Family Tree Maternity Services

10/17/2025

These are great tips that work for managing gestational diabetes too!

10/15/2025

“The forces involved in a normal spontaneous delivery have been measured to be approximately 29 pounds of pressure on the delicate newborn head and spine. In the event of a more complicated delivery involving the use of forceps or vacuum extraction, the measured forces are up to 69 pounds of pressure (1). Compare that to 56 pounds of pressure reported to cause a whiplash type “sheering force in the cervical spine” of a fully formed adult head and spine (2). Putting those forces into perspective, you can see how the birth process can dramatically affect the delicate spine and cranium of the newborn.

I would be remiss here if I didn’t mention that the proper alignment of the mother’s pelvis and her fully functioning nervous system are critical factors in the outcome of birth. Prenatal chiropractic care can help to avoid birth trauma before it happens.” – Lynn Gerner, DC, FICPA

Pediatric chiropractic care offers a gentle way to support infants from the very start, helping them feed with ease and thrive in their growth. By addressing challenges early, we create a foundation for lifelong health and well-being. Read “Breastfeeding Challenges—A Window to Your Baby’s Brain” by Lynn Gerner, DC, FICPA now in Issue 87 of Pathways. Subscribers can read now: https://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-challenges-a-window-to-your-babys-brain.html

10/11/2025

09/09/2025

09/04/2025

08/20/2025

If your hospital doesn’t have 24/7 obstetric, pediatric, and anesthesia staff on duty and at least a Level II nursery, that is, a nursery capable of caring for newborns with moderate problems and stabilizing sicker babies for transport to a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit, then you aren’t getting what you chose the hospital for.

08/13/2025

07/17/2025

Please don't be timing contractions that are more then 10 minutes apart. GO TO SLEEP!!! Missing that first night of sleep when you think labor is starting is so detrimental to getting the job done.

06/22/2025

When you are being cared for by a midwife you are getting midwifery maternity care… when you are with an obstetrician you are getting obstetric maternity care. The two are different… all women need a midwife and some also need an obstetrician.

Obstetricians don’t provide midwifery care and then obstetric care on top, they only give obstetric care. It’s not about competition it’s about understanding that we are equal but different.

We each have different skills and different roles… you can’t replace one with the other and expect the same care.

If you are reading this and have interpreted it as ‘anti-obstetrics’, you’re reading it with your own personal assumptions, you haven’t read what I said, you’ve read what you think I said.

I’m not anti-obstetrician… I’m just stating the facts that midwifery care and obstetric care are different and neither can fully replace the other. We need each other to provide a full scope of care to some women, but not all women.

All women need a midwife, some also need an obstetrician

06/17/2025

01/08/2025

"Although it might seem as if parents have a binary decision to make - that is, give vitamin K or do not give vitamin K - there are actually a range of actions that parents can take.

These include:

- decide to give IM vitamin K (which is usually given just after birth)

- decide to give oral vitamin K (which is usually given in a series of doses over a few weeks)

- decide to give IM or oral vitamin K but in a different time frame from what is usual

- decline vitamin K but seek alternative (non-pharmacological) measures to increase baby's vitamin K levels

- decline vitamin K but become informed about VKDB (vitamin K deficiency bleeding) and know what to watch out for and what to do if worried

- decline vitamin K and do nothing else."

This is an excerpt from my book, 'Vitamin K and the Newborn', which helps parents and birthworkers navigate and understand the evidence and the issues relating to vitamin K.

With these kinds of interventions and preventative treatments, there aren't always easy answers.

We are often giving something to thousands of babies in order to prevent a rare but occasionally serious fatal problem.

And it's important to think about the effects in those who wouldn't have had the problem, as well as about whether there are other approaches.

For more information, see my book.

And yes, you're welcome to share/repost this graphic if you also share my words and credit.

Please respect that the information in my books is copyright, and do not put my work/words into your own branding.

01/01/2025

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Happy New Year, Women Of Strength! Drop your favorite VBAC advice and let's cheer on all the VBAC moms-to-be in 2025!