Wood River Midwifery

09/28/2025

Hedera helix, aka Common ivy, was/is used in Europe as a syrup, tea, and topical for coughs (including whooping cough), asthma, bronchitis, kidney stones, wounds, burns, and to prevent succumbing to the bubonic plague. It is an expectorant, bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antifungal and antiarthritic. Children in the south of France were observed to avoid bronchitis because they drank ivy tea regularly.

In Greek tradition, ivy wreaths were a symbol of loyalty and fidelity and bestowed upon newlyweds. Some early European Christian leaders forbade the ancient tradition of decorating with ivy at Christmas because it was sacred to the Druids, embodying the sacred feminine— the counterpart to the male holly. “The Holly and the Ivy.” Romans added ivy leaves to wine to reduce alcohol intoxication and treat hangovers. (I have never tried this). Ivy was used in Italy to treat scabies and worms, and was used by Hippocrates as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

Lily of the Valley berries. Our Lady’s tears. The flower represented hope in Christian lore (legend says the flower sprang from the weeping Virgin Mary during the crucifixion of Jesus), and perfumers have long used the beloved flowers as fragrance. This plant is an “herbalists’s herb,” with a long history of medicinal use from the 4th century through today, primarily as a tonic for cardiac debility, heart failure, valvular heart disease, tachycardia, arrhythmias and dropsy. A favorite among British herbalists as a cardioactive remedy with selective action, low toxicity *when used appropriately*, and an unusual mixture of cardiac glycosides that ensure a slow onset of effect; It will normalize and strengthen a slow or weak heartbeat, without putting any extra demand on pulmonary blood supply.

TCM applications include the above + coronary thrombosis, cardiac pain, edema, depression, mental dullness, loss of speech, paralysis, acute or chronic nephritis, cataracts, and more. LOTV is also a diuretic, purgative, antispasmodic, emetic, and laxative. It has been used to strengthen a long and exhausted labor. In Russia, it was used by peasants to treat dropsy and epilepsy. It was used in WWI to treat soldiers exposed to poisonous gases. Culpeper said LOTV strengthened the brain, supported memory and could restore speech if distilled in wine. A German wine with LOTV flowers and raisins is still made in some areas.

Jewelweed is an eastern plant I have always hoped to get to know but have no personal experience with. The fresh leaf, stem and flower juice or infused oil was traditionally used by North American indigenous people (and then Europeans) to prevent and treat itchy trashy skin stuff like poison oak/ivy, eczema, ringworm, warts, hemorrhoids, and nettle stings. It is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and a vulnerary. You can simply pull off make an external liniment with witch hazel or alcohol. It is also called Touch Me Not because of it’s feral explosive seed spreading when grasping the bottom of the ripe seed pod, it will launch off and explode all over the place— super fun for kids.

09/11/2025

I’m having a week of feeling so much gratitude for my office that I get to be with you in all these days and years. I love that we can see the light and the trees and sit together with tea. And tears, and triumphs.

This week I’ve seen women struggling with severe nausea and vomiting and pregnancy, women feeling ambivalent about being pregnant, women aching with their whole heart for a first time pregnancy. Unexplained fatigue, chronic UTIs. Women questioning the path they are on with their birthing time approaching. Whatever is present, there is space for it here.

09/10/2025

🎉 More good news! We now have another pediatric care provider in Hailey!

🙌🏽 Gusty Swift is a mother of 3 and a experienced naturopath out of Portland. She also does primary care and has a whole host of rejuvenative services.

✅ check out her open house next Wednesday if you can!

https://www.headwatersofwellness.com/

09/09/2025

More on bifidos….a role in minimizing and buffering the effects of jaundice.

We only understand the tip of the iceberg about early newborn physiology.

Nature’s superb design has figured out more than we can conceive of at this point in time. She has worked out solutions to physiologic conundrums and trade-offs and adaptations that we will never know exist.

Figuring out how to trust the design, trust our bodies, trust turning inward for direction, and orienting toward love and what is working is the work of pregnancy.

Background Recent studies suggest a role of gut microbiota in the development of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, with bifidobacteria showing promise in alleviating symptoms. However, uncertainties persist regarding gut bifidobacterial species composition and their effects on bilirubin metabolism. There...

09/08/2025

✨ Exciting News! ✨
Our next Doula Training Course begins Tuesday, September 16th! 🌿👶
📅 Registration closes this Friday, September 12th – don’t miss your chance to join this empowering program.

💰 Course Cost: $1,200
✅ Payment plans available- Please reach out!

This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support families through one of life’s most meaningful journeys.
Spots are limited — secure yours today!

Register here! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcFsEaQxzgut2xk3odLajZTDnfm0YfJw0FDUkiNESBlpHazQ/viewform?usp=preview

09/06/2025

Fake News! This is old and incorrect information.

Women's bodies and pelvic shape have much more nuance than to each fall into a precise "type."

Bodies don't work that way, and maternal and baby adaptations to labor have evolved over millions of years to make the process highly successful the vast majority of the time, under normal biological conditions.

