From the WBWC Blog:

Month: August 2016

Margaux’s Birth Story

By Hannah Edens All photos by Merritt Chesson Photography “We’re not having a baby tonight, are we?” asked Chas, my husband, on the eve of our second daughter’s due date. Our family was exhausted from a cold and very busy weekend, and we were planning on getting at least a few more nights of good rest. “Are you kidding? I’ve had a throbbing pain above my pubic bone all day and can hardly walk but not a single contraction. We are not having a baby tonight. Go to sleep,” I replied.  Not 10 minutes later as I lay in bed, I heard and felt a pop. Three seconds later, a rush of warmth prompted me to jump out of bed and into the bathroom. There was no denying my water had just broken. I waddled to the living room to tell Chas the surprising news. We indeed would have this baby in the next 24 hours after all. The midwife on call, Jessica, reassured me that most women begin labor soon after their water breaks, but I’d need to plan to come in to the Birth Center in the morning either way. Two and a half years earlier, I had been “in labor” 78 hours from the time I felt my first contraction to pushing out my first daughter at the WBWC.  I was a bit nervous things wouldn’t progress quickly enough since my body certainly took it’s time with #1, so I knew more than anything I needed to try to sleep while I still had time. Four or so hours later, the familiar but quickly forgotten tightness of a contraction began. They were 15 – 30 min apart for a few hours and I was able to sleep in between.  My appetite actually prompted me out of bed around 3:30 AM, and I received some needed encouragement via text from my best friend, who happened to be awake and was my doula with the birth of my first. Then back to bed for another hour or two of spaced but increasingly stronger contractions.  By 6:00 AM I could no longer lay still or sleep between the impressively strong pains, so I jumped in the shower. Again, I expected a full day of this and wanted to feel prepared and try to relax my body. Jessica was still on call to receive my 7:00am update that my contractions were … Read More

Birth Announcements

Welcome, Sweet Babies! *Sebastian Fox Harmon – May 10 – 8 lbs., 3 oz. Gerrit Octavius D’Tela – July 1 – 8 lbs. *Emma Luna Alvarez Martini – July 5 – 7 lbs., 5 oz. Charlotte Marie Boshart – July 6 – 7 lbs., 1 oz. Henry Parnell Hansen – July 6 – 6 lbs., 2 oz. Adeline Larson Romm – July 7 – 8 lbs., 10.5 oz. *Stephen Benjamin Bridgers – July 8 – 8 lbs., 5 oz. Iris Eden Wells – July 8 – 8 lbs. Acelia Sherie Faith Murray – July 11 – 10 lbs., 7 oz. *Tucker Whilden Nettles, III – July 11 – 9 lbs. Charlotte Olivia Stanton – July 12 – 8 lbs., 11 oz. Emory Renee Leary – July 13 – 8 lbs., 6 oz. Liam Penland – July 13 – 7 lbs., 4 oz. Baby Boy Arias – July 13 – 8 lbs., 5.5 oz. Anderson James McKee – July 16 – 7 lbs., 15.5 oz. Rowan Hygh Griffin – July 16 – 8 lbs., 11 oz. Sullivan Louise Thac Huan – July 20 – 7 lbs., 1 oz. Harper Suzanne Hetherington – July 20 – 7 lbs., 5.5 oz. Charles Nolan Cartabiano – July 21 – 7 lbs., 5.5 oz. Claire Jeannine Willett – July 22 – 10 lbs., 1.5 oz. *Lydia Marie Jensen – July 24 – 8 lbs., 14.7 oz. Cebastian Saga Benton – July 25 – 9 lbs., 13 oz. Lyle Sullivan Fine – July 25 – 5 lbs., 13.5 oz. Justus William Trapp – July 26 – 8 lbs., 11 oz. Rio Lincoln Shen – July 26 – 7 lbs., 1 oz. Samuel Stuart Swanson – July 27 – 7 lbs., 3 oz. *Dalton Roy Tippett – July 27 – 8 lbs., 10.5 oz. Grainger Conrad Fritsch – July 31 – 8 lbs., 1.5 oz. July Stats: 44 Babies Born Biggest July Baby: 10 lbs., 15 oz. Smallest July Baby: 5 lbs., 13.5 oz. *pictured above  To be included in this celebratory list, please email Missy at missy@ncbirthcenter.org  with your baby’s birth announcement information that includes  their name, date of birth, and birth weight as well as a photo, if available. If you would like to send us your birth story along with photos, we are happy to include that in a future newsletter!

