Are you an experienced Cloth Diapering mama? Do you love your cloth? Have a “pocket full” of knowledge and tips ready to share with others?? We’re seeking out Cloth Diapering Community Volunteers to participate in our monthly free class. It’s held the 3rd Saturday of every month. 10 am. – 11:30 am. If you’re interested, you receive boutique store credit for participating, please email us for details: boutique@ncbirthcenter.org
*Scarlet Pepper Canova – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – June 19. *Diego Chicharro-Schoonmaker – 7 lbs., 4 oz. – July 5 Margot Snow Piepmeier – 8 lbs., 9 oz. – September 1 Maeve Ellery Bain White – 7 lbs., 6 oz. – September 1 Scarlett Alexandra Erana – 10 lbs., 7 oz. – September 3 Reed Spurgeon Shook – 8 lbs., 14 oz. – September 3 Jubilee Grace Wilson – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – September 5 Luke Alexander Jacobson – 9 lbs. – September 5 Amelia Grace McMahon – 7 lbs., 7 oz. – September 7 Leah Joy Garner – 10 lbs – September 7 Theodore Brian Wittaniemi-Shaler – 8 lbs., 11 oz – September 7 Willow June Bollinger – 8 lbs., 11 oz. – September 7 Fiona Maureen Kirkley – 9 lbs., 3 oz. – September 11 Shōen Miles Ferrell – 7 lbs., 11 oz. – September 12 Dominic Jordan Errato – 8 lbs. – September 15 Elliot Andersen Wilson Cox – 8 lbs., 10 oz. – September 15 Jade Gray Taylor – 7 lbs., 6 oz. – September 17 Michah Samuel Stevens – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – September 19 Syrus Lloyd Parsons – 9 lbs., 1 oz. – September 21 Owen Jeremiah Cole – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – September 21 Jasalyn Myla Rena Miller – 8 lbs., 5 oz. – September 23 Aiden Christopher Roos – 9 lbs., 4 oz. – September 24 Elliot Faraimunashe Taranhike – 7 lbs., 14.5 oz. – September 24 Benjamin Kane Darab – 7 lbs., 1 oz. – September 27 Baby Boy Erickson – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – September 27 Baby Girl Mette – 6 lbs., 9 oz. – September 29 Tilden Ash Varley – 8 lbs., 15 oz. – September 29 Urijah Winthrop – 8 lbs, 1 oz – October 1 Kylan Monroe Rice – 8 lbs, 7 oz – October 2 Ruby Magdalene Jones – 7 lbs, 1 oz – October 2 Evelyn Jane Hollis – 7 lbs, 13 oz – October 3 Finnick Lucas Nickols – October 4 Anna Belle Horton – 7 lbs, 6 oz – October 6 Miriam Catherine Nell – 7 lbs. – October 8 Katie Megan Strickland – 6 lbs, 15 oz – October 8 Rayna Hope Kehoe – 7 lbs, 5 oz – October 9 Levi William Landahl – 7 lbs, 3 oz – October 10 Sloan Marie Smith – 7 lbs, 4 oz – October 13 Azalea Flores – 8 lbs, 3 … Read More
UNC Family Physicians receive national award from Midwifery group On September 26th of this year, the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) presented Dr. Martha Carlough and the faculty of the University of North Carolina’s Family Medicine department with the prestigious “Collaborating Physician Award” for 2013. Dr. Carlough, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at UNC, serves as the Medical Director for Women’s Birth & Wellness Center (WBWC) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. WBWC was founded as North Carolina’s first free-standing birthing center by Maureen Darcey, a certified nurse midwife (CNM) who has been practicing in the state for over 30 years. North Carolina is one of only six states left in the nation requiring a physician’s signature in order for CNMs to practice their vocation. Dr. Carlough and UNC faculty have been honored by the AABC for their past and current advocacy for the birth center midwifery model of care. AABC Executive Director, Kate E. Bauer said Carlough received the award to recognize and celebrate her “outstanding achievements.” The award, for which scores of candidates were considered, was presented by Darcey at the 30th annual AABC conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Martha has kept us on our toes by religiously helping us update our protocols throughout the years, as new methods of care and research evolve,” stated Darcey during the presentation, “She’s the queen of evidence based care.” Darcey went on to praise Carlough’s commitment to maintain the highest and most up-to-date standards of care for WBWC patients and families. Women’s Birth & Wellness Center patients, families and staff are grateful to the UNC Department of Family Medicine for their support and collaboration. UNC Family Medicine Group and Maureen Darcey, CNM From left: Margaret Helton, MD, Maureen Darcey, CNM, Martha Carlough, MD, Warren Newton, MD Women’s Birth & Wellness Center Staff and Martha Carlough, MD From top left: Rachel VanBree, WHCNP, Mariah Velazquez, CNM, Carey Jefferson, CNM, Martha Carlough, MD, Maureen Darcey, CNM, Teresa Ray, CAN, Donna McBane, CAN, Tracey Jones, CAN, Kiah Sell-Goodhand. Bottom row from left: Brianna Honea, MBA, Nancy Albrecht, RN, IBCLC, Layne Shipley-Townsend, Alexandra Henry, CNM
By Fatimah Faraj My first child, Alina, was born by C-section on Friday, April 17, 2009. Yes, I had a C-section. Not my plan, but it ended up being a beautiful birth. My plan was to have a natural birth. We chose Women’s Birth and Wellness Center (WBWC) as a good stepping stone for our first birth, hoping to follow it with a home birth. WBWC also offered my husband, who had no background in birth, an introduction to this world. At 35 weeks I found out Alina was transverse breach. Her head was nuzzled under my left rib and her bottom sat on my right hip. My pelvis was empty – with no baby in it. I did everything in the book to turn her. Inversion on my back, inversion on hands and knees, inversion off stairs, moxibustion (Chinese medicine dried mugwort herb that is burned by the little toe and used to help turn babies), acupuncture, hot and cold, hypnosis and an External Cephalic Version (ECV) performed at UNC Womens Hospital in Chapel Hill. The obstetricians (I had two of them) tried several times to turn her during my ECV- once she flipped down with her head to my left hip and then somersaulted back up. Did she turn with the last try? No, but I was determined to go into spontaneous labor, to see if that would turn her and if not to then go in for my c-section. I also wanted delayed cord clamping and skin to skin. All of these things I fought for, and it took a few hours of discussions to get the whole operating room team on board. I vowed not to have another baby until I made peace with my c-section and until I was prepared to have another c-section (even though my plans would be to avoid it). I got pregnant last October with Aden, who was due July 22. 2013. My plan was to go for a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC). However, I was very in tune with him and his position, and I just knew he was in the same exact position as his sister. At our 17-week ultra sound he was breech. Two weeks before my 29-week position-check ultra sound I could have sworn his head was under my left rib. At our 29 week ultra sound he was — drum roll– head down! I was shocked. I swore up and down he was in the same position … Read More
