Family Tree Midwifery

02/22/2024

10/01/2023

09/26/2023

Did you know.... Producing breast milk consumes 25% to 30% of the body’s energy; the brain only uses 20% by comparison.

Imagine adding an extra job that took 1 quarter of your daily energy and then feeling guilty because you couldn't keep up with all of the other tasks you did prior to adding that job.

Let the guilt go!



📸 credit: Earthbound Photography CDA

04/12/2023

03/26/2023

Anyone feel this way during pregnancy? 🤪

03/02/2023

Producing breastmilk takes up about 30% of the body’s energy. Your brain, for comparison, only uses about 20%.
You’re not doing nothing.
This is why you’re so tired at the end of the day.
This is why you’re so hungry and so thirsty.
So, if all you did was feed your baby today, don’t let your mind convince you that you didn’t do enough. You did enough. You did amazing. 🤱

✍️: Lizzie Schubert
🎨: Kiley Legleu’s Art

01/22/2023

09/12/2022

"They tell us how to grow a baby. What to eat.
What not to eat. What vitamins to take and what bras to buy. Allll the prenatal yoga moves to do.

But they forget to tell us how to put ourselves back together once that baby is born.
They forget to tell us how we might feel like we’re drifting.
Afloat. Alone. On a life raft with leaky breasts and sore stitches and a tiny little being dependent upon us for survival.
They forget to tell us how weird and wild it feels to have loose organs shifting about inside of us. How there will be so much softness still.

I get it. You don’t want to startle us. You don’t want us to be scared about what’s ahead.
But….a little heads up would be helpful
We’re brave enough for the truth.
And those things you find so scary- loose skin and leaky breasts and big feelings- we might just be bold enough to welcome them.
To see the beauty there.

So here’s the truth mama-
Your pelvic floor will probably need work and attention. You’ll have to put in some effort to regain that muscle strength, no matter how gentle your birth. Your breasts and belly will probably never be the same. Love them anyway. Love than more than before!! Celebrate them! Buy bras that make you feel sexy. Then move on.

Your identity and sense of self will change radically. Buckle up for the ride. You’ve got this. Your partnership and friendships and general relationship with the outside world might feel foreign for awhile. Or forever. Those relationships might crack and break under the weight of new parenthood. Live your truth. Leave the rest behind. In love.

The whole world might feel shaken up.
You’ll probably feel shaky and raw
That’s normal (they just forgot to tell you.)

You’re new here. In this skin. In this role. In this love. You’ll find your way. You’ll find your rhythm. It will all fall into place- with time.
Until then- breathe.
As deeply as you can.
Drink your tea before it gets cold.
If you can.
Rest -
whenever you can.
And love on your new self.
As deeply as you can."

❤️

09/09/2022

07/29/2022

Hold the mother, not the baby.⁣
⁣
Because the baby’s being taken care of—⁣
fed, snuggled, and given all the love in the world—⁣
by not only the mother,⁣
but her partner, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and friends.⁣
⁣
But the mother,⁣
may have gaps in her mind from lack of sleep,⁣
may be mechanical in her motions as she’s healing,⁣
may feel more like a mess than a mother,⁣
may be sitting in bed, crying, feeling overwhelmed in her body and life,⁣
may be full of mom guilt because in her mind, "she's not good enough,"⁣
and she’s bleeding, wincing in pain, swollen and emotional.⁣
⁣
And the mother’s that baby's whole world and needs to be seen, so she doesn't disappear into that postpartum fog.⁣
⁣
So, hold the mother, not the baby.⁣
⁣
A mother agrees that her baby matters more.⁣
But she’s hurting, while she’s the person behind the baby,⁣
in the background, making it all happen:⁣
feeding her baby at all hours,⁣
snuggling her baby close to comfort newborn cries,⁣
and being that baby’s everything.⁣
⁣
So, it’s the mother who needs your love.⁣
⁣
And a mother will remember who held her up.⁣
⁣
So instead of “I’m coming to see the baby,”⁣
try saying, “I’m coming to see you 𝘢𝘯𝘥 meet the baby, too.”⁣
⁣
Because the mother needs to be held more.⁣

📸: This Mama Doodles
....................................................⁣⁣
My Children’s Book 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺: 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘰 is out everywhere: https://amzn.to/317TvVc

07/16/2022

It changes a person’s whole life to gestate. ❤️

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

06/24/2022

For families near the Bemidji/Park Rapids area, here is a wise mama offering placenta encapsulation services. ❤️

Welcome to Mother to Mother Placenta Encapsulation!

