From the WBWC Blog:
News
Latest news non-related to individual births.
Talking to Legislators: Midwives and Birth Centers Improve Healthcare
Maureen Darcey, CNM, and Brianna Honea will be attending a Congressional briefing in Washington, DC on February 7. This briefing will bring attention to a study to be published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, demonstrating the positive outcomes, health-wise and financially, associated with midwifery care. For more information about the briefing and how you can be involved in bringing awareness to your congressional representatives, follow this link: http://www.birthcenters.org/content/aabc-acnm-congressional-briefing-february-7-2013 To read a summary of the article published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, click here. For the full article, click here.
New Arrivals
*Here are some of the 38 babies we welcomed in December!* *Ada Claire Bickers Bock – 7 lbs. 8 oz – October 31 Anastasia Hughes – 5 lbs., 6 oz. – November 27 *Aidan Ray Trotter – 8 lbs., 9 oz. – December 1 Sadie Irene Donovan – 8 lbs., 6 oz. – December 3 Clara Pearl Brown – 7 lbs., 12 oz. – December 4 *Audrey Delilah Dunn – 6 lbs., 8 oz. – December 5 Ellie Inez Asencio – 7 lbs., 1 oz. – December 7 Brenta Thomas Shuler – 8 lbs., 5 oz. – December 8 Selah Maryn Ridout – 7 lbs., 4 oz. – December 9 Elizabeth Rose Grether – 7 lbs., 12 oz. – December 15 Clara Kelly Brenton – 9 lbs., 8 oz. – December 18 Liberty Mae Stubley – 6 lbs., 14 oz. – December 18 Baby Wheeler – 7 lbs., 8 oz. – December 19 Aaron Nathani – 9 lbs., 7 oz. – December 19 Jessa Elizabeth Brooks – 9 lbs., 8 oz. – December 20 Vivienne Roje Fields – 7 lbs., 6 oz. – December 23 Samson Levi Bell – 7 lbs. – December 26 Lola Jane Callegari – 8 lbs. – December 26 Christopher John Jenkins – 9 lbs., 4 oz. – December 28 *Rosabelle Hope Rivera – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – December 29 Maren Eliza Penny – 7 lbs. – December 30 *pictured above If you’d like your baby’s birth announced in the next newsletter, send an email with baby’s name, weight, and birth date to missy_swanson@hotmail.com. Feel free to include a picture! We’d like to hear from all WBWC moms, whether your baby was born at the birth center or UNC.
News from the Board
by Kaaren Haldeman Happy New Year! The board is excited about the year ahead and we’re looking forward to tackling the pressing issues that have carried through to the new year. I would like to thank Rebecca Swartz for her board service and wish her well in her future plans and experiences. Although Rebecca has left the board, she has been helpful in conversations around development work and remains a valuable resource. Thanks, Rebecca!
WBWC Hosts “How to Start a Birth Center” Seminar
On January 25, WBWC hosted a “How to Start a Birth Center” seminar. Over 60 midwives, students, and health professionals from across the country came to Chapel Hill to learn what it takes to start and maintain a freestanding birth center. Maureen Darcey, CNM, and Brianna Honea, our business director, welcomed the group and led a tour. Birth center staff were on hand to answer questions, run through birth scenarios, and provide information. It’s very encouraging that so many people are interested in expanding birth options for women throughout the country, and we’re pleased we’re able to share our expertise!
New Parking Spots!
You may have noticed that there are now 4 “Birth Center Only” parking spots out in front of the birth center. Feel free to use these spaces when you’re here for your appointments or in labor!
Share Your Birth Story!
by Casey Bradburn Prior to becoming pregnant and recently having my first baby, I didn’t exactly have an interest in natural births, breastfeeding, etc. I had been moving more towards a natural lifestyle, but for a large part of my adult life I didn’t know if I even wanted to have children, so the subject certainly wasn’t a passion, or even one I knew much about. My husband Cole, on the other hand, has seemed to have more knowledge of and a passion for it for years. He is a chiropractor, so living a healthy and natural lifestyle is an essential piece of his work, but some of his passions weren’t ones that I shared. A few years ago I recall seeing him post articles and comments on his websites and Facebook pages about benefits of breastfeeding, birth procedures, etc. and I thought it was weird. I now feel like I finally understand the importance of getting the message and education out there and more well-known. After we had our son at the birth center in June 2012, Cole went back to work to a ton of people and patients asking him questions and for more information about having a natural birth. There was evidently some concern and probably some misconceptions about choosing that path. He could give some information and his viewpoint on the subject, but ultimately thought it would be great to gather mothers’ natural birth stories and compile them into a free online book. That way it could be an inclusive resource for anyone interested in hearing the story straight from the mother, rather than from an onlooker. He already has a good start, but is still looking for more birth stories. If any mamas out there would like to share theirs and have them included, please send them to drbradburn@mac.com. Thank you!