For 10 years, the Chapel Hill-based Women’s Birth & Wellness Center (WBWC) has been a major community and statewide resource in women’s health and child birth. Since we opened our doors in 2003, WBWC has thrived as a unique non-profit birth center and women’s health clinic offering women an alternative to the hospital setting for prenatal, birth and post-delivery care. As North Carolina’s only accredited, free-standing birth center in the triangle, WBWC has become a health care resource for women of all ages. On October 20, WBWC is hosted a birthday party for patients and their families at Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC. Past fall galas have drawn hundreds of attendees, including families and WBWC staff. Under WBWC founder Maureen Darcey, Executive Director, WBWC offers a unique patient-centered approach to well-woman and pregnancy services. Our mission is to provide “women of diverse backgrounds with comprehensive well-woman, maternity and preventative healthcare throughout the life cycle.” We provide a dedicated staff of eight Certified Nurse Midwives, two women’s health nurse practioners, numerous registered nurses, administrative staff and lactation consultants. This team of committed women is well known for providing excellent care to their patients. In part, our mission statement says: “We believe that every woman has the right to a standard of excellence in her healthcare, to be treated with respect for human dignity and cultural preferences, and to be an active partner in her healthcare. We believe that the establishment of a freestanding birth center and women’s health center provides the best opportunity to succeed in our mission.” As the birth center continues to grow, we have plans to build a new and more comprehensive facility as part of our continuous effort to better serve our patients. “I have seen this practice grow immensely over the years and we are overjoyed to continue to care for the women and families across North Carolina”, Darcey said. Women’s Birth & Wellness Center is a not-for-profit women’s health organization designed to improve the health of women in our community by providing the highest quality preventive and maternity health care services to women and families. WBWC is a community-based center and provides services to patients regardless of their economic status. We provide affordable healthcare to women and offer sliding-fee scales to the uninsured.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Ingredients (Makes 4 cups) · 2 cups almond milk · 1/2 cup rolled or steel cut oats · 2 tbsp chia seeds · 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin · 2 tsp blackstrap molasses · 1 frozen ripe banana · 2 tsp cinnamon · 1/2 tsp ground ginger · 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg · 5 ice cubes · 1.5 tbsp pure maple syrup · Coconut whipped cream topping (optional): see below Instructions: 1. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the milk, oats, and chia seeds. Place in fridge for 1 hour or preferably overnight. 2. Add soaked oat mixture to blender along with the pumpkin, molasses, frozen banana, and spices. Blend until smooth. Add about 5 ice cubes and blend until ice cold. 3. Add maple syrup to taste. 4. Serve with Coconut Whipped Cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top! Optional garnish: Coconut Whipped Cream Topping 1. 14 oz can full-fat can coconut milk. It must be full-fat because you will be whipping the solid cream. Do not use light coconut milk. It will not whip into cream properly 2. Place can in the fridge overnight to chill till firm. 3. Remove the chilled can from fridge and flip it upside down. The liquid coconut milk (the part that doesn’t harden) will now be at the top of the can. 4. Open the can. See the liquid at the top? You won’t be whipping this part. 5. Pour the coconut liquid into another bowl. You should have just under 1 cup of liquid, but this yield will vary a bit by brand and even by can. Don’t discard the liquid as it can be used for another cooking project. It is good in fruit smoothies, baking or cooking. 6. Scoop the coconut cream into your chilled bowl. 7. Whip the cream. Grab a hand mixer (alternatively, you can do this in a stand mixer – just chill the bowl first) and whip the cream until fluffy. 8. Add in a touch of sweetener and vanilla extract and whip it again. You can use regular cane sugar, confectioner’s sugar, or even a touch of maple syrup. 2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup should be perfect. You may also like to add about 1/4-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. Click here to learn about the health benefits of Black Strap Molasses: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=118&tname=foodspice Black Strap Molasses is mineral dense and a grood source of iron … Read More
Fall greetings from the board! It was great to see so many families and long-time friends at the Tenth Anniversary Birthday Party celebration at Pullen Park this weekend. After days of gloom and rain, the sun shone brightly on our very special day. Thank you especially to Layne Townsend and all other staff who helped “behind the scenes” to make it such a great day. We look forward to ten years and more, providing the women and families of our area the kind of health care and birthing experiences they desire. Congratulations, Women’s Birth & Wellness Center!