After considering this for years, I am finally offering placenta encapsulation to the women in my area!

Since becoming a mother twelve years ago, I have loved the topic of all things pregnancy, birth and postpartum!

Now, five babies later, I would love to help other mamas through a part of their motherhood journey and placenta encapsulation is how I can do that!

I have had my own placentas encapsulated from either my midwife or my dear-friend/doula who also taught me how to process placentas which I am honored to have done for some of the women in my life and now I would like to offer the service to other expecting mothers.

04/16/2022

A raffle to support the Black Home Birth Initiative featuring jewelry created by local midwife Britt. Enter or just donate if you have extra to share!

03/03/2022

TIME's 2022 Women of the Year list is out. I'm extremely proud and honored to be a part of this group: time.com/woty

03/03/2022

The "Younger" actor nibbled on sushi in bed while she was in labor with her 3rd child.

03/01/2022

When I was first attending births in 1984, the obstetric model was to cut the umbilical cord immediately after birth and take the baby away for evaluation and a first bath. This was based on the belief that placental blood flow would increase birth complications for babies.

Even back then, we midwives knew to do it differently - we waited until the placenta stopped pulsating - 10 or more minutes -- before clamping and cutting the cord. Baby’s did great, placentas came out readily, and all was good - even if our methods were considered silly by doctors.

Times change, science has caught up. The midwives were right. We now know that immediate cord cutting, unless there’s a medical emergency that requires it, is not recommended. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping for at least 30–60 seconds, and the WHO recommends 2-3 minutes.

The benefits of waiting include:
❣️ Transfer to baby immunoglobulins and stem cells, essential for tissue and organ repair
❣️ Extra iron, which has been shown to prevent iron deficiency in the first year of life
❣️ Possibly reduced risk of hemorrhage and easier placental delivery for mom

While jaundice can develop from delayed cord cutting due to this influx of blood, this type of jaundice is not usually a medical problem. Baby will naturally clear this excess iron with pooping. Your midwife or pediatrician will keep an eye on baby over the first few days to make sure it’s clearing. However, the benefits of delayed cord cutting are more beneficial for baby than the risk of this jaundice.

Unfortunately, immediate cord clamping/cutting are still common practice in hospitals. You have to let your midwife or doctor know that you want to wait, with baby tummy to tummy on you, while you do. I recommend bringing this up with your care provider in advance to ensure that they are on board to do ‘delayed cord clamping and cutting’. Get specific with exactly how long you want baby to be connected to the placenta. Unsure how to advocate for yourself? Want guidance on pregnancy, birth, and newborn care? Join the Mama Pathway for all the support you need to be in the know. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ideservebirthsupport/

📷 on Instagram

02/17/2022

Fun shirts - get yours and support a Black birth worker!

Due to popular demand, Shea () and I have brought back the Labes Out, Babes Out shirt. This time with multiple garment options.

Labes Out Babes Out is the creative brainchild of Kaytee and Shea, who were pregnant and texting during the early pandemic. Shea said "I want a shirt for labor that says labes out babes out" and Kaytee immediately agreed and made the magic happen.

Now Kaytee and Shea send the proceeds to various reproductive justice initiatives. This current campaign will help fund a Black birth worker on the journey to becoming an IBCLC.
Order you’re ASAP. Link is in my bio.

