From the WBWC Blog:

Month: November 2017

Help a WBWC Mom Support NICU Families

by Lauren Dudley   Labor Day weekend of 2014, my husband and I decided to venture to Myrtle Beach for our “baby moon”.  I had been given the go-ahead from our midwives and doula to do it since, as a first time mom, I probably had about five weeks left till birthing this baby!  We left Thursday and by Friday night contractions had started.  My husband decided it was high time to leave Myrtle Beach Saturday morning, in case it turned out to be the real deal.  Well, it was!  Christopher crashed our party Sunday night after 3 days of labor! We were, of course, directed to UNC, after the midwives checked me and discovered I was already 4 cm!  The rest is history! Carey, our midwife, was by our side for 12 hours at UNC until Chris was born. We ended up having to stay in the NICU for a little over a week due to jaundice and feeding issues.  During that short time, the hour and fifteen minute drive back home might as well have been five hours when you’re emotionally exhausted.  We missed our home and the small necessities you take for granted everyday. By Christmas that year, I was more than thankful for the care we received from both UNC NICU and WBWC!  I wanted to give those families stuck in the hospital over the holidays a little taste of home.  Our bags started out very small, with a small fleece blanket, shampoo/conditioner, bobby pins and hair ties, snack bars and $5 Starbucks gift card.  Over the three years we have done this, it has evolved into something amazing.  We are now able to give all those things plus body wash, lip balm, toothpaste/brushes, journals and this year some photography sessions for families that will be there for an extended period.  I asked Holly in the boutique for some of her contacts this year and ended up with Motherlove donating samples of nipple balm, hand salve and diaper cream. Moondance Soaps is donating soaps AND lip balm! I am overjoyed with the generosity these companies have shown us this year. Every year I usually get one email from a mom in the NICU who has received one of our bags.  It makes all the hard work and hustling SO worth it.  Some send photos with the blankets we give them, some just a letter of how … Read More

The Birth Story of Penelope Amber

by Erin Abernathy We decided in the fall of 2016 that we were ready to add another child to our family. After two months of trying, we decided to take a short break after Christmas. I traveled with my son to Florida to spend time with family for two weeks. On the way home I was feeling sick, since we all had spread a stomach virus around and I was the last one to have it. I was five days late when I decided to take a test just out of curiosity. I thought I was still recovering from the stomach virus and that it had messed up my cycle. To my surprise, the test showed a positive. I was in shock. I took two more tests to be sure, and they all came back positive. The one time we decided let’s just take a break and not try right now, and I wind up pregnant. I told my husband later that day to which he responded “How? You’ve been gone for two weeks? Is it mine?” Of course he was joking but just as in shock as I was. While I was down in Florida, I had actually been researching birth center births and looking for the closest ones to us. I found two birth centers about an hour and a half away from our home and saved their sites. I had discussed having a birth center birth with my mom, husband and best friend. The main concern was distance, since our hospital is only five minutes from our home, but I knew that it would be worth the drive. When I had my son, I had a vision of a natural and calming birth. I researched everything to figure out what was best for me and my baby in the process. I learned breathing techniques and how to get through contractions. I unfortunately did not get the experience I had imagined and was left feeling like I missed out. We went and visited two birth centers. I felt at home at the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center and knew it was the place that my next child would be brought into the world. During my prenatal visits, the midwives made me feel in control of my pregnancy. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and so in tune to what I wanted. On Monday, October 9th, I was 41 … Read More

Birth Announcements

Welcome to the world, sweet babies! Adrian Burgin-Chen – October 2 – 9 lbs., 5 oz. Peter Guy Wittenberg – October 3 – 6 lbs., 15.8 oz. Alexander Briola – October 3 – 7 lbs., 2.5 oz. *Linnea Caliope Guta – October 3 – 7 lbs., 5 oz. Rosa Cecilia Wengenroth Mayorga – October 4 – 6 lbs., 6.5 oz. Jaxon Noah English – October 8 – 8 lbs., 8 oz. *Iris Aleta Vuznytsya – October 10 – 10 lbs., 14.5 oz. *Penelope Amber Abernathy – October 10 – 8 lbs., 2 oz. Weston Henry Robinson – October 13 – 8 lbs., 4 oz. Adrian Murie Stern – October 15 – 8 lbs., 11 oz. Cassius Ellis Stokes – October 15 – 7 lbs., 11 oz. *Brooke Althea Tuin – October 15 -6 lbs., 6.5 oz. Wyatt McAden – October 21 – 8 lbs., 8 oz. *Adrian Larkin Austin – October 27 – 7 lbs., 12 oz. *Emerson James Scales-Cannon – October 29 – 1 lb., 9 oz. James Navarro – October 31 – 8 lbs., 8 oz. October stats: Total babies born: 36 Biggest baby: 10 lbs., 14.5 oz. Smallest baby: 1 lb., 9 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 story of Natascha Jones and my 100th birth as a CNM at WBWC

