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The Birth Mag

Do Better Birthwork in 2021

January 7, 2021

do better birthwork

Are you a birth worker who is looking to expand your skill set, explore a new topic, or get new perspective? The Birth Mag team has compiled a list of upcoming classes, workshops, skillshares, and mentorship opportunities for kicking the new year off right. All courses listed are either live or have a live component, and are available virtually.

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Providing LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Care: How to Get Started

December 30, 2020

providing LGBTQIA+ inclusive care

Someone you know is LGBTQIA+, possibly even someone you love.

If you’ve been in practice for any length of time, chances are you have LGBTQIA+ clients.

Even if you don’t know which ones they are.

Even if you practice in a small rural town.

Even if you think your practice serves a “different” niche of clientele.

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Sustainability

December 16, 2020

sustainable birthwork article

Sustainability.

These days, it almost seems like a buzz word in the birth world. A free download. A hashtag. A commodity, even.

In reality, though, sustainability in birthwork, particularly in the doula-world, means getting to do the work that sets your soul on fire for longer than a few years.

Sustainability means creating a business from which you don’t need to regularly take self-care, or “burnout breaks”. It’s so much more than warm baths, massages, mantras and aromatherapy.

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Midwives and Doulas: The Promise We Make

December 8, 2020

birth photography by natalie broders

What is the #1 reason people hire Doulas and Midwives? Satisfaction with the birth experience. Or, in other words: trauma prevention.

My goal here is to critically look at the role continuity and continuous support play in outcomes for the people we serve, and hopefully avoid pitfalls in the way we structure services that can negatively impact clients. How we can take care of ourselves physically, emotionally and financially, while simultaneously give our clients the care they deserve?

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Waterbirth During COVID-19

November 30, 2020

waterbirth during covid-19

Based on prior research around respiratory illnesses and pregnancy (pneumonia, sinusitis, cold, or flu), all infections can give a risk of issues to the fetus in utero, but so also can the social determinants of health combined with or in absence of. The social determinants of health encompass everything else around the birthing person that also affects their health and way of life (access to fresh food, access to healthcare, transportation, community, etc.). According to a 2017 study conducted by Samantha Parker and her colleagues, they found that 49.6% of pregnancies deal with some sort of upper respiratory infection either periconception or sometime during their pregnancy prior to delivery. Their study found that from birth to year three, cognitive function of the offspring was not affected significantly but there was an association with behavioral problems especially in birthing people who were exposed to a respiratory infection from 16-20 weeks and later.

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The Birth Worker’s Place in the Climate Justice Movement

March 17, 2020

The degradation of our environment is deeply connected to the feelings of disconnection endemic to humanity. For centuries, humans have been growing farther away from nature, our bodies, and our own children and families. Intergenerational apathy is dangerous to our planet and our collective future. Birth is one key place that our system needs to change— our families and ecosystems depend on it.

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Bereavement and Pregnancy Loss

March 10, 2020

When I first started working in birth work I never understood why bereavement did not have as much emphasis and groups where people talk as pregnancy, birth, and postpartum groups. Death happened early in my life due to me being raised by my grandmother and so as I got older I learned to cope with it better. My maternal side of the family has obstetric complications and so miscarriages and stillborn were also a tragic, but normal event. There is a thin veil between life and death and so also it is a troubling subject there is no way to talk about life with death and loss.

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Beyond the Dyad – 5 Ways to Support Families With Multiple Co-Parents

March 5, 2020

For most of human history, people have parented and raised their families collaboratively. It wasn’t until recently – the mid-19th century – that families started to be recognizable as what most westerners now think of as “normal.” That is to say, centered around a monogamous marriage, typically between a “mom” and a “dad,” who will usually raise children with little-to-no community support. This model works for some, mostly works for many, and doesn’t work at all for many more. Divorce rates are high, especially in the first few years after having a child. Many parents feel exhausted, depleted, and spread too thin. The demands of parenting – heck, the demands of being human – are unrealistic for most people to take on alone or with just one supporting partner.

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The Intersection of Sex and Pregnancy: A Conversation with a Doula and Sex Therapist

March 3, 2020

Sex does not end with pregnancy. Although pregnancy and the postpartum period can complicate or add challenges to how a person approaches their sexuality, it is the responsibility of the birth worker to make sure they incorporate (into their practice) a discussion about what a person or couple needs during their pregnancy experience. This is where Tynan Rhea can help.

