MOV Birth

02/25/2026

If we want birth support to be humanized, we need to stop living in fear and start trusting our God-given gifts we are meant to hone and refine and stop turning midwifery education into medical-first. Having medical options is a blessing... but it's a curse when we not only start learning and trusting that approach as the first method, but also when we stop living lives that support non-medical pregnancy and birth.

"Every attempt at ending the practice of midwifery has failed."

BUT this is only because of midwives like Shiphrah and Puah, Exodus 1:15-21... and no one said they didn't face persecution for it. For we should know, 2 Timothy 3:12, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

And why do we still do it? Because being a disciple of Jesus creates a joy and peace within this hard service, and the rest of our challenging lives, that surpasses the misguided and fear-based perspectives of the world. We don't live in a perfect world, and women need loving (patient, kind, non-egotistical) care as they transform through growing, birthing, and caring for life.

Throughout history, women (midwives) have been in communities for other women to turn to for support with women’s concerns—not just reproductive health care, but also issues such as spousal abuse.

02/25/2026

Just a reminder of a really important question.

In an editorial in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine, Professor Hannah Dahlen looked at the meta-analysis by Hutton et al (2019), which looked at 14 studies involving around 500,000 women.

It showed (again) that home and hospital birth are equally safe and that homebirths in well-integrated settings appear to lead to better perinatal outcomes.

She then raised an important question: 'Is it time to ask whether facility based birth is safe for low risk women and their babies?'

If you’d like to know more about the evidence on home birth, see https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/is_home_birth_safe/

We have an entire page of studies and links to load of evidence-based information about homebirth.

Dahlen HG (2019). Is it Time to Ask Whether Facility Based Birth is Safe for Low Risk Women and Their Babies? EClinicalMedicine doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.08.003

02/24/2026

Been working on some Midwifery Skills training... psst... it's even fun to play with your kids - especially if you have simulators to go along with it!😍


Get the printable in the Etsy shop (and help support local midwifery training skills days)!

This Role Playing Games item is sold by Esali. Ships from United States. Listed on Feb 24, 2026

02/18/2026

A pacifier in the first 6 weeks of life drastically reshapes the baby's mouth for breathing, vagal nerve stimulation comforting, eating, and speaking in the future.
Pacifiers reduce weight gain, nutritional gain, immune function, and brain development by replacing breastmilk as a nutrient-deficient breastmilk replacement.
Generally, if you get past the first 6 weeks of life without using a pacifier, you probably won't even feel like you need the break because breastfeeding usually balances out a bit at this point when the growth spurts slow down.
This means you need a LOT of support in the first 6 weeks after birth. This includes quality breastfeeding support as well as support for daily tasks in the home. Mothers that want to, or need to, get up and do more are more likely to use a pacifier so they have the option of not nursing their baby when they don't feel like it, or can't because of lack of help.
This doesn't mean help to hold and shush the baby! Babies NEED to nurse, and it's not just for nutrition. A pacifier CANNOT do what breastmilk and breastfeeding do any more than formula and bottles can do what breastmilk and breastfeeding do.
Accept help.
Ask for help.
Give quality help...especially if you're friends and family... and if you're a postpartum practitioner of any kind STOP charging an amount only accessible by privileged families for mothers to survive... thrive... through birth and postpartum!

02/17/2026

"There is a confluence of forces shaping this moment: increased regulatory oversight, ideological polarization within segments of the homebirth community, and the ever-present tension between autonomy and accountability."

"What began as a tradition rooted in trust, autonomy, and reverence for physiological birth has been swept into waves of radicalization and reaction. "

"Instead of practicing from a place of confidence, knowledge, and tradition, many midwives now practice from a place of fear. Defensive decision-making replaces holistic judgment. Risk aversion becomes the norm. "

[This is immensely reflected in the current generation of midwifery preceptors and their students... believing a certain style is the only way and conforming to check boxes rather than logic... and rather than supporting all styles of midwives to give options for all the styles of peoples, we're pushing for fear-based regulation and educational systems to all be the same].

