From the WBWC Blog:

Month: September 2016

Hope’s Birth Story

by Crescen Moye As a first time mom, I really didn’t know what to expect when it came to birth. Sure, I read lots of books and articles and asked tons of questions, but I still couldn’t help but feel like it was going to surprise me however it happened! My husband, Stephen and I chose to give birth at the birthing center because we knew we didn’t want a medicated birth if possible. It also helped that we had lots of friends recommend WBWC. With each prenatal appointment, the newborn class, the breastfeeding class, and even our outside birthing classes, we gained more and more confidence in the birthing center. Every time we talked with someone there, we would comment that we were sure that’s where we wanted to have our baby. It seemed like all the information we got from WBWC was rock solid. It just made sense with what we wanted for birth and what we believed was best for mother and baby! Both our birthing class instructor and the midwives at WBWC told us to expect a first baby to come late. In their experiences, most first babies were at least a week late. So, close to week 40 when I started to feel more uncomfortable and tired and swollen, I just told myself it would still be another week or so. Imagine my surprise then, when one day before my due date I woke up to contractions in the middle of the night! They were mild, but enough to keep me from sleeping well, and they came about every 10 minutes. I also noticed a trickle of fluid that I thought could have been my water breaking. I really didn’t expect the spicy food I had at dinner to work! I had a prenatal appointment that morning, and I thought for sure they would send me home, tell me it was the mucous plug and Braxton Hicks, and I’d have another week to wait. The contractions didn’t stop, and neither did the trickle of fluid. Stephen wasn’t planning on going with me to my appointment, but when the contractions were around 5 minutes apart, he took off work and drove me the 45 minutes to WBWC. At my appointment, Carey confirmed that my water did break. This was it! I knew I couldn’t go another week after the water broke! We did a non-stress test … Read More

Birth Announcements

Welcome, Sweet Babies! Wilder Plourde – August 1 – 8 lbs., 3.5 oz. Benjamin Eli Saskin – August 3 – 9 lbs., 6 oz. Rhodes Benevolence Ali – August 3 – 6 lbs., 14 oz. Nash Rigsby Kemp – August 7 – 7 lbs., 8.5 oz. Jameson Tyler Citty – August 9 – 8 lbs., 9 oz. *Zenobia Elodie Fink – August 9 – 8 lbs., 12 oz. *Jack Calder Kerins – August 10 – 7 lbs., 2.8 oz. Iris Nadine Hudson – August 11 – 7 lbs., 15.5 oz. Wright Muir Johnson – August 13 – 8 lbs., 3.5 oz. *Weston James Yount – August 14 – 8 lbs., 5 oz. Eilish Mealer – August 14 – 6 lbs., 13 oz. *Fiona Belle Preston – August 16 – 8 lbs., 6.5 oz. Ellis Burton Allen – August 16 – 6 lbs., 14.5 oz. Lydia Rose Parks – August 16 – 7 lbs., 15 oz. Obed James Gilbert – August 17- 6 lbs., 12 oz. Oliver William Broo – August 23 – 7 lbs., 6 oz. Aaron Han Nguyen – August 24 – 6 lbs., 13 oz. Aleck Wilder Aponte – August 26 – 9 lbs.,  oz. *Grayson Asher DeMott Attix – August 27 – 6 lbs., 11 Titus Tyndale Johnson – August 27 – 9 lbs., 10 oz. Madeline Bell Diamond – August 31 – 8 lbs., 2 oz. August Stats 40 Babies Born Biggest August Baby: 10 lbs., 11 oz. Smallest August Baby: 4 lbs., 15 oz. 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!

