Herbs can work wonders during pregnancy. They can be so beneficial to the body and the fetus. I look at herbs like foods that nourish and replenish the body. Many don't realize, but herbs can be used for many common discomforts of pregnancy such as nausea, fatigue, high blood pressure, low iron levels, depression, anxiety, etc. I have seen herbs work wonders for women in our practice, and would love to share the goodies with you! Although many herbs are safe during pregnancy, it is important to realize that not all herbs are safe. Research the herbs and speak with your care provider or someone knowledgeable about herbs before you take them. Here are some handouts that I made for you all which discuss safe herbs during pregnancy, and herbs to avoid during pregnancy.
I would love to hear everyone's opinions. Do you have special herbs that have helped you during pregnancy? Are you curious about a specific herb not on the list?
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Being a student midwife is completely like being an entrepreneur. Being a student midwife makes you get creative, and flexible. As a student, I am required to be on call 24/7. That means, getting ready to drop what I am doing at any given day or night without a time limit. I must be prepared to be gone for days or for a couple hours. I must rely on my support team and village when I have to call someone to watch my toddler at 3 in the morning.
Oohh... the life of a student midwife. What about work? How do I make money? Hmm, this is the fun part. This life path that I chose does not work with a regular 9 to 5 or any schedule in general in fact. Soo... I must live off of freelancing, random gigs, photography, quick services, etc. I book one day gigs and photoshoots, because that is all I can afford. Yes, even booking a one day gig can be an issue because who knows if I could be called into a birth that day or still be at a birth from the night before. So my challenge now, is finding ways to make money without affecting my midwifery schooling. I am constantly searching for the next gig, next way to make money, next move in life. The struggle is real, but where there is a will, there is a way. <3 I do it all for the mamas and babies! So, many of you might wonder what it entails to be a student midwife. Well...
My studies are broken down into two learning methods: Educational & Clinical. Just like a medical student, we get a formal education as well as hands on training as an apprentice. I go to prenatal visits weekly where we monitor the well being of mom and baby. We take mother's blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and check the babies growth, heart rate, and position. These appointments last on average an hour. During that hour, we discuss lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, emotional stability, health conditions, concerns, lab results, and childbirth education. We commit to shared-decision making with our clients and provide the information for our clients to make an informed decision regarding their care. We also partake in postpartum and newborn visits. This consists of checking well being of mom and baby, helping with breastfeeding, supporting the mother during the postpartum period, monitoring and preventing postpartum depression, discussing family planning, etc. We see our moms at 24 hours, 72 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks. A huge issue in our current health system is the fact the mothers are being seen once or twice during the postpartum period. This is not enough to detect if postpartum depression is on the arise, or if breastfeeding is not going well, or if this mother needs additional support. The majority of moms are left to fend for themselves, with no real guidance or acknowledgement on just how challenging the postpartum phase can really be. As midwives, we understand that postpartum is just as important as prenatal care. When I am not doing appointments, I am studying. I am a full time student, and I am constantly engaging and participating in classes regarding prenatal, labor, and postpartum care. And the biggest commitment of being a student midwife..... ON CALL 24/7. We specialize in home birth, meaning we are to be on call starting from when the mom is 36 weeks pregnant. This means waking up at 3 in the morning, finding a babysitter last minute, saying goodbye to my family for who knows how long or how fast. Sometimes I am at a birth for an hour and other times for 36 hours. There is no clock to birth work. Birth calls at any moment, and as midwives, we must be ready to drop WHATEVER we are doing, and assist that mama. When I became a student midwife, I chose the life of commitment, a life of serving for the betterment of maternity care and women's rights. Sometimes it can be challenging, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Well, this is my first blog as a student midwife. I have been meaning to do this for a long time but never really found the time and energy for it. Today, I am surrendering to the improvise. This is a blog about my journey as a student midwife. My experiences, outlooks, tips, insight. Not only my journey, but also ways to help mamas have a better pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. My goal is to share information and open you up to this path. I want to share the beauty, passion, shared-decision making, and education in midwifery care. I want to inform the world that women are capable of natural birth. It is empowering, unique, and inspiring. This is not a formal blog. There will be more than one spelling error, a lot of random thoughts, and a semi decent structure. But I plan to give you realness. When I say "student midwife", 80% of people have no idea what midwives are. I want to share with the world this incredible, unique, and ancient life path.
As a student midwife, I help to bring babies into the world at home. We believe in the mother's ability to birth her baby naturally. We are with our mamas through out pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. We help to guide them and encourage good nutrition, lifestyle, and promote shared-decision making. We are 100% committed to serving our mamas. So, lets break the tabu on home birth and join me as I share my experiences as a student midwife! |
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