Olive Branch Midwifery Services

10/16/2024

This isn’t my typical post, but it is directly related to midwifery. Chances are, if you’ve been taken care of by a midwife in Utah, has had a hand in precepting, teaching or supporting them in someway. She may have even been your midwife. She is the only reason I am a midwife. And before all of that, she is my mother and my best friend. Earlier this year we found out that she is in end-stage renal failure after being dealt some unfair genetic cards. We’ve been working so hard all year to finally get her added to the transplant list. Myself and a few other angels have also been going through the process to be evaluated as potential donors for her. Somehow (which now feels very fitting, of course) I am currently in the final phase of finding out if I’ll be chosen. After a long and arduous evaluation, 42 tubes of blood given, 24 hour urine collection (twice!), passing a 75 gram glucose test (yuck), an EKG, X-rays, and an abdominal CT, we are here. It feels like a test I want to pass so badly but have no control over at this point. On Thursday, my insides will be presented to a panel of specialists to decide if I can move forward with donation and give Cathy her life back. Cathy is a pillar in this community, an angel on earth and I would give every organ in my body to her if I needed to. Please cross your fingers and send all the real nice good vibes to the nephrologists and surgeons at the U so they’ll decide to let me do this for her. And if we do get to move forward, I am most certain that I’ll need help from my community and all of you midwives to watch over my clients while I recover. Holding my breath and anxiously awaiting the call 🤞🏼🤍🤞🏼

01/01/2022

2021 was a really amazing year. Each of the babies born are the absolute loves of my life. I am so grateful for how easy it is for me to find so much beauty in this somewhat difficult year, thanks to all of the Olive Branch Midwifery families that were brought into my life. Looking forward to what 2022 may bring and looking back so lovingly at all of the bonds, friendships and deep connections from this year. I love you all so much ❤️

📸:

09/12/2020

Happy BIRTHING day to my mother. 33 years ago, after waiting nearly two weeks past her “due date” she labored at home through the night and then made her way to a birth cottage in Nampa, Idaho. She gave birth to all 9lbs 6oz of me gently, peacefully and surrounded by love. My gentle birth has rippled on through the rest of my life. In how I love, how my heart feels so deeply, and how I provide care for others. I’m spending the day thinking about my mother and her beautiful day with the possibility of someone calling me to tell me they’re in labor and that their birthing day has started too 💕

09/09/2020

Hello. It’s me, your midwife and my milk-loving lady 💕 did you know that when I was pregnant with Rosemary, my plan was to take this year slow? Do a few births, minimal advertising, and just work on navigating postpartum with three kids. Then the world changed. Your birth plans changed. And my postpartum plan changed. Because safe birth on YOUR terms is what I do. And it was important to me to be able to preserve this moment for you. I am so grateful that I get to provide a tiny bit of normalcy, human interaction and loving kindness during a time where everything is so upside down. I truly cherish the incredible heart space I get to share with each one of you. I hope you all know that even though life feels a bit chaotic and heavy, that you’re birthing tiny warriors, rainbows and joy into a world that needs it so badly. Your choice to birth gently is going to change the world. You are what is making this year bearable for me and I can’t wait to be there when you meet the loves of your lives 🌿

06/22/2020

I am so lucky that this work gives me an opportunity to hang out with some really amazing dads. Happy Father’s Day to all you radical papas ☮️

06/16/2020

Hi friends! Just wanted to let you know that I am completely booked and not currently accepting clients through the rest of 2020. I have availability starting January 2021. I am so looking forward to all the babies that will be born this year ✨🌿

05/25/2020

💕

**New coronavirus and breastfeeding research**
Milk from breastfeeding mothers, who have recovered from COVID-19, *may contain antibodies to the novel coronavirus.* In a preliminary report, 15 human milk samples obtained from donors previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 10 negative control samples were tested for a variety of antibody activity. The data indicate that there is strong SARS-CoV-2 immune response in the majority of human milk samples collected after infection. Study leader, Rebecca Powell of The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, was quoted by Reuters, “Nursing mothers who are infected with the novel coronavirus should continue to breastfeed throughout their COVID-19 illness and beyond, because (other researchers) have shown transmission does not occur via milk, and we have determined that antibodies are almost certainly there, and may protect their babies from infection.” Her team’s report, posted on 5/8/20 on the preprint server medRxiv, has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal. Read more at: https://bit.ly/2WHvJcA
Read more about breastfeeding and COVID-19 at:
https://lllusa.org/coronavirus-and-breastfeeding/

04/10/2020

Hello my sweet friends! My maternity leave has come to an end and I’m back to work on Monday. I had planned for every possible thing postpartum except for a pandemic! However, this time off has given me lots of time to read all the research and create a plan for how I can best care for myself, my family and my clients. One of those things is to take a limited number of clients each month, and I’m already filling up fast! I wish I could take care of all of you while we navigate this strange time, but I only have a few spaces left. Please reach out to me soon if you’re interested in birthing at home with Olive Branch Midwifery. Sending you all my love, always 🌿

02/13/2020

I just found out that I was nominated for the Best Of 2020 awards for Best Midwife. I am a very tiny fish in a huge pond full of amazing Midwives, so honestly, just being nominated feels like a win. I don’t do this work for recognition or praise, but to know that someone feels like I gave them the best possible care means everything to me 💕

01/23/2020

I look down at this belly sometimes in complete disbelief. I remember all of those months- squinting sideways in the best possible lighting begging my eyes to see two lines and a positive test. Feeling defeated and hopeless that I would never be in THIS place. I feel honored, grateful, and lucky every day for the chance to have this experience and I can’t believe it sometimes that I’m actually HERE now.
I’m also so grateful that during the times that were the most difficult on my heart, I got to spend my time ushering other’s new babies into the world. Sharing in their joys and greatest moments filled my cup to the top. I love midwifery. I love birth. And I love this growing baby who will be here so so soon.

12/29/2019

So much love for all the NICU parents. Especially through the holidays.

When I think about the narrative that can be left out of the postpartum and motherhood story, I think about NICU families. & #8291; Everyone has a heavy heart for a...