The Birth Nest of Cincinnati

05/12/2026

Interesting comparison of epidural and water immersion. NB groups were self-selected, which may have influenced results. "Spontaneous vaginal birth was almost 17 times more likely in the water immersion group [94.5% vs 50.6%] (OR = 16.866 [6.540, 43.480], p < 0.001), whereas the odds of having a cesarean birth were almost 40 times higher in the epidural group [0.7 vs 21.9%] (OR = 39.346 [3.610, 429.120], p < 0.001). The odds of having an intact perineum were more than two times higher for the water immersion group (OR = 2.606 [1.290, 5.250], p = 0.007), whereas having an episiotomy was more than eight times more likely for the epidural group [4.1 vs 26.1%] (OR = 8.307 [2.800, 24.610], p < 0.001). Newborns in the water immersion group showed a better 5 min Apgar score and umbilical cord arterial pH and lower rates in admissions at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Conclusions: Women choosing water immersion as an analgesic method were no more likely to experience adverse outcomes and presented better results than women choosing epidural analgesia." Full paper here https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/19/1919

04/20/2026

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/

03/09/2026

Partners matters!

I’ve always known the strength of women, but witnessing the birth of our daughter intimately took that understanding to another level.
Being in the room, seeing .erbert in that primal, powerful, spiritual state as she brought Everley into this world, it was pure awe.
The intelligence of the body, the strength, the trust in something ancient, it left me enamored .
I feel so privileged to have witnessed her in that moment, to support her, and to realize the incredible power she has. Today, I honor her, and all women, for bringing life and for the love and strength they embody.
I am forever in awe.

03/08/2026

Newborn male circumcision rates in the U.S. have fallen below 50%, with a study published in JAMA Pediatrics in September 2025 finding the rate dropped from 54.1% in 2012 to 49.3% in 2022. This decline is driven by reduced rates among white families, lower-income areas, and shifting cultural influences, with rates remaining highest in the Midwest/Northeast and lowest in the West.
--Johns Hopkins Medicine

02/28/2026

CDC has announced a significant shift in vaccine guidance: it no longer recommends a universal hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns. This marks a new era in vaccination strategy, giving parents and healthcare providers more choice and flexibility in timing the first dose.

Previously, hepatitis B vaccination was routinely administered to all newborns shortly after birth to prevent infection. The updated guidance reflects evidence that risk-based vaccination strategies can be effective while allowing individualized decision-making. Babies at higher risk such as those born to parents with hepatitis B or with certain medical conditions, are still strongly recommended to receive the vaccine shortly after birth.

Healthcare providers now work closely with families to assess risk factors, discuss benefits, and schedule vaccinations accordingly. This approach emphasizes informed parental choice, safety, and personalized care, while still maintaining strong public health protections against hepatitis B transmission.

Experts stress that this change does not reduce the vaccine’s importance. Hepatitis B remains a serious viral infection that can lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, or liver cancer if left untreated. Timely vaccination for at-risk infants is still critical for prevention.

This update signals a broader trend in medicine toward personalized and evidence-based care, balancing population-wide recommendations with individual health considerations. Families are encouraged to consult their pediatricians to make informed decisions for their newborns.

01/15/2026

🌿 Is Home Birth Safe? Here’s What the Research Actually Says.
When home birth is planned, attended by a qualified midwife, and chosen by someone with a healthy, low‑risk pregnancy, the evidence is incredibly consistent:
Home birth is as safe...IF NOT SAFER... as hospital birth — with fewer interventions and higher satisfaction.

A large 2019 meta‑analysis published in The Lancet looked at over 500,000 planned home births and found no difference in perinatal or neonatal mortality compared to planned hospital births.
Other peer‑reviewed studies echo the same thing:

Lower rates of inductions, epidurals, and cesareans

Safe outcomes for low‑risk pregnancies when attended by trained midwives

High maternal satisfaction and better birth experiences

Home birth isn’t about being “brave.”
It’s about choosing a setting that supports physiology, autonomy, and calm — with skilled midwives who know how to keep birth safe.

Birth works best when people feel supported, respected, and free to follow their instincts.
And for many families, that happens right at home.

12/29/2025

The truth about birth.

What if we told women the truth about birth?

