MOV Birth

09/22/2025

The way your baby is positioned really does matter... a few of these positions absolutely cannot continue vaginally without intention and body support... so, the idea is to prevent them from happening in the first place. When you see a baby in a less than optimal position, we balance mom's ability to make space in her body with knowing that most babies in a vertical alignment will come out.

It is GOOD to move your body, stay off your sacrum... vary your position, stretch, and be intentional with your physical health in pregnancy... and beyond!

⬆️⬇️ Fetal Positions ➡️↘️
By

09/21/2025

Drawing babies and seeing this image of a mother imagining her little one is always beautiful.
I often wonder, are we supposed to have these images before birth? I don't know, to be honest.
But His creation is so, so good and the drawing is not even close to as awesome as the first moment these mothers have their babies in their arms.
It won't be long, mother.

09/20/2025

You don't have to fear wisdom.
You don't have to fear your birth.
You don't have to fear your future.
Having the peace of Jesus doesn't mean ignoring information and guidance. It does mean keeping it in its place.
As midwives, we have a unique opportunity to share wisdom with mothers and families that can change generations.
Discussing long-term health is crucial to this.
Supporting variations is crucial to this.
These two approaches don't clash… they mesh.
If all we are focused on – yes, even at home – is a live mother and a live baby in the bassinet, we are missing our responsibilities as mothers, as support people, and as practitioners.
They key here, midwives and mothers, is to not let fear be the Shepherd’s staff.
If we see symptoms of imbalance, and labs to confirm it, we have communication and tools to make changes and seek support. If these are indications that long-term health may be compromised, even if it may not dramatically affect the current birth, it is vital for our children and our grandchildren that we make changes to recognize and support long-term health. Some of these imbalances seen as “normal variations” can actually become optimized when we stop ignoring these indications of imbalance, even if… especially if… the bigger picture is long-term.
Like:
We can see borderline anemia and treat it with lifestyle changes.
We can see babies in "normal" varied positions and know that they usually work it out... and also know ways of helping this mom feel more comfortable during pregnancy and birth and reducing tension for a baby to help support breastfeeding.
This birth, and this motherbaby’s journey, isn’t over after the baby is out of the womb.
What we need to become attuned to is the holistic approach of what we CAN do for this journey, what NEEDS to wait until after postpartum, and what we MUST surrender to outside of our circle of influence.
This is a BEGINNING.
How are you stepping into your role as a mother and how are you supporting the mothers and babies in the first part of this transformation?

09/18/2025

Waiting for a positive pregnancy test is too late to make big effects on baby's health, and mom's reaction, to a pregnancy.
However you choose to monitor your pregnancy, your body and baby are already communicating with you that changes are occurring.

If you’ve been tracking your cycle with Basal Body Temperature BBT), you may suspect on day 29 that you’re pregnant, when your temperature remains elevated. Even if you don’t have a balanced cycle, you can be fairly certain that if your BBT remains elevated for 18 days, pregnancy is likely. Or...

09/06/2025

When you don’t feel like taking your 8 prenatal pills… I get it. This is my current supplement routine. My diet isn’t perfect, my gut health isn’t perfect… but I am pretty intentional about the food I put in my body. I significantly limit any added sugar. I vary my grains, and eat them minimally… hopefully they’re sprouted and fermented when I do. I bake sourdough almost every week, but try not to eat it every day and only 1 or ½ of a slice. I try to get 2-3 servings of dark leafy greens. I eat organic when I can. I eat free-range/organic eggs, chicken when I can. I buy grass-fed, grass-finished beef from a family I serve. I pack my lunch and snacks and jars of water and herbal tea when I am on the road (which is most days). I count my hydration every day and use tricks like 3-cup and quart mason jars and timers to help me stay on top of it. I walk, I get sunshine.
But, I drive a lot. I sit more than I want to. Thank you for letting me stretch… encouraging me to stretch… on your floor instead of sitting at a chair when I see you in your home. Thank you for not inundating me with gifts of sugar and carbs (although those are tasty and appreciated, too). I sometimes don’t sleep well, or not at all if I’m at a birth. It isn’t uncommon for my day to start out with a call for a miscarriage, a perfectly normal prenatal, a prenatal with elevated BP, a postpartum with a baby thriving, and then a postpartum with something varied. Not to mention the constant exposure to some kind of sniffles, cold, flu, rash, or infection, despite me asking people to reschedule in these cases. The up and down roller coaster of hormones and an immune system that is always “on” in these situations is very real. The every day intention is vital.
I practice what I “preach.” And I know it can be really hard to stay on top of it. And I know some days I don’t do a lot of it, and I don’t do it all.
These are my current supplements… where I used to take hardly any, and I was doing pretty well… but I did very comprehensive Functional and Nutrient Evaluation after dealing with a taxed immune system after LOTS of covid exposure. And, I switched things up, and am often relooking at what I’m doing and how I’m feeling. I take an herbal blend I made packed with greens and colorful herbs and immune support. Additional immune and liver support with NAC, yellow dock, and others. A spore-based pre and probiotic. Omegas. Vitamin D. Beef Organs, including Thyroid. Extra Magnesium. And, that’s just the supplements in pills. I usually drink some sort of blend with immune-supporting mushroom powders and occasionally added protein powders (usually collagen is my pick). That’s on top of a LOT of vegetables in my diet, whole-food fats like avocados, fish multiple times a week, eggs, a variety of meats, and quite a bit of nuts and seeds.
I wonder what it would have felt like to experience a pregnancy after this much intention… instead of after feeling terrible… I wonder what it would have been like to not have blood sugar issues that made me black out in pregnancy because I had a nutrient-dense diet. I wonder what it would have felt like not to swell in my hands and face and have elevated blood pressure… and be brushed off as “a normal variation because that’s my baseline.” I wonder what it would have felt like not to have perinatal depression. I wonder how the long-term health of my kids would have changed if our genetics started out differently prior to conception.
I want YOU to not have to wonder… to integrate what I have learned over the past 18 years.

