From the WBWC Blog:

Month: January 2013

Birth Story

By Mary Rider              As far as I know, I hold the record for number of babies born at Women’s Birth and Wellness (although for some it was Piedmont Women’s Health Center).  My husband and I have eight children and the last five have been born downstairs at the center.        The last time started just like all the rest.  On May 2, 2005 I was 39 weeks pregnant and my water broke.  I had been worried I wouldn’t have time to get to Chapel Hill from Garner because as each baby has come, my labors have gotten shorter and shorter.  But I noticed when I lay down, the contractions pretty much stopped. So as long as I didn’t walk around, I wasn’t in labor!  The thing is I had some work to do and wanted to get it done before the baby came so I wouldn’t have to be worrying about it with a newborn!             So I laid in bed and paid a few bills and every time I got up to go to the bathroom or get a drink, the contractions would return.        About lunchtime I told my husband I thought we’d better get ready to go. We’re not too quick at getting out of the house, and I didn’t want to wait too long or we’d be stuck in traffic on the way to Chapel Hill.        My dad, who lives at the beach, was in town. So he went and picked up the kids from school, and my friend Debbie Biesack picked up Bernadette from her high school.             Once we got to the center things went pretty quickly. I had given birth under water to the last four (an experience I highly recommend. It’s the most relaxing way of laboring I have found!) and so Sher asked me if I wanted to get in the tub. The one drawback to the tub is that it’s so big it takes a long time to fill. I really did want to get in the tub, but by then I knew there was no time for that!        So for the first time in a long time, I gave birth in the bed. My dad never likes to be in the room right at the moment, my mom made it a few minutes late, and Brianna, the oldest, was too far away to … Read More

Talking to Legislators: Midwives and Birth Centers Improve Healthcare

Maureen Darcey, CNM, and Brianna Honea will be attending a Congressional briefing in Washington, DC on February 7. This briefing will bring attention to a study to be published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, demonstrating the positive outcomes, health-wise and financially, associated with midwifery care. For more information about the briefing and how you can be involved in bringing awareness to your congressional representatives, follow this link: http://www.birthcenters.org/content/aabc-acnm-congressional-briefing-february-7-2013 To read a summary of the article published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, click here. For the full article, click here.

New Arrivals

*Here are some of the 38 babies we welcomed in December!* *Ada Claire Bickers Bock – 7 lbs. 8 oz – October 31 Anastasia Hughes – 5 lbs., 6 oz. – November 27 *Aidan Ray Trotter – 8 lbs., 9 oz. – December 1 Sadie Irene Donovan – 8 lbs., 6 oz. – December 3 Clara Pearl Brown – 7 lbs., 12 oz. – December 4 *Audrey Delilah Dunn – 6 lbs., 8 oz. – December 5 Ellie Inez Asencio – 7 lbs., 1 oz. – December 7 Brenta Thomas Shuler – 8 lbs., 5 oz. – December 8 Selah Maryn Ridout – 7 lbs., 4 oz. – December 9 Elizabeth Rose Grether – 7 lbs., 12 oz. – December 15 Clara Kelly Brenton – 9 lbs., 8 oz. – December 18 Liberty Mae Stubley – 6 lbs., 14 oz. – December 18 Baby Wheeler – 7 lbs., 8 oz. – December 19 Aaron Nathani – 9 lbs., 7 oz. – December 19 Jessa Elizabeth Brooks – 9 lbs., 8 oz. – December 20 Vivienne Roje Fields – 7 lbs., 6 oz. – December 23 Samson Levi Bell – 7 lbs. – December 26 Lola Jane Callegari – 8 lbs. – December 26 Christopher John Jenkins – 9 lbs., 4 oz. – December 28 *Rosabelle Hope Rivera – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – December 29 Maren Eliza Penny – 7 lbs. – December 30 *pictured above If you’d like your baby’s birth announced in the next newsletter, send an email with baby’s name, weight, and birth date to missy_swanson@hotmail.com. Feel free to include a picture! We’d like to hear from all WBWC moms, whether your baby was born at the birth center or UNC.

News from the Board

by Kaaren Haldeman     Happy New Year! The board is excited about the year ahead and we’re looking forward to tackling the pressing issues that have carried through to the new year. I would like to thank Rebecca Swartz for her board service and wish her well in her future plans and experiences. Although Rebecca has left the board, she has been helpful in conversations around development work and remains a valuable resource. Thanks, Rebecca!

Recipe: Banana-Oat Muffins

These are some seriously tasty muffins.  I’ve been playing with a recipe that I found online a few years ago, and now have a delicious muffin that makes an easy breakfast or great afternoon snack.  They freeze well, too (if your children don’t eat them all immediately!).  If you prefer a banana bread instead of a muffin, just pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake it a little longer. Ingredients: 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 3 tbsp butter, melted 1/4 cup applesauce 2 large eggs + 1 egg white 2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed 1 cup regular oats 1/2 cup lowfat milk 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups. Combine brown sugar, honey, eggs, butter and applesauce.  Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix banana, oats, and milk; add this to the sugar mixture and beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir with a whisk, then add to the sugar mixture.  Mix until just moist. Spoon into the prepared muffin pan. Bake about 20 minutes, until the muffin tops are springy.

WBWC Hosts “How to Start a Birth Center” Seminar

 On January 25, WBWC hosted a “How to Start a Birth Center” seminar.  Over 60 midwives, students, and health professionals from across the country came to Chapel Hill to learn what it takes to start and maintain a freestanding birth center.  Maureen Darcey, CNM, and Brianna Honea, our business director, welcomed the group and led a tour.  Birth center staff were on hand to answer questions, run through birth scenarios, and provide information.  It’s very encouraging that so many people are interested in expanding birth options for women throughout the country, and we’re pleased we’re able to share our expertise!

New Parking Spots!

You may have noticed that there are now 4 “Birth Center Only” parking spots out in front of the birth center.  Feel free to use these spaces when you’re here for your appointments or in labor!

Share Your Birth Story!

by Casey Bradburn Prior to becoming pregnant and recently having my first baby, I didn’t exactly have an interest in natural births, breastfeeding, etc. I had been moving more towards a natural lifestyle, but for a large part of my adult life I didn’t know if I even wanted to have children, so the subject certainly wasn’t a passion, or even one I knew much about. My husband Cole, on the other hand, has seemed to have more knowledge of and a passion for it for years. He is a chiropractor, so living a healthy and natural lifestyle is an essential piece of his work, but some of his passions weren’t ones that I shared. A few years ago I recall seeing him post articles and comments on his websites and Facebook pages about benefits of breastfeeding, birth procedures, etc. and I thought it was weird. I now feel like I finally understand the importance of getting the message and education out there and more well-known. After we had our son at the birth center in June 2012, Cole went back to work to a ton of people and patients asking him questions and for more information about having a natural birth. There was evidently some concern and probably some misconceptions about choosing that path. He could give some information and his viewpoint on the subject, but ultimately thought it would be great to gather mothers’ natural birth stories and  compile them into a free online book. That way it could be an inclusive resource for anyone interested in hearing the story straight from the mother, rather than from an onlooker.           He already has a good start, but is still looking for more birth stories. If any mamas out there would like to share theirs and have them included, please send them to drbradburn@mac.com. Thank you!