Natural Childbirth Classes with Brittany Paino

03/01/2022

The way our bodies work is fascinating. Do we even need to be told to kiss their little hands and faces? No- we instinctually do it. It's amazing how it all works together. 💚

How breastmilk makes the perfect antibodies for your baby.

Via

11/08/2021

Breech is a variation of NORMAL and shouldn't automatically equal cesarean. Every doctor, nurse, and midwife should be trained on how to deliver a breech baby.

I’m super excited!! Breech without Borders will be coming to Minnesota April 23, 2022 to teach their hands on Breech Skills! Home and hospital providers should sign up and learn from this amazing program.

07/21/2021

Solid. ✊

💜

02/24/2020

Skin-to-skin is not just for the moms!

Before I became a mother, I assumed skin-to-skin contact, or "kangaroo care," with a newborn was meant to aid breastfeeding and that's it. Yeah, I was wrong. Turns out, skin-to-skin is the preferred way to hold and bond with all babies, regardless…

02/24/2020

Can't stress the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people and to follow your mothering instincts.

02/19/2020

Believe it or not, you can decline any and all cervical checks (and anything else) offered to you during pregnancy and labor. . .

As Earthley shared:

Most women are subject to routine pelvic exams during pregnancy...early, late, and during labor. But did you know these are often NOT necessary?

Early in pregnancy, cervical exams are used to "confirm" pregnancy. A simple, non-invasive urine test can do the same thing.

Late in pregnancy, cervical exams are used to "predict" labor. While a pelvic exam *may* benefit a woman who is pre-term and having signs of impending labor (via the "Bishop score"), there is no benefit to women who are full-term and simply wondering how many more days it will be!

During labor, there is also little benefit. Most providers use cervical exams for their own knowledge, so that they can try to predict when they'll be needed for delivery. It doesn't impact the progress of labor or improve the outcomes for mom or baby.

Pelvic exams can also introduce foreign bacteria and increase the risk of infection to both mother and baby. Some women find the exams extremely uncomfortable mentally and physically, especially if they are performed frequently or by different providers. They also immediately shift the vaginal flora, which can impact the baby's gut development (but no studies have been done to see what the long-term impact might be).

One situation in pregnancy where an exam may be advised is if a woman has had a previous second-trimester loss, or is having symptoms of very pre-term labor. Cervical shortening is highly predictive of early labor, and women can get progesterone supplements to help sustain the pregnancy until they are full-term. However, "repeated" exams do not improve outcomes with pre-term labor. (An ultrasound may also work to detect a shortening cervix.)

If you don't want a pelvic exam, you have the right to say NO (until or unless you change your mind or something goes wrong). You can also learn how to check yourself for dilation during labor, if you want to know. Whether or not you have an exam, baby *will* be born. 🙂

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20159393
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5503468/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23857468
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560273/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20556763
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10076131
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28475099
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21551402
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647734/

01/11/2020

♥️

This was one of my favourites from the minis I did before Christmas.

I don't think I even need to say anything else about this piece- you'll know why it stole my heart!

(If you're not doing this right now, don't you miss it!? I do!)

01/04/2020

Going into a birth uneducated and willy-nilly, you are signing up for the chart on the left

Educating yourself helps you weigh out your preferences and needs so it can be more like the chart on the right.

Just a friendly reminder of WHO should be making any and all decisions related to your health care.
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“Hospital policies do not trump human rights.” - /

12/20/2019

Super cool shot of how it all works.

Once upon a time... I thought it worked much like sipping a straw. 😆

10/27/2019

Many moms ask about the effectiveness and safety of nitrous oxide.

"...estimated that with nitrous oxide, 13% of laboring people will have nausea or vomiting, 3 to 5% will have dizziness, 4% might feel drowsy, 18% might have a reduced sense of awareness, and about 5% will feel mask phobia where they feel claustrophobic because of the mask being on their face."

In this video you will learn about nitrous oxide gas and how it can be used during labor for pain relief. We discuss the research evidence on nitrous oxide during labor and the main pros and cons of this approach to pain management.

10/09/2019

Very common to hear a laboring mother be told not to push because they have a "lip of cervix" left undilated, but is it really best and evidence based to tell a mom to try not to push until they have the green light?

"Telling women to push or not to push is cultural, it is not based on physiology or research. For example, in some parts of the world women are told to push throughout their entire labour (on an unopened cervix!). This is often accompanied by their midwife manually stretching the cervix too – ouch. Alternatively, in other parts of the world women are told not to push until a prescribed point in labour. It seems midwives are bossy worldwide."

Here is a scenario I keep hearing over and over: A woman is labouring away and all is good. She begins to push with contractions, and her midwife encourages her to follow her body. After a little w…