"when even midwifery, traditionally the sanctuary of physiological birth, becomes medicalized, women may feel they have nowhere safe, respectful, and evidence-aligned to turn."

This year, I have been approached by at least a half a dozen midwives to conduct chart reviews for cases pending with their regulatory agencies or to provide expert witness testimony for trials. Th…

02/06/2026

My daughter's last [planned 😉] assist with me 🥲

Her first repeat family... of the first family she ever officially assisted...
An 8lb 10oz baby boy born on
2/3
@ 3:43
At 43+1 wks
With a 3x wrapped cord around the bum and legs
What a poetic way to transition to what comes next...
Once you've supported mothers to birth their baby by the warmth of a wood stove with the care of their husband holding them... it stays with you for the rest of your life.
You question every story where a mother was told she isn't allowed to _______
You cringe when you hear of women birthing in bright lights with people who ask them a bazillion questions while they're laboring... and take their baby away from them... and you know it's important to be healthy enough to make this "alternative" possible
You question every life experience where someone is told they aren't strong enough, smart enough, safe enough.... ______ enough... you know, with Jesus you are all these things.
You learn what women are capable of and what you may want or need one day for birth.
You learn the foundations of caring for normal birth and postpartum, if all it ever does is help you to educate a friend when they become pregnant.
You place your standards on marriage to try to seek someone who will be calm and quiet, be nearby and attentive and not distracted by their screens, get you water, wipe your brow, rub your back, encourage you on, remind you of what you're capable of because they've seen God work through you, and CREATE the space that makes you feel safe.
It's not just about assisting at a birth... these are deep life experiences whether you create, or want, them to be...

01/31/2026

"In those days, Granny midwives also carried particular authority. They were trusted not just because they knew herbs, but because they understood bodies, especially women’s bodies. They knew when to strengthen, when to cleanse, and when to leave well enough alone."

Most remedies began as teas, but not in the modern sense of a delicate cup. These were strong infusions and decoctions made to pull nourishment and medicine from bark, roots, and other tough plant material. A pot would sit on the stove or over a fire, water slowly darkening as the plant matter gave....

01/28/2026

HB4747 in WV

Much better language for midwifery license in WV than in the past, but still too many restrictions for non-medical midwives, which ultimately affects the fear surrounding birth and choices for birthing mothers and their families.

My personal concerns with this bill are...
- Forced licensure for CPMs in WV... If it is not all optional, it's not providing more choices
- Restrictions for required transfer of care to medical care for the families they serve under a list of conditions, including "acute" conditions... wonder who interprets what that is...
- Permission for the use of a lot of medication without medical training (birth in rural settings really doesn't need a long list of medications anyway... this could be more specific to managing PPH, exhaustion, and Rho-D prophylaxis options)
- We already have licensing options for medical midwives in WV through the CNM route (maybe, let's work on advocating that the CNM regulations give them more autonomy rather than restrict more midwives and the families they serve!)

You can read this here... and contact your delegates! They need to hear your opinions and how this personally affects you, your family... and future families in WV.

https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4747%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4747

01/27/2026

A Ph.D. student at OU is looking for participants for a study on milk-sharing!

Donating milk, receiving donated breast milk, or having nursed a baby that wasn’t your own are experiences that would be helpful!

Please reach out to Prathana Dodia at pd435622@ohio.edu

🤱🏻🍼❤️🥛

01/27/2026

01/23/2026

If you're confused about whether it's safe to take paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen or Tylenol) in pregnancy, you're not alone.

Recent headlines and conflicting information have left many expectant mums wondering what to do when they're dealing with pain, headaches, or fever.

And midwives and birth workers are also struggling to know what to say.

Thats why I've written a blog post on paracetamol in pregnancy and birth. I explain the issues and link to evidence-based resources so that you can make the decisions that are right for you.

Read it at https://www.sarawickham.com/promoting-normality/the-paracetamol-question/