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Remembering Claudia Booker

February 20, 2020

by Sinéad Morgan On February 19th, 2020 the birth community lost a powerful leader in Claudia Booker, a woman who worked to tear down the racial disparities for birthing women of color. She was a Grand Midwife, fierce advocate, a mother, an educator, a philanthropist. Miss Booker’s lifetime is rich with history and wisdom, a legacy that will not be forgotten particularly among the birth community. Miss Booker transitioned from being a lawyer and judge to a doula, childbirth educator, and breastfeeding counselor before assuming her role as a Certified Professional Midwife. Miss Booker’s mother, a black woman in the 1940s, gave birth to her during a time where pain medication was not allowed for black women and neither was supporting a black woman during childbirth. Her mother, barely out of her teens, gave birth to Miss Booker isolated on a ward with just sheets used as walls between her and other mothers moaning in agony. This was an incredibly lonely, frightening experience for her mother, having had no childbirth education, no support and no pain management. When her mother shared this traumatic story with her she felt compelled to pursue birth work, not only in an attempt to rectify the traumatic experience her mother went through, but to ensure no other birthing person experienced birth in this capacity, unsupported and without their basic needs fulfilled.  After years of being a lawyer, Miss Booker yearned to have a more positive role in the lives of families, rather than one of representing the government and public issues in court. Miss Booker started her journey with the intention to create paths for birth workers, from doulas, to lactation consultants, midwives and childbirth educators. Miss Booker wanted to make sure that birthing people had better outcomes and a nurturing start to parenthood. Her own mothers birth story as well as her own gynecologist suggesting she become a doula, after witnessing her support her own goddaughter through a c-section, is what led her to birth work as a doula. Miss Booker recalls in an interview with Everyday Birth her gynecologist stating, “I saw you that day in the OR and I’ve never seen you so happy in the 15 years I’ve known you. And whatever made you that happy that day, is something you should figure out how to do all the time.” This in addition to her desire for more personal interactions with her…

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thebirthmag

Happy new year! 2020 was rough on the Birth Mag cr Happy new year! 2020 was rough on the Birth Mag crew, and we know it was for many of you as well. This turned out to be a terrible year to launch a new magazine project, but it's over, and we're moving forward.

What's next then? First and foremost, the next print issue is coming! Look for a sneak peek of the upcoming cover next week. We are also settling in to a more consistent release of digital content going forward. 

We are so thankful for everyone who has hung in there with us through the tumultuous ride that was 2020, and look forward to bringing you so much more in 2021!

#thebirthmag #birthwork #birthworkers #midwifery #doulalife
New on the website this week, from Dr. Ali Davis, New on the website this week, from Dr. Ali Davis, DC (@dr_ali_thechiro ): 

"Someone you know is LGBTQIA+, possibly even someone you love.
If you’ve been in practice for any length of time, chances are you have LGBTQIA+ clients.
Even if you don’t know which ones they are.
Even if you practice in a small rural town.
Even if you think your practice serves a 'different' niche of clientele."

Read the full article at www.thebirthmag.com 

#inclusivecare #inclusionmatters #lgbtqia #lgbtqbirthmatters #queerparents #thebirthmag #birthworkforall
Repost of a snippet of a live from @maytethewombdo Repost of a snippet of a live from @maytethewombdoula and @mujer_dela_tierra discussing violence in American midwifery. You can find the full length video over on Mayte's page, and I strongly encourage everyone, especially white midwives, to go watch it. There's some excellent explanation of differences between traditional midwifery (specifically parteras) and modern midwifery as typical in the USA, and the ways bias impacts care. Warning: this is a hard conversation and does include talk about loss of a baby.
New this week on the website, some thoughts from @ New this week on the website, some thoughts from @doula_barb of @birth_fort_worth on sustainable birthwork practices, because we all know that burnout is real.

"Sustainability.

These days, it almost seems like a buzz word in the birth world. A free download. A hashtag. A commodity, even.

In reality, though, sustainability in birthwork, particularly in the doula-world, means getting to do the work that sets your soul on fire for longer than a few years.

Sustainability means creating a business from which you don’t need to regularly take self-care, or 'burnout breaks'. It’s so much more than warm baths, massages, mantras and aromatherapy.

It’s understanding that you have value. It’s understanding that it’s ok to charge whatever it takes to make you feel GOOD about walking out the door and leaving your life behind for an unknown amount of time. It’s about business models and contracts. It’s about boundaries."

Read the entire article on www.thebirthmag.com (link in bio).

#birthwork #birthworkers #doulalife #midwifery #birthsupport #thebirthmag
New on TheBirthMag.com this week from Juli Tilsner New on TheBirthMag.com this week from Juli Tilsner (@midwifejuli.cornerstone ): 
"Continuity of care and continuous labor support are intertwined as one of the most difficult aspects of birth work.  They can lead to severe burnout and limit our income when we don’t have partnerships or backups available. We can easily justify taking more clients in a month than we know we should, making these exceptions because we tell ourselves 'they need us' and saying no breaks our hearts. Most of us have broken our own number of clients per month rule, maybe more than once. Maybe it turned out OK, possibly not."

Read the full article on the website. Link in bio!

Photo by @natbro.photo

#doula #doulalife #doulaservices #midwife #midwifery #midwifelife #birthwork #birthworkers #birthsupport
New on the website this week: Raichal Reed (@mcdon New on the website this week: Raichal Reed (@mcdonald_herbalist ) shares some information about waterbirth and Covid-19. 