02/14/2022

I love Dads! I have seen all of these and then some. ❤️

01/14/2022

"Overall, science can be helpful, but it’s important we recognise its limitations and that it is not the be all and end all. Your instincts and desires matter too. You do not need to present a barrage of evidence for every parenting decision you make. And you certainly do not need permission from science to make only the decisions it has deemed worthy." great advice! https://www.junomagazine.com/balancing-evidence-with-intuition/

11/28/2021

Large new study of waterbirth finds better outcomes and no increased risks. After 20 years of attending waterbirths this is not a surprise to me. 💙🌊

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University researchers have conducted the largest study of water births to date and found they were associated with better overall outcomes than non-water births. Water births had a lower risk of several maternal and neonatal outcomes, including postpartum hemorrhage...

08/19/2021

That’s a lot of milk!

She pumped around the clock.

08/17/2021

06/12/2021

It’s good to plan for birth... also sometimes necessary to change our plans, reframe our expectations, and go with the flow.

TW: surgical birth

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22456529/best-money-birth-c-section-oysters-cocktail?fbclid=IwAR3h2JonfAtuQ4dqtGH5lZqy-ZKdpcZPZz92XSHEnYqeajUZ67ZGhF5hREY

After nine months of "shoulds" still didn’t result in the outcome I’d envisioned, I decided to celebrate the chaos.

04/09/2021

Do you think these photos are “ruined”? The parents sure make some memorable faces!

04/07/2021

💛 A dear midwife and mom of 4 is needing an entire year away from her practice and her home to take care of her youngest, who has just been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Chemo, surgery and radiation, and living at a hospital 1.5 hours from home and family will be hard - and expensive. If you are able, please help this sweet family. 💛

All who know the Urbans know that the Urban kids are the heart and soul of their family. This ama… Rebecca Polston needs your support for Urban Family Support

02/24/2021

From sleeping in separate beds to their children to transporting them in prams, Western parents have some unusual ideas about how to raise them

02/20/2021

For babies who need help with pooping regularly, here are things to try to make them more comfortable!

https://www.facebook.com/383679291733547/posts/3285359128232201/?vh=e&extid=0

02/17/2021

From 5 years ago, but still relevant today.

“Nationally, and throughout California, the use of episiotomies has dropped significantly since the official recommendations came out — from 21 percent of all vaginal births in the state in 2005 to less than 12 percent in 2014.

That overall drop masks some giant disparities. A majority of the state’s hospitals now have rates under 10 percent, according to state data. But a few, including Whittier Hospital Medical Center and Beverly Hospital, in Los Angeles, are performing the procedure in more than 60 percent of vaginal births. Neither hospital returned calls for comment.”

https://khn.org/news/dont-cut-me-discouraged-by-experts-episiotomies-still-common-in-some-hospitals/ [LINK IN BIO]

02/17/2021

"I wanted a VBAC. I did all the things - Spinning Babies, walking every day, Webster-certified chiropractor, reflexology, eating dates, hiring a doula, choosing VBAC-friendly midwives at a beautiful maternity clinic. But my son passed meconium. My midwives and my doula didn't tell me, they let me continue to labour and to keep trying for my VBAC. He went into distress and we moved to the operating theatre. He needed some help to breathe when he was first born but cried quickly after and was completely fine.

I didn't get a VBAC and writing those words still hurts. I have grieved and continue to grieve the loss of what could have been. Of that experience of birth that I didn't have and now won't have, as we are finished having biological children. My son's birth was redemptive though and healing despite where it ended. I worked hard to choose a birth team that supported me, that helped me feel safe and heard. I had the opportunity to labour at home through the night, in the shower and in the bath at the maternity clinic. I had strong hands holding mine and strong hands on my back through each contraction. I was told I was beautiful as I laboured, that I could most definitely do this, even though I was doubting myself.

And as important, I had a peaceful postpartum with my second son. Postpartum with my first son was brutal, for a lot of reasons but mostly because I chose to be in a space and with people who were not emotionally safe. My experience of postpartum the second time around was completely different because I was careful about how I planned it. I created space for rest and recovery, made sure I had supports for childcare and emotional support.

I hold positive memories of my CBAC. My son arrived with assistance in an OR, which was not what I wanted, but I also had a beautiful and empowered labour and postpartum. It is not one or the other, all bad or all good, my birth experience sits somewhere in between. I grieve for what was lost and hold tightly to the beauty and healing of everything else. "