By Belinda Lashea, CNM It was a full house at the birth center, and I was called in on my day off to help out. I got lucky when Carey asked me to be with Natascha and Sean, who were getting close to birthing their sixth baby. When I walked in the peach room, the energy was hypnotic, SO MUCH OXYTOCIN AND LOVE! They were working well together, and I would occasionally listen to the baby or make a suggestion, but mostly, I just watched the beauty and power of this woman and her man, getting the baby out the way they got her in! The nurse, Emily, came in to check on things, and I took the opportunity to use the restroom. I didn’t get far when I heard the Crowning Cry! I ran back to the room just in time to see Natascha beautifully birth the baby’s head, with the amniotic sac still intact. I felt a little thrill knowing this very special baby was going to be born in the caul, an auspicious sign in many cultures. I checked for a cord and it was there, loosely about the neck and shoulders. I gently pulled it over her head, and I realized there was a true knot in the cord! The shoulders and baby came with ease and she let out a loud cry right away. That knot in the cord didn’t slow her down a bit! Sean and Natascha were ecstatic and so in love with this baby girl. Sean expressed his disappointment over not being able to catch the baby as he had with some of their other children. He had been needed behind Natascha for support this time. I asked him if he wanted to catch the placenta instead, and he jumped at the opportunity! It was the first time I’d had a dad catch one in 18 years of attending births! This was a very special birth for me for many reasons. It was my 100th baby as a CNM at WBWC. AND she came on my day off, was born in the caul, and had a true knot in her cord! WOW! A birth and a family I’ll never forget!  

The Power of Menopause Workshop in January

  Menopause is one of the Women’s Mysteries, along with menarche, pregnancy, and childbirth. Come celebrate and learn about this time of power and freedom in a woman’s life – and celebrate your unique and magical transition as midwives do, with Allison Koch, certified nurse midwife and professional Arvigo therapist. Sunday, January 14, 2018 9:00 AM-4:00 PM WBWC, Suite 304 Cost is $75 and includes lunch, snacks, and materials Call to register: 919-933-3301

Spotlight: Rebeca Moretto, MPH, CNM

Our newest midwife, Rebeca Moretto, was introduced to midwifery at birth, in the Siler City Birth Center, where her mother was cared for by the wonderful midwives, including Maureen Darcey. Fourteen years later, she witnessed her younger brother’s birth and was awestruck by her mother’s power and control during the process, setting her on a winding journey towards a career in midwifery. She began her career in public health, working with underserved populations such as migrant farmworkers in North Carolina and other marginalized populations in New York, while earning her MPH in global health. While serving women in Latin America she became passionate about educating both providers and consumers about evidence-based maternity care, leading her to pursue certification as a birth and postpartum doula, a lactation counselor, and a Lamaze childbirth educator. After graduating from UNC School of Nursing in 2012, she had the opportunity to work at UNC Family Medicine as the Perinatal Nurse Coordinator and subsequently as a nurse at two other birthing centers in NC. She received her Masters degree in Nurse-Midwifery in May of 2017 from the ECU College of Nursing. She dreamed of working at WBWC while attending births here as a doula as well as receiving care herself and is thrilled that this dream has come true! Rebeca has two inquisitive, hilarious, and energetic children. When she’s not attending births, Rebeca still enjoys too much coffee, in addition to: lackadaisical runs with friends, spending time with all of her NC family, hiking, camping with her littles and her love, Justin, learning about herbs, drumming, reading, all the Netflix and BBC shows, and breakfast food in all its forms.

7 Ways to Truly Experience Giving This Season

By Claire Caprioli “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if you can.” –-written by Ashford & Simpson, first sung by Diana Ross 1970. Writing a check, giving clothes to Goodwill, and donating to Toys for Tots are all worthy endeavors, but they can also be just another item to cross off your to-do list, especially during the holidays. If you would like to experience that “giver’s high” I have good news for you: it doesn’t take much time to do something more personal. Better still, the following starter list includes things that can be done as a family, even with young children, has great potential for creating a fond memory (or even starting a tradition!) and provides wonderful lessons in both gratitude and humility. Away from Home: 1. Donate 1-2 hours at the NC Food Bank: foodbankcenc.org This local food bank serves 34 NC counties where there are more than 650,000 people living with food insecurity, half of whom are children and seniors. We have volunteered here several times and there is always something for everyone to do while still sticking together as a family. My kids’ favorite was scooping pasta, and even a 4-year-old can carry a bag of pasta (or whatever) to a bin. 2. Donate 1-2 hours at the Diaper Bank: ncdiaperbank.org Did you know food stamps don’t cover diapers? There are working families choosing between feeding and diapering their children. You always know what you are going to get here: repackaging diapers into groups of 25. If your child can count to 12 this is great, but even if your child can’t count, he or she can deliver the wrapped packages onto the palette. Less boring than it sounds, we always enjoy this. It is surprisingly relaxing to focus on one simple task for an hour! 3. Open to anything? Donate time to a local park, assisted living home, community center, school, or place of worship. They know what they need, just call and ask! 4. Make #3 more personal by asking if there is a particular person or family in need of help—a widow who needs her leaves raked, a single mom who would love a basket of homemade treats, etc. Suggestion: If you do something away from home, turn it into a family fun day by going out to lunch, ice skating, bowling, or whatever when you are … Read More

At the Boutique

Get your holiday shopping done and feel good about supporting your birth center and keeping your money local! December’s Herb of the Month is Valerian Valerian is a calming herb often recommended for sleep disturbance. It can also quiet symptoms of PMS and painful periods. Enjoy 10% off Boutique products containing valerian in December! December is our BIG inventory reduction sale! Many fabulous items are 40% off, including: -cloth diapers -baby carriers -some nursing bras -Under the Nile-Plan Toys   Check out our unique new products! Wooden Breast Ornaments Oxytocin + Estrogen + Testosterone + Caffeine Molecule Necklaces