"According to the CDC, 'There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactive the virus that causes COVID-19'. All rules that currently stand for a birthing person to be able to be in the pool (no fever, respiratory issues, etc.) should stay the same so that those who are sick in general are not in the water. Infections and how they spread vary and because there is no current documentation as to every way a person can contract the COVID-19 it is important to have proper personal protective equipment with each birthing person. Currently the CDC has not found any traces of COVID-19 in any municipal water systems, but they have not properly studied well water so their research is to be determined."

You can read more on TheBirthMag.com! Link in bio.

#waterbirth #birthduringcovid19
#midwifery #birthsupport
#birthwork #bornin2020
The lactation issue is out! We had an abundance of The lactation issue is out! We had an abundance of delays, but they have now all been mailed. If you've been waiting on this issue, keep an eye on your mailbox, because it is on the way!
Community led, community based. The Birth Mag is l Community led, community based. The Birth Mag is looking for new submissions! Are you a birth worker? Are you interested in helping your fellow birth workers learn and grow to be more inclusive and educated on the issues birthing people are facing today? We want to hear from you! Compensation starts at $35 for any article that is used. Please e-mail us at thebirthmag@gmail.com for more information or to submit an article.
#Repost @thevaginachronicles
• • • • • •
There is so much to learn from this week. So much to give and receive. .
.
This list is not an extensive and in no particular order but it is some of the HARD and persistent work that we must do. .
.
Black people breastfeed. Even when we tell you no after you’ve asked 15 times if we want formula. Even when we are afraid of what it looks like and how we can continue It. Even when we see how you look at our breasts not understanding how different they can be. Even when we must figure out breastfeeding complexities by ourself. Even when we had to do it for you, before we could do it for our own children. .
.
WE BREASTFEED!
#Repost @blkbfingweek • • • • • • HAPP #Repost @blkbfingweek
• • • • • •
HAPPY BLACK BREASTFEEDING WEEK! 🤩

By our histories and by the truths we know from living, our possibilities are greater than any imagination. 

For all the days that have felt hopeless, we invite you to enter a period of nourishment to revive.

Where there has been loss, grief and uncertainty, our restoration is key to being present and imagining healthy futures. 

And all through #BBW20, we reclaim our time, lives and families. 

Let’s gooooooo! 

#ReviveRestoreReclaim #blackbreastfeedingweek

Artist: Andrea Pippins @andreapippins
#Repost @storkandcradleclasses • • • • • #Repost @storkandcradleclasses
• • • • • •
New York, New York

Today starts Native Breastfeeding Week. Here are some native breastfeeding facts you should know.

-“The mission of the Native Breastfeeding Week community is to reflect the diversity of native breast-feeding experiences and to encourage and uplift visibility of native breast-feeding experiences”
-“this community also helps to address the inequality and injustice of indigenous mothers and their abilities to practice their roles in accordance to the tribal communities they dissent from”
-American Indian and American Native rates of breastfeeding initiation is 73% versus the national average of 83%.
-Formula supplementation is high (97%) for mothers who didn’t initiate.
-many native mother’s insurance doesn’t cover donor milk which could greatly benefit infants.
-many native women lack breastfeeding support because of social and cultural norms.

Facts are from @ja_lyonhawk article posted at illusa.org 2019

Please visit Native Breastfeeding Week’s Facebook Page for info about the virtual events you can support this week. ❤️

#indigenousbreastfeeding #indigenouswomen #americanindian 
#nativebreastfeedingweek #blackibclc #ibclc #doulasupport #doulas #blackmidwives #midwives #breastfeedingsupport #storkandcradle
#Repost @taprootdoula • • • • • • Blac #Repost @taprootdoula
• • • • • •
Black Maternal Health Week is EVERY week •
•
Art @designedbydg •
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The best way I’ve improved my ability to care for black parents is to listen to them. But before I could learn to listen, I had to commit to the LIFELONG task of confronting my biases against them. I must also commit over and over to the a promise that I would confront bias and racism I witness in my colleagues, providers, leadership and institution. This involves being brave, frank and unapologetic, and well-versed in the mechanisms for reporting abusive and problematic  behavior, even in situations with an imbalance of power (nurse v. physician, etc.) Anti-blackness is the default in our culture. As healthcare workers if we don’t intentionally, diligently, and sustainably work to confront and destroy our biases, these biases WILL lead to black birthing people and babies’ harm and death.
•
Every birth worker - doctor, nurse, doula, midwife - needs to invest in an anti-racism training - @rebirthequity ~ @theblackdoula ~ @shishi.rose ~ @abide_women are some leaders who receive compensation to help you confront your biases against black birthing people. Anti-racism training is not CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING. Cultural competency training is required by most employers, it’s been around for a while, and it doesn’t change s#%^.
•
Follow 
@blackmamasmatter @4kira4moms to keep up to date on ways you can learn more and legislation that is working towards the goal of protecting black parents and babies from medical racism that causes harm.

#blackmamasmatter #maternalmortality #blackmaternalhealthweek
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