A Modern Midwife

27/10/2020

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I woke up this morning to news being shared about a loss within our medical community.

Dr. Chaniece Wallace lost her life to pre-eclampsia this past weekend. She was the Chief Pediatrics Resident at Indiana School of Medicine.

On October 20th, 2020, Dr. Wallace gave birth to her daughter, Charlotte via c-section at 36 weeks.

Despite delivery of her daughter, Dr. Wallace continued to have complications related to pre-eclampsia, including a ruptured liver, impaired kidney function, and elevated blood pressure.

I am so saddened. My heart hurts for her family. For her husband. For her daughter that will never get to feel a hug from her mama. For her medical team that has to process the past several days.

How do we continue to fail black womxn? Dr. Wallace was educated. She had access to care. How did she become part of a statistic that black womxn are ~3-4x more likely to die in childbirth when compared to white womxn?

How, as a medical community do we do better? In a system that prides itself on protocol and process improvement, how do we continue to fail womxn?

If we, as womxn’s health care providers cannot understand how this occurs, then we need more attention on this. We need to understand how our protocols, and policies, and processes can improve.

We need transparent communication.

We need root cause analysis of US maternal deaths not for fear of litigation, but for maternal health improvement.

Rest in Power, Dr. Wallace.

18/10/2020

Post Call.

I’m often asked how I balance being a midwife with my life at home with my husband and two kids.

This morning, I walked out of the hospital to head home after a 24 hour call shift. Twenty-one of those hours I spent in and out of clients’ rooms.

Today I feel drained. Mentally and physically.

Midwifery is not for the weak. But neither is marriage or parenting.

The reality of being a midwife is there is always a blurred line between work and home.

There are times like today, I parent on autopilot until I can get a nap. Days I raced from the hospital to
get to an awards ceremony or arrived late to a game. We’ve said ‘goodnights’ by phone, spent family
dinners at the hospital, and late-night kisses long after bedtimes.

But kids are resilient, and a good partner is supportive. Many of the same traits we experience at a birth
are just a continuation of life at home.

Flexibility. Support. Patience.

We find balance knowing that just
as in life, we have easy days, and days we need to make easier by ordering some good take-out and a
nap!

10/10/2020

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month.

She may not show it, but she will always remember her due date. A first birthday. When kindergarten would have started. High school graduation. The date she lost her baby.

On October 15th across at time zones at 7pm, we invite you to light a candle to show your support to all families in loving memory of all the babies lost.

08/10/2020

In celebration of National Midwifery Week, here’s a look at my typical day!

07/10/2020

October is breast cancer awareness month.

Annual mammograms began at age 40 for most women.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, talk to your provider about the appropriate timing of mammograms for you, and if you care a candidate for genetic testing.

Know the signs:

* New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
* Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
* Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
* Redness or flaky skin in the ni**le area or the breast.
* Pulling in of the ni**le or pain in the ni**le area.
* Ni**le discharge other than breast milk, including blood.

06/10/2020

I still remember my first encounters with a midwife. I was in nursing school, and had just started my first job as a CNM in a small LDRP (all in one birthing room) in a great small college town in Iowa.

I was lucky enough to get to watch a few births in between my job duties, and there was just something special about those midwife births.

That small group of midwives were so personable and knowledgeable. There was a sense of calm in the room. It just felt natural. It was an experience.

I knew that was what I wanted to become.

Thank you to all the midwives I’ve had the opportunity to learn from. Those that taught me to watch a woman in labor, instead of a monitor. To listen to a woman, and trust my intuition. To build a foundation of science and medicine, but appreciate the art of birth.

Thank you. Thank you. May we always have the hands of a lady, the eyes of a hawk, and the heart of a lion.

Happy National Midwifery Week.

02/10/2020

Soaking up some Vitamin D on this *g o r g e o u s* sunny fall day.

While the days are getting shorter, Vitamin D becomes even harder to obtain. Did you know that almost half of all Americans are Vitamin D deficient?

Low levels have been linked to decreased bone density, mood and neuro disorders (like depression, MS, & Alzheimer’s), diabetes and cancer.

Knowing your Vitamin D level can easily be obtained through bloodwork, but the results can be misleading. Most labs will show a result as 30nl/ml or greater as normal; but optimal range is truly 50-100nl/ml.

Food sources for vitamins and minerals are always ideal, but adequate Vitamin D levels through food can be difficult to obtain, so supplementation becomes important.

Minimum dosage for Vitamin D3 is 400iu daily, but many need at least 1,000iu to reach adequate levels.

So get outside (don’t forget the sunscreen), and work on that Vitamin D!

17/09/2020

05/09/2020

We can’t even stub a toe without thinking it’s Covid at this point.

14/04/2019

26/03/2019

Dealt with infertility? Anonymous survey for women that have dealt with infertility and the stress associated with it.

Scientist

16/03/2019

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 This.

Another nurse posted this... what she did for a family with their rainbow baby 😭

Thank you Adrienne for providing this kind of care to our families 😍

15/03/2019

We gain so much when we become a mother, but temporarily lose a little of ourselves getting wrapped up in our new role.

We need to be seen.We need to be heard.We need someone to not only ask if we're okay but to check time and time again, just to be sure. We're not just a uterus.We're not just a lifeline to a new and precious soul. We're mothers.And we need someone to make sure we're okay, too

04/01/2019

There are few things more isolating than being a SAHM.

'It’s like cabin fever after a few days, except it’s your life every day.'

14/12/2018

We start our toddlers off with good touch/bad touch. Don’t stop there. Continue to build on that as your child grows.

Why schools and families need to talk about relationships, caring, and consent as part of a comprehensive approach to s*x ed.