Susan Arthur Yoga & Doula Services (DoulaSue)

04/03/2026

Great Substack article on the value of doulas!

My story and the data behind doulas

04/03/2026

Here's a well-designed randomized study that used specific strains of probiotics via supplementation to test whether GBS colonization could be reversed via probiotics. 99 pregnant women who tested positive for GBS at 35-37 weeks were given either a probiotic supplement or placebo. The probiotic supplement contained 10 billion CFU (each) of two strains of probiotic bacteria that have been specifically studied for their beneficial effects on vaginal health: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, GR-1® and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14®.
The probiotic supplement was taken for an average of 20 days. At the time of admission to the hospital for delivery, a repeat screen for GBS was completed. Among the women who received probiotics, 43% tested negative for GBS compared to only 18% in the placebo group. Those are pretty compelling statistics, though note that it did not reverse colonization in all cases.
The study authors propose that supplementation w/ these probiotic strains be started in the third trimester in those who are at risk for GBS with the hope that it may prevent GBS colonization.

This study is to examine the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 taken orally before bedtime on Group B Streptococc…

02/05/2026

A salute to Brigid and happy Imbolc!!

Happy Brigid’s Day! The figure of Brigid stands both fierce and compassionate in our mythology. She is the only female patron saint of Ireland. She is goddess of healing, fire, and inspiration; taking blacksmiths, livestock, poets, women and newborns under her protection.

Brigid stands for women’s strength, softness, and wisdom. For midwives, mothers, healers, and those who protect the bond between women and their babies.

This Brigid’s Day, La Leche League of Ireland are proud to celebrate the symbolism of Brigid by supporting breastfeeding, and by honouring the deep, embodied wisdom of motherhood.

May we keep the flame alight for women and babies, today and always 🕯️

12/23/2025

This feels good for folks who are not pregnant, too!

Most "liked" birth position of 2025: Forward Inversion.

Doing inversions every day can help you lengthen and soften your uterine ligaments, as well as help resolve any twist in the lower uterine segment.

The weight of baby and uterus streeeeetches out those ligaments to reduce torque and helps baby get into a great position for birth.

⏩️For more info, visit our resources for parents and doulas at MotherboardBirth.com and make sure to check out our digital products shop!

11/07/2025

Cesarean is the most performed surgery and often is because of continual fetal monitoring. This is a must read.

10/11/2025

Do you know your Apgar scores?

In 1952, inside a New York City delivery room, a baby was born blue and silent. Doctors hesitated, unsure whether to keep trying. Then a calm voice broke through the panic.
“Let’s score the baby,” said Dr. Virginia Apgar.

That moment changed medicine forever.

Apgar had once dreamed of being a surgeon, but in the 1940s few women were allowed into the operating room. Told that no hospital would hire her, she turned to anesthesiology instead — a decision that would save millions of lives.

Working in Columbia-Presbyterian’s maternity ward, she saw newborns die within minutes of birth because doctors had no system to judge which babies needed help first. So one morning in 1952, she grabbed a pen and paper and designed a five-point test measuring heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex response, and skin color. She called it the Apgar Score.

The idea spread faster than anyone expected. Within a decade, almost every hospital in America was using it. Infant mortality fell sharply. Doctors finally had a language for newborn care — and babies once thought lost were suddenly being saved.

Apgar never stopped pushing forward. She earned a public health degree, joined the March of Dimes, and became a global voice for mothers and infants. When asked how she had thrived in a man’s world, she laughed, “Women are like tea bags — they don’t know how strong they are until they’re in hot water.”

Dr. Virginia Apgar passed away in 1974, but her test still guides every delivery room on Earth. Every two seconds, somewhere in the world, a baby takes its first breath — and someone quietly calls out a number that honors the woman who refused to give up on newborns or on herself.

09/30/2025

Your Local Epidemiologist's Fall Vaccine Guide

This fall, we have vaccines for three fall respiratory viruses: flu, RSV, and Covid-19.

09/22/2025

Be sure to see the gorgeous photos! . . . "layers of fabric enveloped Ms. Cisneros like a cocoon. Slowly she emerged from the folds, as though she herself were being born again — “because no woman is ever the same after giving birth,” Mrs. Llanes said.

Then came a bath infused with arnica, basil, lemon balm, calendula, rosemary and other medicinal plants — an anointing for her body and her spirit, the midwives said.

After a while, her baby daughter was slipped into the warm water with her, and they rested in a quiet embrace."

Some women in the country’s capital are turning to midwives who they say offer a more holistic approach to care than hospitals usually provide.

09/07/2025

Undisturbed birth! Amen. May he rest in peace and may birthing people rest in power!

Controversial advocate for delivery with minimal medical intervention and early champion of the birthing pool has died aged 95