We’d have to tell them that contractions will probably be more than “surges” or “sensations.”

That they’ll probably rock your world and leave you begging for salvation as you clutch the edge of the tub or the hospital linens.

That your gentle breathing exercises and your Spotify soundtrack will be left in the dust as you sweat and pant and sway and swear your way through it

That you’ll trip harder than any mushroom you ever did in college and vomit with the same ferocity and travel to places deep within yourself that you didn’t know existed.

That you’ll float above your body and simultaneously be trapped in it with an intensity you’ve never tasted.

And in that intensity,
in the sweating and the swearing
and the swaying and the vomiting
and the endless hours of contractions crashing down upon you ...

You’ll find your strength.
You’ll find a resilience you’ve never known.
You’ll find the power you need for the journey of Motherhood ahead.

In the messy humanity of it all,
you’ll find that you are holy.
A portal to the divine.
Capable of indescribable miracles.
A vessel of sacred life.

What if we told women the truth about birth?
We’d have to tell them they are capable of anything.

Worthy of being treated like goddesses.
Made to walk through the flames,
surf the tidal waves,
dive into the underworld
And come out alive.

Not unscathed.
Not unchanged.
But whole
and healed
and ready to take on the world.

If we told women the truth about birth,
we’d have to admit that we’ve lied about everything else,
and that they are more powerful,
more fierce,
more capable,
more beautiful,
than we’ve ever let on.

If we told the truth about birth?
We’d shatter the world.

- Words and Art by Catie Atkinson

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12/08/2025

A Cesarean section is the only major surgery in the world where:

🔹 Five to seven layers of tissue — skin, fat, fascia, muscle, and uterus — are carefully opened.
🔹 A new life is lifted into the world — sometimes urgently, sometimes unexpectedly.
🔹 And within hours, the mother is told to stand, walk, and care for her newborn.

Six hours after surgery where stitches, staples, and deep incisions still burn — she is expected to:

🍼 Feed her baby
🚼 Change diapers
❤️ Bond through exhaustion
🛏 Sit up despite intense abdominal pain

And while healing, her body still goes through:

⚡ Contractions as the uterus shrinks back
⚡ Hormonal surges
⚡ Breast milk production
⚡ Emotional turbulence
⚡ Sleepless nights

Yet she keeps going — even when:

💔 Laughing hurts
💔 Sneezing hurts
💔 Standing hurts
💔 Sleeping hurts
💔 Breathing hurts

Still… she does it.

Not because it’s easy.
Not because she feels ready.
But because her baby needs her.

And that — is strength.

🌷 To every C-section mom reading this:
You didn’t take the “easy way.”
You took the necessary way.
You chose life, safety, and love.

Your scar is not a mark of weakness —
✨ It is a silent badge of courage. ✨

Whether planned, emergency, or after hours of labor —
you brought a life into this world with bravery few will ever understand.

So hold your head high.
Rest when you need to.
Heal at your own pace.
And never forget:

❤️ You are strong.
❤️ You are enough.
❤️ You are a warrior.

📌 Verified medical sources used:

Mayo Clinic Obstetric Surgery Guidelines

Cleveland Clinic Birth & Recovery Data

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

10/16/2025

09/23/2025

There is still time to register for the next Bradley Method class. This series starts October 6th and will finish before the holidays. Perfect for those late 2025 and early 2026 babies. https://bradleymethod.com/vendor/brandy-frederiksengmail-com/?fbclid=IwVERDUANiQEpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjewQZ4Qdi8wnLviYDdhIbA_E_L-jQKx87E0hftKzJUrbH67-L5Pyj1uSPHR_aem_tp2HLdyQD-NOIJ9zG8im3Q

09/20/2025

Conclusion:
“Although term vaginal breech delivery was associated with slightly higher odds of the composite adverse neonatal outcome compared with cesarean delivery, the absolute risk remains low. Short-term maternal outcomes were better for individuals who underwent vaginal delivery compared with cesarean delivery, after exclusion of perineal lacerations.”

ysis to evaluate adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with mode of delivery among individuals with breech presentation at term. We used U.S. vital statistics data, which included information on all live births from 2015 to 2020. The eligible cohort was restricted to individuals who deli...