From the WBWC Blog:

Month: December 2018

The Day Aminah Came

When we came to the center my mom technically was going through labor or was just having contractions. I would say I was a little nervous but positive that everything would be okay. My sister and I were playing with fortune tellers and playing games on our electronics. My mom was going through labor for a few hours then hopped in the tub because she thought she was having the baby. There was no baby yet. A couple of minutes later my dad ordered Jimmy John’s so that my mother could gather some energy to push. She took a few bites and then it was time. My mom got in the tub and started pushing.   I was nervous. She started moaning and roaring like a lion. After the third roar, I had to get out. My stomach was killing me so I stepped out for a minute. My younger sister stayed and cried a little as my mom was pushing our new baby sister out. I think she was nervous, excited, and scared all at the same time. While Mrs. Amanda, my mom’s friend, was making coffee, I came out of the room to take a break from all the action. I went back in then after the next two or three lion roars Aminah came. My mom held her and Aminah looked straight into her eyes. My younger sister Brooklyn was now crying happy tears. My mom got out of the tub and laid on the bed, while my dad took the baby. She finally got to eat and get some rest.   The End LOVE, Nona  

Birth Announcements

Savanna Moon St. Clair-Thiriot – October 1 – 8 lbs., 6.5 oz. *Josefina Rhone Parry – October – 5 lbs., 5 oz. *Luke Braxton Bennett – October 5 – 7 lbs., 10 oz. Warren Ajax Carraher – October 6 – 7 lbs., 7 oz. Elliott “Ellie” Ranae Frederick – October 6 – 7 lbs., 11 oz. *Amara Joi Dantzler – October 7 – 6 lbs., 13 oz. Sonia Judith Noriega Unruhe – October 7 – 6 lbs., 11 oz. Ewan Dyer McGregor Burns – October 8 – 7 lbs., 14 oz. *Gladden Francis Fink – October 10 – 9 lbs., 7.5 oz. Willow Brooke Foust – October 10 – 8 lbs., 14.5 oz. Sarai Eunice Willoughby – October 11 – 7 lbs., 13 oz. Colton Andrew Segobiano – October 11 – 9 lbs., 2.5 oz. *Graham Christopher Rugg – October 12 – 7 lbs., 15 oz. John Gilbert Wells – October 15 – 6 lbs., 8 oz. Quetzalcoatl Ramses Acosta – October 16 – 6 lbs., 12 oz. Shiloh Irene Etheridge – October 17 – 9 lbs., 3 oz. Grace Lane Ketchum – October 17 – 7 lbs., 12 oz. Scarlett Marie Stockall – October 18 – 8 lbs., 3 oz. Nyx Magnolia Horton-Campbell – October 14 – 7 lbs., 6 oz. Clara Annabelle Comartos – October 19 – 7 lbs., 15 oz. Avery Owen Riegel-Thoyre – October 20 – 7 lbs., 0.5 oz. Joseph Jackson Steele Scott – October 21 – 8 lbs., 1 oz. Indie Eileen Gentilozzi – October 23 – 9 lbs., 6 oz. Zoe Amira Boone – October 24 – 7 lbs., 3.5 oz. Lilah Christine Mutz – October 25 – 7 lbs., 8 oz. Ollie Thomas Burzminski – October 26 – 6 lbs., 14 oz. *Kennedy Cruz Peterson – October 28 – 6 lbs., 15.5 oz. *Otilia Rose Federal – November 7 – 8 lbs., 4.5 oz. *Charis Maya Polanco – November 8 – 8 lbs., 13 oz. Charley Thompson – November 12 – 7 lbs., 8.5 oz. *Rafael José Ramos – November 12 – 8 lbs., 1.5 oz. Shepherd McCaskill Binkley – November 14 – 8 lbs., 11 oz. *Azalea Soleil Maness – November 15 – 6 lbs., 15 oz. Nora Rose Backus – November 17 – 6 lbs., 10 oz. Cameron Blake Stanton – November 18 – 7 lbs., 15 oz. Esther Mae Quinn Hilchey – November 19 – 8 lbs., 14 oz. … Read More

Hormone Madness

Future workshops will feature a deeper dive into herbal allies, traditional therapies for women’s healing, coping strategies for the mental and mood challenges of changing hormones, the power of women’s circles and healing, spiritual practices  that support women’s health and healing, modern shamanism as a healing tool, sexuality/libido and hormones… and other topics by popular request. Look for some great guest speakers as well!  Womyn, this is for YOU, whatever age you are! We at WBWC recognize that childbearing is a “season” of a woman’s life. Women’s Birth & Wellness Center offers you the same kind, caring supportive midwifery to guide you through the life and health challenges a woman may face. Midwives are trained to be “With Women, for a Lifetime”! This is how HEALTHcare should be.  Come join us!

MILC Moment – Holiday Mastitis

Calls about mastitis tend to increase over the holidays. Changes in routine, travel, sleep disruptions, stress, and missed feedings can all contribute to getting engorged, getting a plugged duct, and/or getting mastitis. When you get a plugged duct, it may start as a little lump in the breast. It may feel a little tender, and the skin over it might look more pink or red. If it doesn’t get better, it may get bigger and the congestion may start to spread to other areas of your breast. More of the skin might look red. You might feel body aches or chills, or get a low grade fever. If the congestion still doesn’t go away, you might start feeling worse – like you have the flu, with a high fever. At that point, you should definitely be calling WBWC (or your OB care provider) – “Help! I think I have mastitis!” A round of antibiotics will usually clear up mastitis pretty quickly. But we like to avoid antibiotics if we can, and of course we like to avoid you getting sick! Could we prevent a bad case of mastitis? Sometimes, we can! The first step in prevention is to take care of yourself over the holidays. Mastitis loves stress! Keep nursing your baby frequently, don’t skimp on sleep, and do whatever you can to minimize the stress that can come along with the holiday season. If you do start to have issues, it’s good to know that very frequent nursing or pumping often does the trick. If you have a really stubborn spot that won’t clear, all you need may be just your hands – massaging to clear out those congested areas before they get worse. Check out this video for techniques on how to massage and hand express: https://vimeo.com/65196007 . The Boutique also sells a “Happy Ducts” herbal tincture to help in clearing breast congestion. If you’re not able to clear the plug yourself, all the WBWC LCs, and many of the midwives and nurses, have been trained on how to do breast massage to help clear plugged ducts and breast congestion. If you feel like a plugged duct is getting worse, and you’re not able to clear it yourself, you can call for an appointment to get some hands-on help. If you believe you are getting mastitis, or have mastitis, you should always call WBWC (or your OB care provider) for care. If … Read More

New & Returning Front Desk Staff

  Join us in welcoming our front desk staff, Kiah Sell-Goodhand and Sarah Sule! Kiah will be a familiar face to many of you. She is back with WBWC during her gap year before nursing school. Sarah Sule comes to us from the western United States. She grew up in Colorado and earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at Colorado State University, and went on to seek a graduate degree and career in Alaska doing Archaeology. A world traveler, Sarah spent several years living in Scotland, where she earned her certificates and licensure in massage and bodywork therapies. Sarah has more recently pursued interests in holistic health and wellness and is passionate about the outdoors, balanced lifestyles, and community.