Spotlight: Holly Lindsay-Miller

by Tori Hinde If you’ve been in the boutique in the last few years, there’s a good chance you’ve met store manager Holly Lindsay-Miller, who celebrates 5 years of working at Women’s Birth and Wellness Boutique this month. If you came in to shop, you likely left feeling like you just made a new best friend after she fit you for a bra, taught you everything you needed to know about cloth diapering, or helped you find just what you needed. Holly has a way of talking to you and listening that makes you know she hears you and understands. “I love to learn the specifics about people. Every family’s story is unique,” says Holly. “There’s more than one way to parent. I’ve learned a lot about empathy and compassion – I know pregnancy and motherhood aren’t simple.” When asked about her favorite part of her job, Holly says, “Connecting with moms. Hands down. And bra fittings – a good bra can change a woman’s day. It’s the best when someone walks out of here happy, standing a little taller and feeling more confident.” Holly initially started as a sales associate in the boutique, coming in afternoons and staying after closing to place orders.  She took over as store manager two years ago. Since then, she’s focused on expanding the selection of bras, carriers, and cloth diapers and always bringing in new things. “If I mix it up, people come to check it out,” says Holly. “We’re growing. We have more women-owned and local business now.” Holly also appreciates the supportive environment at WBWC and that she can bring her daughters along to work if she needs to, and no one blinks an eye. “To come to work with people I love and respect means everything,” she says. “My kids were born here, and I work here. It feels very cyclical. It’s the best care you can find – you just don’t get that time anywhere else.” Thank you, Holly, for all you do, and for 5 years of making all of us here feel loved and respected, too. 

5 Reasons to Get the 2016-17 Flu Vaccine

By Nancy Albrecht, RN, BSN, IBCLC Women’s Birth & Wellness Center will begin offering seasonal influenza vaccinations (flu shots) on September 15, 2016. Your midwives and nurse practitioners at WBWC recommend that you get a flu shot every year, if: –          You are pregnant –          You are breastfeeding –          You are a parent –          You are 6 months old or older YES, all of you! We believe the benefits of being immunized against flu outweigh the risks of getting the vaccination. 1.  Getting the flu shot during pregnancy protects mom, the growing baby, and later,        the newborn (up to 6 months old) from getting infected with the flu. 2.  Pregnant and postpartum mothers (up to 2 weeks after birth), and infants, even if        otherwise healthy, are at higher risk of getting flu and of developing severe                  complications, such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death. Fetuses exposed      to influenza are at risk of being born small for gestational age, being born preterm,      and intrauterine fetal demise. 3.  Risks of a vaccine reaction range from mild soreness at the site of injection (60%)        to very rare severe allergic reaction (<1%). Side effects of the vaccine are mild            compared to the disease itself.  Flu vaccines given during pregnancy have not been      shown to cause harm to a pregnant woman or her baby. 4.  During years when there is a good match between the flu vaccine and circulating          viruses, substantial benefits are gained from vaccination by preventing flu illness.        But in years when the flu vaccine is not well matched, it’s possible that no benefit      from flu vaccination may be observed. You reduce your risk of getting influenza            and other complications by being vaccinated, but you may still get sick with flu            after receiving the vaccine. 5.  WBWC provides the trivalent preservative-free vaccine. You can get the flu shot          during any trimester of pregnancy or postpartum and while breastfeeding. Follow these other preventive steps throughout the flu season (October to May) *WASH YOUR HANDS frequently with soap and warm water, for 20 seconds. Dry with paper towels or an air-dryer. Avoid using shared … Read More

FUNdamentals at WBWC!

Photo credit: Max Cohen “This is information for every parent, doula, nanny, and infant caregiver. Just DO it!” –- parent of FUNdamentals graduate Give your infant (and family) the gift of understanding 
whole brain/body learning and how effective AND important it is from birth through the first year of life.  Newborn FUNdamentals – for Expectant Parents (Grands, too) You will learn: •  Practices that will help establish self-regulation in the first 3 months •  Cues for digestion, sleep, diapering, and comforting your newborn •  Early Reflexes that serve to integrate your baby’s body-mind connection WHEN Friday, September 30 or November 11, 2016 TIME 6:30-8:30pm COST $20/person – at the door LOCATION WBWC 2nd floor Library 930 Martin Luther King Dr., Chapel Hill NC Infant FUNdamentals – for you & your baby “Gain a deeper understanding of the immense importance and huge opportunities present in the first year of your infant’s life.” WHEN Fridays, Sep 23 – Dec 16  Schedule at: idmeFUN.com TIME 12:30,1:30, 2:30 & 3:30pm (See below) COST $5-20/class per family – at the door LOCATION WBWC 3rd floor Living Room 930 Martin Luther King Dr., Chapel Hill NC 1230-120pm: Self-Regulation/ Newborns – 2 months 130-220pm: Tummy Time Strength / Pre-Crawlers 230-330pm: Problem-solving / Crawlers & Waddlers You will learn: •  Tools to support Tummy Time and the achievement gap •  Toys for the body-mind connection •  How movement improves behavior, cognition & self-regulation Photo credit: Max Cohen “Babies need laps not apps.” –Maryska Bigos, is a mother and Infant Developmental Movement Educator (IDME) trainer with 30+ years of experience teaching and practicing this work. To learn more about FUNdamentals read: Let Babies Sit Themselves Up at: www.medium.com before attending.  Learn more: idmeFUN.com

