urgent care or ER. When in doubt, it’s always better to be seen and safe. 💛

Kindly,
PA Nicole

📸: This beautiful gift came from a patient’s garden today 🌿💐 It absolutely made my day. Feeling so grateful for the sweet families I get to care for—I love it so much!

07/22/2025

Enter for a chance to win a photo session!

07/21/2025

PROGRESS!!
New Window Day @ the new center!

07/19/2025

🌎🤱🏻🥳

07/05/2025

The United States ranks among the lowest of developed nations when it comes to utilizing midwives for low-risk births and offering water birth as an option. At the same time, it ranks highest among its Western peers for both maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. This contrast should prompt us to take a serious, thoughtful look at our current maternity care practices. Countries with significantly better outcomes are doing things differently—and perhaps it’s time we ask why. We owe it to our patients to reflect, re-evaluate, and be willing to change.

Developed nations that prioritize midwife-led care and support water birth—like the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK—consistently have the lowest maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates. In contrast, the U.S., which uses midwives the least and underutilizes water birth, ranks highest in poor outcomes among Western countries.
———————

Nations Promoting and Using Water Birth

(Ranked Best → Worst outcomes among water birth friendly countries)

1. United Kingdom
~10% of births in water; 20% use water for pain relief .
Professional bodies (NICE, RCOG, RCM) endorse water labor and birth .

2. Australia & New Zealand
Colleges of midwives and obstetricians support water immersion .
Waterbirth widely available in public/private hospitals .

3. France
Long waterbirth tradition since early 1800s .
Midwife-led units commonly offer immersion options.

4. United States
Waterbirth less common; allowed in first stage, but ACOG remains cautious .
Mixed adoption across home/birth centers.
_______
Nations Primarily Using Midwives for Low-Risk Births

(Best → Worst outcomes)

1. Netherlands
Midwives attend ~20% of home births, core to the maternity system  .
Maternal mortality: ≤ 3 per 100,000 ().
Infant mortality: ~4 per 1,000 .

2. Sweden
Midwives provide 80%+ of prenatal care & attend nearly all normal births .
Maternal mortality: ≤ 3 per 100,000 .
Infant mortality:

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

06/07/2025

This…👇🏻
All modes of birth carry risk. Informed consent means being provided all the information before making a decision that is right for you, then being supported in that decision.

Both VBAC and repeat cesarean have risks. Anyone who focuses only on the risks of VBAC, and remains silent on the risks of repeat cesarean, is not giving parents the complete picture.

We talk extensively about VBAC complications - especially uterine rupture - as well as cesarean complications in our trainings for families and professionals.

If you want to get started right now, download our free uterine rupture report debunking the top five uterine rupture myths at https://vbacfacts.com/report.

06/04/2025

This is well established in the research. ⁠
⁠
Why? (The universal Functional Medicine Question)⁠
⁠
It disrupts the natural circadian rhythm. ⁠
⁠
Our body has an internal clock that regulates organ functions, tissue repair, and detox. ⁠
⁠
Even when women are "getting enough sleep," if it doesn't match their natural clock, then it's not as effective. ⁠
⁠
The "Master Clock (MC)" is located in the hypothalamus and is regulated by light exposure to the retina. It regulates the production of Melatonin, Cortisol, body temperature, and the peripheral clock. ⁠
⁠
The "Peripheral Clocks (PC)' are found in the tissues. ⁠
⁠
6-10 am⁠
MC: causes a rise in cortisol to wake you up, raising blood pressure and temperature.⁠
PC: LV and Pancrease prepare for food intake and increase insulin sensitivity. The placenta upregulates nutrient transport genes. The immune system shifts to be more alert. ⁠
⁠
10-12 pm⁠
MC: Brain function is sharpest⁠
PC: sympathetic nervous system peak. Lv peak efficiency for glucose metabolism. Gut motility and digestive enzymes are optimal. ⁠
⁠
2-6 pm⁠
MC: Cortisol tapers. The brain shifts to more parasympathetic⁠
PC: The immune system shifts to tissue repair and clearing of debris. LV begins to slow down detox and switches to fat storage. Placenta reduces inflammatory signals and increases antioxidant gene expression.⁠
⁠
6-10 pm⁠
MC: Melatonin production increases (based on low lighting)⁠
PC: Pancreas reduces insulin sensitivity. The immune system switches to an anti-inflammatory state for nighttime healing. The placenta initiates DNA repair. ⁠
⁠
10-2 am⁠
MC: Melatonin at peak. Clearing of metabolic waste⁠
PC: Liver detoxification peaks, increasing glutathione recycling. The placenta focuses on cellular repair and DNA replication. The immune system repairs tissue damage.⁠
⁠
2-6 am⁠
MC: Cortisol slowly begins to rise, and melatonin decreases (4-5 a.m.). Sympathetic activity wakes up.⁠
PC: LV and Gut prime for digestion. The immune system slows down repair. Placental reduces repair. ⁠
⁠
Even if a mom sleeps long hours, if they are not in line with her normal circadian rhythm, it may not be functional sleep.

05/28/2025

While a speedy labor might sound desirable when you’re thinking ahead to birth - as any mama who has had a ‘precipitous labor’ can relate - it can also feel intensely overwhelming - and even traumatic, especially if you’re not prepared for that reality.

Most women who go into labor spontaneously will experience a warm-up period that gets their body and mind ready, slowly, over hours and days, throughout various early labor stages.

Precipitous labor jumps right into the intensity + speed of active labor, sometimes right into the depth of transition - skipping over not only the mental warm up but the oxytocin buffer that evolutionarily has been developed as natural pain management.

A short labor can feel overwhelming and scary - like a freight train moving through you, while you’re trying to grab onto the handrails! This isn’t unsafe for you or baby - it’s just moving FAST!

Key: Stay calm, trust your body, and use your skills like comforting positions and deep breathing techniques.

If you’re trying to get to the birth center or hospital and feel like pushing (or pooping!)

* Try hands and knees or elbows down with butt up in the air to take the pressure off + pant like you are trying to keep a feather up in the air.
* Laying on your side with your knees drawn up can help.
* Blow like you are extinguishing a candle to reduce the intensity of the push - you can’t stop it per se, but you can ease it a bit.

The good news is these births often go really well. Your mind just needs to catch up to what your body is doing! Sometimes easier said than done - with some need to process it postpartum.

Friends saying “You’re lucky that was so fast!”? Well.... it’s actually totally valid to feel that the experience was overwhelming - or traumatic - and you’re the only one who gets to make that call.

What were your births like? Were your labors fast? Long? How did that feel to you? How did you integrate and process this postpartum? Love to hear your stories in the comments!

For the most comprehensive birth prep course - taught by a Midwife-MD join me in BirthWise - the Mama Pathway complete birthing course - deets at the link in bio.

📸

05/28/2025

05/25/2025

NO Mama Group Tomorrow!
Happy Memorial Day!
🇺🇸
See you next week 😊

02/23/2025

👋🏻PSA:
👩🏼‍⚕️Midwife Kris will be out the end of November and first part of December.

👀 SO>>>
If you are counting on her to be in attendance at your next birth you may want to consider taking up a new hobby for the next 30 days.

Might we suggest fishing, cribbage, chickens or starting your garden?!?! 🛥️ 🐥🪿🧑‍🌾