New Arrivals
*Ever Bloom Lubenow – 9 lbs., 14 oz. – October 1 *Westley Francis Meints – October 7 *Daisy Anne Austin – 6 lbs., 13 oz. – November 3 Killian Annabeth Whitley – 7 lbs., 14 oz. – November 4 Samuel David Cudd – 8 lbs., 2 oz. – November 5 Aven Bauer Fitzsimons – 7 lbs., 10 oz. – November 5 Cosima Sophie Wynne Everett – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – November 6 Soren Donovan Landfried – 9 lbs., 2 oz. – November 8 Cotton Hatch Carter – November 9 Marin Emily McLaughlin – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – November 9 Isaiah Leon Urrutia – 7 lbs., 2 oz. – November 9 Audrey Elizabeth Otero – 7 lbs., 5 oz. – November 10 Ocean Tinotenda Anderson – 9 lbs., 3 oz. – November 12 Arilynn Jayde Jones – 11 lbs., 4 oz. – November 12 Sonali Noelle Anand Paleja – 6 lbs., 6 oz. – November 12 Ali Khalifa Mohamed – 8 lbs., 15 oz. – November 13 Trey Herbert Hancock – 9 lbs., 13 oz. – November 17 Benjamin Wyatt Hancock – 7 lbs. – November 20 Jasper Isaiah Reisdorff – 6 lbs., 12 oz. – November 20 Abigail Glory Plating – 9 lbs., 7 oz. – November 23 Tyson Hevshel Mottershead – 8 lbs., 5 oz. – November 23 Clara Luz Jacobs DeSouza – 7 lbs., 2 oz. – November 25 Lily Victoria Siu – 8 lbs., 15 oz. – November 27 Alexander Henry Grossman – 6 lbs., 13 oz. – November 28 Judah Holm – 9 lbs., 11 oz. – November 30 Katelyn Elizabeth Williams – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – November 30 Welcome to the world, Little Ones! If you’d like your baby’s birth announced in the next newsletter, send an email to missy_swanson@hotmail.com with baby’s name, weight, and date of birth. Feel free to include a photo. We’d like to hear from all WBWC moms, whether your baby was born at the birth center or UNC!
Spotlight: Kristin Resnik
Please join us in welcoming our new labor/postpartum nurse, Kristin Resnik to the WBWC staff! Kristin may be visiting you at your home visit! Kristin was born and raised in Hingham, Massachusetts, a town 20 miles south of Boston on the water. During her childhood, she also had three one-year breaks living in California and Oregon. Kristin is married to Dmitri and they have a 3-year-old son named Samuel and a little beagle named “Nose”. (The beagle’s name had been “Sam” but he was renamed after their son was born!) Kristin loves traveling, exploring new places and enjoying the outdoors through boating, snorkelling, biking, hiking and gardening. She met her husband while studying glass blowing, and also enjoys other art forms. She practices yoga, loves to read, and is working on improving her cooking skills. Kristin graduated from UNC-CH School of Nursing in 2005 and worked on a Women’s Gynecology/Oncology floor at UNC and Labor and Delivery at UNC. She has a B.A. in Religious Studies/Studio Art from Scripps College in California. What does she like about the WBWC? “I love the amount of time I can spend supporting, teaching, and caring for women and their families. I have been truly inspired by the strength and grace of the women whom I have helped become mamas at the WBWC.I recently became an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), and I would love to utilize and refine these skills — and learn from the LCs at the WBWC!”
News from the WBWC Board
By Kaaren Haldeman Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the WBWC board! We met on December 3 to round out a year of hard work that included assembling a talented group of members to tackle some very complex and important issues. Rather than a laundry list of items that have been accomplished (you can look back to newsletters of board meetings past), the board would simply like you to know that we, together with Maureen and Brianna, have worked diligently to improve the health of our organization now and prepare for our next steps in the coming year. It has been a pleasure to serve a medical home that inspires women to take an active and equal part in their health care, including pregnancy and birth, and it is our greatest hope that this choice will exist here at WBWC for many years to come. Thank you to each staff member who helps make us who we are and provides the kind of care we so passionately defend. Our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones; may the warmth of the season bring you great joy. See you in the New Year!
Thimerosal-Free Flu Shots Available!
Reminder: Thimerosal-Free flu shots are available at Women’s Birth & Wellness Center for patients. During pregnancy you want to minimize the amount of foreign agents (especially mercury) in your body.