This is the same old paternalist, misogynist, "men need to save women in birth" rhetoric that underlies the entire education of medical students and obstetrics.

All of this making women feel like they are doomed to fail before they even get to labor stops with this generation!

We need compassionate and realistic understanding of women's bodies and how birth can be both easy and sometimes complicated in this modern world.

Women supporting women is the way we accomplish this!

Did you know that the shape of your pelvis can influence childbirth? While all pelvis types can have successful vaginal births, understanding these variations can be interesting and even helpful in some cases. Let's explore the four main types of female pelves:

1. Gynecoid Pelvis:

* Shape: This is considered the "classic" female pelvis, characterized by a rounded or slightly oval inlet.

* Characteristics: It has a wide and deep p***c arch, straight sidewalls, and a roomy sacrum.
* Childbirth: This shape is generally considered the most favorable for a vaginal birth, allowing for optimal rotation and descent of the baby.

2. Android Pelvis:

* Shape: This pelvis type is often described as "heart-shaped" or wedge-shaped at the inlet, resembling a male pelvis.

* Characteristics: It has a narrower p***c arch, convergent sidewalls, and a more prominent sacrum.

* Childbirth: Vaginal birth can be more challenging with this type due to the narrower shape, potentially leading to a longer labor or the baby needing to descend in a slightly different position.

3. Anthropoid Pelvis:

* Shape: This pelvis is characterized by an oval shape, with the anteroposterior (front-to-back) diameter being longer than the transverse (side-to-side) diameter.

* Characteristics: It has a wide p***c arch, and the baby might descend facing the mother's front (occiput anterior) or back (occiput posterior) more commonly.

* Childbirth: Often allows for successful vaginal birth, though the baby might present in a different position that requires slightly different pushing techniques.

4. Platypelloid Pelvis:

* Shape: This is the least common type, distinguished by a flattened, oval shape where the transverse diameter is much wider than the anteroposterior diameter.

* Characteristics: It has a very wide p***c arch, but a very short anteroposterior diameter.

* Childbirth: Vaginal birth can be the most challenging with this pelvis type due to the narrow front-to-back space, which might hinder the baby's descent.

While these classifications are helpful for understanding pelvic anatomy, it's important to remember that most people have a mixed pelvic type, not a pure form. The human body is incredibly adaptable, and many factors contribute to a successful birth beyond just pelvic shape!

Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized information and guidance regarding your pregnancy and birth plan.

08/18/2025

Home visiting Sunday in Richfield. I love poking around small towns and backroads of Idaho that I wouldn’t otherwise find myself in if it weren’t for the privilege of being invited into people‘s homes.

Most of the time I feel incredibly provincial, rarely leaving the 2 mile span of my town. I’m an explorer by nature though and love these chances to follow the call to see what’s around the bend….which old buildings remain— the old bones of the town… what stories are told through the landscape….which flowers and trees are growing feral and what have people planted to delight them….Richfield has astounding trees for the middle of the sagebrush steppe. This Maple may have the widest wingspan I’ve ever seen, at least in the west. And you know it’s August when the apricot branches are nearly snapping off, falling toward the earth, offering her countless golden kisses each evening.

08/05/2025

Welcome little fireball, baby Reagan, who could not be more adored by first time parents Kayla and Evan. She is fierce and determined, and also sprawling with natural blissful ease, just like mama
☄️😎

07/21/2025

Want to know what shocked me the most when I first landed in this mountain valley?

I was prepared for the health and wealth disparities. I was prepared for the opulence and the focus on self. (And also the devotion and generosity of the nonprofit sector).

Around town, tweens seemed to be in abundant supply, and I relished seeing them freely ride their bikes around town, imagining one day my baby would have that luxury.

Baby sightings about town were rare. Mothers didn’t seem to hang outside the home with their babies or toddlers much.

Most shockingly, I never saw a breastfeeding mother and baby in public until two years after moving here !!!. I knew the birth rate was lower. But I had lived in many of the western states, rural and urban, as well a handful of east coast states. My cross-section was wide. The lack of public breastfeeding in 5B stuck out like a sore thumb.

I fantasized about gathering volunteers to canvass local businesses about what it means to be a mother and baby-friendly establishment.

Some women will never feel comfortable breastfeeding in public. *Most new mothers want and need the ease of feeding their baby with their liquid gold on tap, anywhere, anytime. However it can feel awkward as hell when no one else is doing it. Being the odd woman out, drawing more attention…

Adrienne Rich called us to action: “When a woman tells the truth she is creating the possibility for more truth around her.”

It helps me to imagine how we once were (and could be), in a town eldered by grandmothers and mothers whose bodies were the basis of survival for the next generation. Whose blood and tears were the seeds of understanding of what it meant to be human.

If you have felt intimidated or anxious about public breastfeeding here, because you’re not seeing other mothers do it, know that when you find the courage and comfort to do it, other mothers will notice. Young girls will notice. Teenage girls will notice. They may not even consciously consider what they are seeing, but that beautiful morsel of a memory will be tucked away deep in their minds for a time when it really matters! 🧠💛

@

07/21/2025