09/05/2025

The newborn phase can be overwhelming when things are going smoothly. When your baby has tongue tie and the associated symptoms, it can add a lot of additional stress and heartache. This is why we are here to help! The first step is an assessment by Dr. Huffman and a referral to build your support team which may include a lactation consultant, DO, chiropractor, etc. If you feel something isn't right with your little one's oral function, trust your instinct and get an evaluation. ❤️

09/05/2025

One of the simplest things you can do in pregnancy to prepare for birth is to STOP RECLINING back on your sacrum. Sit up right
Sit up on your "sitz bones"
Lean forward
Sit criss-cross on the floor... remember when they used to teach this one in birth classes?
Sit with your legs stretched forward and elongate your muscles and ligaments... you know, as Katy Bowman says, "Don't just sit there" and change your position a LOT!
Sit on a birth ball (but don't tuck your pelvis on it)
Prop a bunch of pillows behind your back so you sit upright
Use "uncomfortable" chairs so you don't want to sit longer than you should
Lay down on your side to relax... actually... laying down on your back is probably way better than sitting back on a squishy chair or sofa... or a recliner 😮
Squat... yes... SQUAT.... do this one a whole bunch!
Better yet... get up and move!
Just stop reclining... save that one for postpartum.

09/02/2025

Garden fresh Marigolds have been on the menu lately with a little organic peppers and tomatoes. Marigolds are a lovely way to get some Vitamin A... and sometimes I'm so thankful for some deli meat and veggies loaded up in a Hero wrap almost too full to close. (even if its not 100% whole foods). Sometimes, eating more nutrient dense doesn't look like 100% homemade.

08/28/2025

Peace is oxytocin and the opposite of fear and worry.
Worry is adrenaline.
Oxytocin stops adrenaline.
Oxytocin creates spontaneous labor, progressive labor, minimal postpartum bleeding, and JOY.
We should have called the hormone, "Yeshua."
If you're worrying about what is to come, you do not have the peace of Jesus.
Create a relationship with Him and let the Holy Spirit guide your choices... from the knowledge He wants you to have, to the surrender He is asking you to give.
If you're only praying (talking to God) when you're fearful or anxious, then your heart posture is not on trust... but worry... you're not confident in the peace that is offered to you.
Be still, and KNOW that He is above ALL things. You have a responsibility to partake in the good things He has given you to be a steward over... and then let God be God.
You will find His PEACE in surrendering to His will and accepting these responsibilities and what is to come.

08/27/2025

Many people talk about the "benefits of circumcision," as though this were a reasonable conversation to have.

It's not.

Discussing routinely cutting healthy tissue off a non-consenting minor is not a regular thing. It's not a reasonable way to "protect" against anything. It's incredibly invasive and can have a long-lasting impact on that person's physical and psychological function.

We might as well discuss pre-emptively removing every baby's appendix and tonsils too. To "prevent" appendicitis and tonsillitis, after all.

We don't remove organs or parts of organs that are functioning normally, in case something changes someday.
That is flat-out ridiculous.

Reframe the conversation...focus on the benefits of leaving boys alone...and stop doing this to babies!

08/12/2025

✊👊✊👊✊👊 wake up... we need to go to a birth...
2 births within 24 hours. ☀️
2 mothers living 2 hours apart. 🌎
2 labor calls on 2 different mornings at 2am. 🕑
2 types of labor patterns: one over 2 dates and one less than 2 hours. ⏳
2 ways of birthing with water: one in a shower and one in a tub. 🌊
2 ways of support: one present crocheting in the next room checking in now and then until just a few moments before birth, one over the phone with a dad running back and forth to get cell service, giving a play by play through a precipitous birth. 🧶
2 assists with my daughter 🤗
2 different realms, it feels sometimes... the one where labor calls come in the middle of the night and so few cars are on the road 🚙... the deer 🦌 look up from their midnight snack and the full moon 🌕 lights our path... where mothers go deep within and the Holy Spirit stirs with energy as birth intensifies, making you almost forget the other realm of the day to day, 9-5, busy schedules, worldly ambitions, cultural traditions,, and checklist of tasks...
My daughter said, "This is a normal day for everyone else..."
This is a normal day for me...

08/04/2025

Diastasis Recti is common... not optimal (especially with the first few babies).
This is your body communicating with you that you need more balanced movement and alignment. (Sneeze-peeing and hemorrhoids are other indications of imbalance in the core and pelvic floor and often lifestyle/food choices).
As your baby grows, this separation often increases, but wrapping your belly with a rebozo (and generally works better with more comfort than most hook-and-loop pregnancy support belts) and carefully selected strengthening and balancing activities can do wonders. But, working between pregnancies is super important.
First step postpartum, rest, hydrate, nourish, and do breathing exercises. Avoid too much activity too soon. This is the BEST thing you can do for healing this separation (and avoiding too much bleeding).
Then, you can slowly start to get back to movements and eventually healing alignment and exercises to prepare your body for a future pregnancy and the rest of your life!

🤰🏿✨Diastasis Recti By ✨🤰🏽

It’s common for the 2 muscles that run down the middle of the stomach to separate during pregnancy. This is called diastasis recti, or divarication.
The amount of separation can vary. It happens because the growing womb (uterus) pushes the muscles apart, making them longer and weaker.
The separation between the stomach muscles will usually go back to normal by the time the baby is 8 weeks old.
Regular pelvic floor and deep stomach muscle exercises can help to reduce the size of the separation between the stomach muscles.
(NHS, 2021)