From the WBWC Blog:

Month: July 2017

Ella’s Birth Story

By Jessica Morgan It was a dark and stormy night…well, it was a dark night anyway. I had gone downstairs to sleep on the couch, because that was where I was most comfortable for most of my pregnancy. I woke up at 2:30 AM with a pain in my abdomen. At this point in the pregnancy, if Ella kicked while I had a full bladder, I experienced a similar pain, so I simply got up and used the bathroom. Meanwhile, I had another pain…and then another, and I knew it was labor. Once again, my labor started with contractions five minutes apart and, after two babies, I have never had any issue differentiating between Braxton Hicks and true contractions since they are so different (at least for me). After an hour of timing my contractions, I called the birth center. Due to my long drive and previous history (me arriving in labor with my oldest, Judah, and him being born 4 hours later) the midwife on call gave me the green light to go ahead and come in. By this time it was close to 4:30 AM. I called my parents so that they could come to the house and be with Judah, and then I went to wake up my husband, Josh. If you’ve never had the pleasure of waking someone out of a deep sleep to tell them you’re in labor, it’s quite comical. This is how it went: Me, walking into the bedroom fully dressed and showered: “I’m sorry honey, but it’s time.” Josh, sleepily turning over: “What? Are you having contractions?” Me: “Um, yes.” Josh: “Did you call the birth center?” “Yes.” “Do they want you to come in?” “Yes.” (This would, in fact, be the reason I am waking you up) “Have you called your parents? Do I have time to take a shower? Do you need a shower?” “Please go take a shower, honey, I need you to be a little more with it before you get behind the wheel.” We made the uneventful drive to Chapel Hill, and this time around it was much easier since I hadn’t waited until I was in transition to start the trip. Although we did still have to stop at Sheetz so I could pee (and Josh could get coffee). By the time we arrived at the birth center and got checked in, around 7 AM, my … Read More

Birth Announcements

Welcome to the world, sweet babies! Ava Shiloh Braxton – June 1 – 7 lbs., 15 oz. *Lukas Charles Keiger – June 2 – 7 lbs., 1 oz. *Owen Matthew Surratt – June 4 – 7 lbs., 9 oz. Luca Sage Fink – June 5 – 7 lbs., 6 oz. Baby Girl Schonberg – June 9 – 7 lbs., 9 oz. Scott Michael Burton – June 10 – 7 lbs., 5 oz. Wren Eliza Galeazzi – June 11 – 7 lbs., 2 oz. Cassidy Elizabeth Wiggs – June 12 – 7 lbs., 12 oz. Wesley Logan Merrill – June 20 – 8 lbs., 11 oz. Oswell Antone Cowles – June 20 – 6 lbs., 2 oz. Mason Emanuel McFarlance – June 21 – 6 lbs., 8.5 oz. *Conrad James Farris – June 23 – 7 lbs., 11 oz. *William Hull Ribbens – June 25 – 8 lbs., 14 oz. *Noah Thomas Palcic – June 30 – 9 lbs., 4.5 oz. June stats: Total babies born: 31 Biggest baby: 9 lbs., 4.5 oz. Smallest baby: 6 lbs, 2 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! Also, if you have a printed birth announcement to share, we’d love to have a copy to  add to our bulletin board in the clinic!     

The Power of Menopause

By Allison Koch, CNM How much do you know about the life transition we call Menopause? Menopause is what is known as a retrospective diagnosis. That means that women are defined as “in menopause” or “menopausal” when they have had no period for a full year. Women may go 10 or 11 months without a period, then have a period. We call that “peri-menopausal.” Once women have achieved Menopause, they are considered Post-Menopausal. In the USA, the average age of menopause is 51. Despite women’s shorter lifespan throughout history, age 51 has remained the average age of menopause for the past 300 years. Most women will experience some symptoms that make them aware that their bodies are changing, but few women that I have seen in my practice are aware that there are nearly 100 symptoms that may coincide with the menopausal transition. The hormones involved in the changes of menopause are likely to be estrogens and progesterone, but also could be DHEA, testosterone, or an imbalance in another body system brought on by changing hormones. Hormones are natural chemicals present in our bodies that interact with each other or with our cells and organs. Hormones exist primarily to regulate processes and keep our body in homeostasis, a state of natural balance. Menopause is a process, frequently taking 10 years or more, designed to change our bodies and prepare us for a lifetime beyond the fertile years! In perimenopause, most women experience some of the same hormonal symptoms that heralded menarche. Anxiety, emotionality, irregular periods are all normal in young girls approaching puberty. Worsening PMS is often the first symptom noted as we enter the perimenopausal period. Although our youth-oriented culture doesn’t generally approach the Elder “rites of passage” with as much anticipation as other milestones, there is still cause for celebration (raise a glass of red wine!). Beginning in September, the main focus of my practice at Women’s Birth & Wellness Center will be peri-menopause and menopausal care. I am here to guide and support you through the menopausal transition. I want to optimize your experience, your health and your adjustment to the power of a new way of life. Together we will explore the process and your options for managing challenges. Our mission: Your Life. Your Health. Our Commitment. This fall I will be hosting a recurring 2-part workshop titled, “The Power of Menopause.” Menopause is one of … Read More

