Bates Natural Blessings

02/07/2026

A 2025 study published in AJOG adds powerful, up-to-date data showing associations between doula care and improved maternal and newborn outcomes.

Key Maternal Outcomes:

More vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC): For every 100 patients who received doula care, there were 15 to 34 additional VBACs compared with those without doula care.

Higher postpartum follow-up attendance: 5 to 6 more per 100 received postpartum office visits.

Key Neonatal / Infant Outcomes

Increased exclusive breastfeeding rates: Babies whose families had doula support were more likely to breastfeed exclusively.

Fewer preterm births (and early preterm births): Doula-supported births showed a reduction in preterm birth rates.

In short, the study links doula care with improvements in birth outcomes — across birth mode (more VBACs), infant health (less prematurity), and early infant care (breastfeeding, postpartum follow-up).

Read more: https://internationaldoulainstitute.com/2025/11/evidence-for-doulas-new-ajog-study-finds-doulas-improve-outcomes/

02/06/2026

What happens when your partner says 'NO'......?

excellent graphic from on insta.

02/06/2026

I saw a post by about the amount of time on average an OB spends with a client during prenatal appointments as well as how many appointments people have on average. My jaw dropped when the TOTAL amount of time spent with clients was on average 1 hour 17 minutes their ENTIRE PREGNANCY! Friends! That is only 17 minutes longer than our average time for just 1 prenatal visits!!!
But why does this matter???
✨During our visits we are getting to know you & your whole family including partner, house mates, pets, & other kids. This is a huge event that will impact everyone, it’s important we all know each other before the big day.
✨Whole person care! You and your baby’s vitals are important, but only tell half a story. How are your stress levels, sleep, mental health, etc. What are your thoughts & questions that keep you up at night? We have time to talk about it all. You are more than just your vitals & we always put emphasis on that.
✨Establishing trust and a friendship/relationship is crucial if we are to enter one of your most sacred spaces & walk along side you as you bring your baby here. This is also important when times come where we have suggestions or interventions that might be needed. Trust is needed when sailing is smooth or when the sea gets rocky. We love that many of our clients become friends for life.
✨We have time to not only answer any & all questions you have, but to do some educating along the way. We love when clients bring things to us that they want more research & knowledge on. Because, for reals, you hired a bunch of birth nerds, we love research & sharing what we know. If we don’t know it, give us a day & we will know it soon!
✨You get to know that you have this time & our undivided attention. Sometimes the going is lonely or isolating, knowing that your providers will be over to talk about whatever can be the light at the end of a dark tunnel. At appointments we have helped with cleaning & cooking, entertained kids, talked books, cried together about difficult experiences, & always do a lot of listening. These appointments are for you & individualized to meet your needs. It’s ok, we have time. 🖤

02/05/2026

Do NOT cut my baby's cord! Leave their life source INTACT until it is done doing its job. Even if that means many, many minutes.

"NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) guidelines and recent evidence-based practices strongly recommend delaying umbilical cord clamping, even for newborns requiring resuscitation, to allow for continued oxygenation and placental transfusion. This "intact cord resuscitation" (also known as bedside resuscitation) is feasible, safe, and improves Apgar scores by allowing breathing initiation (initial steps, stimulation, PPV) while the baby remains attached to the placenta."

02/05/2026

02/04/2026

From the moment she applied the vibr@ator in late labor, her pain dropped to zero, and she entered a full-body org@smic state that carried her through the birth. She describes her eyes rolling back, feeling like she left Earth to “go to space to get her child,” and then, just 30 seconds after reaching org@sm, her baby was born.​.. ****icbirthpodcast ❤️‍🔥

Orgasmicbirth stories ✨

If you’ve ever wondered whether or****ic birth is real—or how to move closer to a pleasurable, empowered birth—this is an episode you won’t want to miss.​

Listen now and share it with a friend who needs to know that birth can be different.​
www.or****icbirth.com/podcast/

02/04/2026

this is something I would do 🤣