“Baby Makes 3” and a Nursery for Free

by Tori Hinde WBWC expectant parents Tracy and Bradley Bethel made their television debut this summer on “Baby Makes 3,” an HGTV-style home improvement show on PBS that helps first-time parents-to-be make over a room into a nursery. The Bethels live in Pacifica, a co-housing community in Carrboro, which is an environmentally sensitive, intentional community. Residents live separately but share community gardens and a common house for events and are expected to devote hours to community service every month. The Bethels have a strong sense of environmental awareness and community that led them to their neighborhood community.  Bradley was an AmeriCorps member and now works part-time in the film industry and outdoor retailing.  Tracy is employed at a non-profit with a focus on child welfare. The values that led them to Pacifica also influenced Tracy’s decision to choose WBWC when she learned she was pregnant. “My degree is in public health and I work at Duke coordinating research,” Tracy says. “My idea of healthcare is client-centered and patient-informed with patient education built in. The Birth Center really does that. To have such a resource in a community, I had to use it.” Each “Baby Makes 3” episode features a different nursery theme. For the Bethels’ nursery, the team tapped into their environmental consciousness and did a gender-neutral “book-ish baby” design. The design team bought organic bedding, used reclaimed wood, and designed pieces that could grow with baby and be useful for years to come.   “My favorite part of the room is the bookshelf turned desk – they made it out of galvanized pipes and reclaimed pine,” says Tracy. “The way they did the bookshelf, it is fully functional storage unit now and will serve as a desk when she needs a desk. Sort of modern and pretty cool – a one of a kind piece they built just for us.” Tracy and Bradley were put to work on the nursery as well. Bradley made a lamp, and Tracy made a Mason jar storage rack for the bathroom. They worked as a team on a craft project that turned a window into a stained glass window, and they also made a toy bin. It can be a bizarre experience to see oneself on television, but Tracy felt comfortable with how they were portrayed. “.” Tracy said. “There were a few times the camera was running and caught our banter. They … Read More

WBWC Officially Part of First Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community

by Rebecca Costello, IBCLC One year ago, the mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro partnered with members of Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, health departments, faith communities, and UNC-Chapel Hill on an initiative to become the first Breastfeeding Family Friendly Cities in the country. One important step is for businesses throughout the community to welcome and support breastfeeding families. They just have to follow 4 simple practices: 1.      Breastfeeding mothers are always welcome and respected. They will never be treated poorly, asked to stop breastfeeding, or asked to cover up or move.2.      All lactating employees are allowed breaks to express milk or nurse their children, and access to a private space for expressing milk or nursing that is not a bathroom. The space is lockable and shielded from view, includes an electrical outlet, and has hand hygiene available3.      Business does not advertise infant formula or related products.4.      Business will post the “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” window cling.WBWC definitely qualified on all counts, and we were excited to join the other local businesses that have signed up – everything from physical therapy to boutiques to optical shops to restaurants! Above is a photo of Kathleen Anderson, from the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute at UNC, with our executive director Maureen Darcey and with our new window cling. Do you know other businesses in Carrboro/Chapel Hill that might be interested in signing up? Or do you own a business and want to complete a quick and easy application? You can e-mail klanderson@unc.edu for an application. Get more information at:  https://www.facebook.com/BreastfeedingFriendlyCommunities/ – like the page to get updates on businesses that have joined