Spotlight: Emily Moody, RN

  Emily Moody, RN has recently joined the WBWC staff as a full-time labor and delivery nurse.Emily grew up in Lexington, North Carolina.  She graduated with her nursing degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007.  She started as a medical-surgical nurse, but always knew that supporting and empowering women in labor was her passion.  It was the midwifery delivery of her first child that directed her to move towards women’s health where she has worked in the mother/baby and special care nursery settings.  She traces her fascination with pregnancy and her appreciation for the sacredness surrounding a woman in labor back to various opportunities as a child to see animals go through the beautiful, natural process of birth.  She considers it a privilege and dream to provide sensitive, informed, individualized support to women during the laboring process. Emily lives in Durham with her husband and 2 kids.  In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, being outdoors, live bluegrass, good conversations, and volunteering with the local refugee community.

MILC Moment: World Breastfeeding Week

WBWC is excited to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2017! In keeping with this year’s theme of “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together”, we will be holding an extra, and extra-special, breastfeeding café on the morning of Friday August 4th from 10:30a-12p. If you can, please join us for for treats, activities, and fun! If you can’t, keep an eye out on our Facebook page – we will be posting questions and links all week to hear your stories of how breastfeeding is supported by your community.  

7 Parenting Tips That Don’t Work

by Claire Caprioli   How many times have you read parenting advice and thought: “Pshht. Yeah, right. Like THAT would work on MY kid!” Me too. Ironic coming from a writer of parenting articles, eh? Nothing works all the time or on all kids. And, often times, the writer adds a disclaimer about you knowing your child best (thanks for the affirmation, stranger!) So, here are some parenting tips that didn’t work for me (plus one tip that threw me into a fury.)  Tip 1: When the baby is resting, you rest. This tip is ubiquitous and excellent advice. For the first kid. This may be obvious, but I rarely ever read any acknowledgement of that fact. It didn’t matter too much, since my darling first child was a terrible napper who would frequently be awake for 14 hours, with only a 15 to 60-minute nap all day. Also, she had colic. Also, she gave up napping entirely by the age of 2. When my son came along before she turned 3, he nursed 8 times a night, every night for the first month, and she would race into my room full of vim and vigor by 6:30 every morning. The only napping I did was when I visited my parents (thankfully nearby!) and fell asleep in the guestroom while they played with the kids. Tip 2: Plant a garden in order to get your kids to eat veggies. What gets me about these articles is the certainty with which the writer asserts that a kid can’t resist eating a crop she has grown herself. My husband plants a significant garden every year. My youngest daughter will happily sow carrot seeds with her father and later joyfully harvest them. My eldest son willingly weeds and pinches tomato hornworms into oblivion. A lot is gained from these childhood experiences (quality time, learning how plants grow, self-sufficiency, fresh air, etc.) But…my daughter has no interest in eating carrots and my son will not eat tomatoes. Tip 3: Delegate responsibilities. This is also good if you can do it. You know, without having to explain at great length how to do everything. Without chipping your teeth when you can’t find a single thing in your kitchen the next day. Without biting your tongue when someone vacuums for you and there are dust bunnies the size of tumbleweeds skittering across the floor while you nurse … Read More

Upcoming Events

Breastfeeding Basics – Tuesday, August 1 & 15, 6:30-8:30 PM, $30/couple Coping with Motherhood – Thursday, August 3 & 17, 10:30 AM-12 PM, FREE Babywearing Class – Saturday, August 5, 10 AM-12 PM, FREE Meet the Doulas of Triangle Doula Collective – Saturday, August 12, 2-3 PM La Leche League Meeting – Wednesday, August 9, 7-8:30 PM, FREE Breastfeeding Cafe – Friday, August 11 & 25, 10:30 AM-12 PM, FREE Weekend Breastfeeding Cafe – Saturday, August 12, 10:30 AM-12 PM, FREE Cloth Diapering Class – Saturday, August 19, 10-11:30 AM, FREE Meet the Doulas of Piedmont Community Doulas – Wednesday, August 16, 7-9 PM, FREE Craniosacral Therapy Clinic – Saturday, August 26, 2-4 PM, FREE Express Yourself, Pumping and Breastfeeding Class – Tuesday, August 22, 6:30-8:30 PM, $30/couple Car Seat Safety Class and Installation Checks – Wednesday, August 30, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, $10, preregistration required