What is Diastasis Rectus Abdominis?

By Lindsay Mumma, DC As a chiropractor, I see many pregnant and postpartum women in my office.  The topic of diastasis rectus abdominis (DRA) comes up fairly regularly, as many of the women I treat present with this condition.  I also serve as a Regional Director for the organization BIRTHFIT, and we’re working to educate women about their bodies during the preconception, prenatal, and postpartum period, so I end up talking DRA quite frequently. I first heard about DRA from a Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization course in 2009. It actually had nothing to do with pregnancy, but was demonstrated via videos regarding poor loading techniques in those with Cerebral Palsy or simply folks who could not effectively manage their own intra-abdominal pressure system.  DRA is a stretching of the connective tissue that holds the two rectus abdominis (six-pack) muscles together; it occurs from repetitively using poor loading techniques (not stabilizing your body when lifting an object), but also in rapid expansion of the abdominal tissues, as in pregnancy.  There are some thoughts on how to prevent/correct/heal DRA, but there isn’t a lot of consistency.  It can be hard to sift through the info, especially when you’re a new mom.  Since I’ve been studying DRA, I’ve learned quite a bit about it, and have seen which methods work and which have been less than ideal.  While some of this will be a little science-heavy, I’ll try to keep it relatively concise. Image courtesy of momsintofitness.com To keep things simple: if the diaphragm is not stacked on top of the pelvic floor in all postures, then the body is set up for some amount of dysfunction.  This occurs when posture isn’t ideal, but also when a person sucks in their stomach or holds tension in their abdomen.  This prevents ideal diaphragmatic breathing, wherein the diaphragm lowers and the abdomen expands 360 degrees, which would set the diaphragm on top of the pelvic floor easily.  This is unfortunately where most fitness programs regarding DRA are currently failing.  They’re missing the big picture when it comes to stability of the torso being established by the diaphragm. In the ideal breathing and postural pattern, the abdomen is solid and stable without having excess tension of the musculature.  Stability is created by the diaphragm.  The diaphragm rests parallel to the pelvic floor (relatively speaking considering both are rounded structures), which gives an almost piston-like stabilization of downward motion … Read More

Avocado, Pomegranate, and Jicama Salad

Ingredients Salad 1 (10 oz) bag baby spinach leaves 1 medium Hass avocado, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup finely shaved jicama 1/2 cup walnut pieces Creamy Avocado Dressing 2 large Hass avocados 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup minced onion 2 cloves garlic, miced 1 tsp salt Dash black pepper Directions Place all dressing ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth Divide spinach into two bowls Arrange avocado, pomegranate, jicama, and walnuts on top of spinach Drizzle with Creamy Avocado Dressing Source: Ovia Pregnancy

Spotlight: Lydia Dominic, CNM

     If you’ve been with WBWC for a while, you might recognize our newest CNM, Lydia Dominic. She was a labor and delivery nurse here from 2009-2012, and now she is returning in her new role as midwife!         Lydia earned her BSN from Case Western Reserve University and began her 14-year nursing career in 2002.  She dedicated most of her nursing career to maternal-child health.  Upon graduating from nursing school, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, providing health education on multiple topics, including neonatal resuscitation.  She then returned to Ohio and began working on a medical/surgical unit.  She spent the next several years gaining experience in caring for women and babies in a hospital setting, first as a postpartum nurse, and then then as a postpartum nurse, and then as a labor and delivery nurse.          In 2009, Lydia and her husband moved to North Carolina. Lydia’s desire to witness birth as she felt it should be – guided by the woman’s desires and intervening only when necessary – led her to join the staff at WBWC as a labor nurse. While working at both WBWC and Wake Med, she found herself drawn to WBWC’s model of care.  In fact, she gave birth to her own son in the peach room!          In 2012, Lydia and family returned to Ohio, and a year later, she began midwifery school at Case Western. She completed her MSN in 2016. Her graduate school experience included a mission trip to Guatemala, and clinical rotations in a hospital-based birth center, and a homebirth practice.      Lydia is ecstatic to return to WBWC to continue to care for and empower women and their families. Her midwifery career has been off to a great start so far – she caught five babies on her first call shift! In her free time, Lydia enjoys hiking, cycling, and being with her friends, husband, and son.