From the WBWC Blog:

News

Latest news non-related to individual births.

Peace on Earth Begins with Birth

  by: Brianna Honea  At Women’ Birth & Wellness Center we’re always open on Christmas (in fact we never close) and it’s indisputable that we give our patients the world’s best presents. We never wrap our presents, and no one has ever returned one of our presents. That’s because, at the Birth Center, we deliver brand new babies to joy-filled parents. So, in a sense you could say: “It’s always Christmas at WBWC.”   When it comes to birthing babies, we’re the pros, and even if those little ones decide to come on Dec. 25 we’re at the ready. The WBWC Christmas Tree, which features two paper mache belly casts from pregnant mothers-to-be, are very special because, let’s face it, we deliver the greatest presents on Earth. Even Santa can’t touch the WBWC. Christmas is a day intimately connected to a birth story. There’s no account of the name of the midwife who was on duty at the first Christmas, but chances are she used the same time-honored loving care that the WBWC midwives give today to new mother who come to our Chapel Hill center to have their babies. Another unique aspect of our Christmas tree is that like our baby-delivery system, our spruce pine tree is all natural. And when we give a present — a newborn, tiny bundle of joy — it’s always au natural!!!  That’s why WBWC is participating in the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge.  In an effort to show our mission and philosophy we also used mostly natural and educational decorations on our tree. WBWC staff made wooden ornaments with midwifery and birth facts, as well as ornaments from tree branches on which we have the word midwife written in many different languages. We also used pine cones, burlap, classic style clothes pins, baby shoes, the International Breastfeeding Symbol and more. Big thanks to everyone who helped with ideas and decorating.  While most Christmas presents are soon forgotten, there’s never been a WBWC mother in our care who has grown tired of our presents. In fact, most of our patients have detailed memories of the presents they received from us. Merry Christmas! We hope you and your family can visit WBWC Tree #58 and rally for our tree during the judging! Photos and info about the tree will be found at www.triangletreechallenge.com Text votes to 46988. Tree58 (no space) or vote online by logging on to: triangletreechallenge.com and entering your email address … Read More

Staff Spotlight: Jane Gledhill & Kiah Sell-Goodhand

   Jane Gledhill, RN   Originally living in Chicago, IL through her high school years she attended the University of Tennessee-Knoxville which brought on opportunity to live a rural life and spend weekends in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition she and her husband moved to the North Carolina side of the mountains onto a 60 acre farm. They grew vegetables, kept chickens, dairy goats, and honey bees.  During that time her first pregnancy ignited a passion for normal, physiological birth. In Asheville at Memorial Mission Hospital with her midwife’s support she delivered her baby breech. Their second child was born on their farm at home into the hands of a midwife as well. After the death of her first husband, Jane met Geof. They were married and she moved with her two children, (and her goats), to his farm at “Cedar Grove” in Orange County, NC.  Jane’s third child was also born at home, attended by her midwife, and caught by Geof. Her passions of breastfeeding and natural healthcare continued throughout the following years of childrearing, homeschooling, and volunteering until finally it was time to get back to school!  Through UNC-Chapel Hill’s fourteen month accelerated nursing program Jane earned a BSN in 2004. Her work became as an RN on the Physical and Medical Rehabilitation Unit and on the Labor and Delivery Unit at UNC Hospital from 2004 through 2010. Then, in 2009 she graduated from ECU’s MSN Midwifery program! Jane moved on to work as a home birth midwife (2010 – 2012) and traveled on two medical mission trips to Haiti as well.  Currently her passion is striving to update the NC CNM practice law through her work as a member of the NC ACNM Legislative Committee. Two of her loves are playing with her three grandchildren and making goat milk soap. She’s so happy to now be caring for the women, and their families, of WBWC.  Kiah Sell-Goodhand, Front Desk Coordinator  Although born in Boston, Kiah is a proud and active citizen of Durham, she returned to the Bull City after receiving B.A. degrees in Sociology and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Asheville.   After returning to her hometown, Kiah worked with an AmeriCorps program that assists early childhood education programs across the triangle. Prior to joining the WBWC family, Kiah worked for several years as a teacher at … Read More

Boutique Bulletin

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Boutique Bulletin:

Are you an experienced Cloth Diapering mama?  Do you love your cloth? Have a “pocket full” of knowledge and tips ready to share with others?? We’re seeking out Cloth Diapering Community Volunteers to participate in our monthly free class. It’s held the 3rd Saturday of every month. 10 am. – 11:30 am. If you’re interested, you receive boutique store credit for participating, please email us for details: boutique@ncbirthcenter.org

Our New Arrivals

*Scarlet Pepper Canova – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – June 19.   *Diego Chicharro-Schoonmaker – 7 lbs., 4 oz. – July 5 Margot Snow Piepmeier – 8 lbs., 9 oz. – September 1 Maeve Ellery Bain White – 7 lbs., 6 oz. – September 1 Scarlett Alexandra Erana – 10 lbs., 7 oz. – September 3 Reed Spurgeon Shook – 8 lbs., 14 oz. – September 3 Jubilee Grace Wilson – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – September 5 Luke Alexander Jacobson – 9 lbs. – September 5 Amelia Grace McMahon – 7 lbs., 7 oz. – September 7 Leah Joy Garner – 10 lbs – September 7  Theodore Brian Wittaniemi-Shaler – 8 lbs., 11 oz – September 7 Willow June Bollinger – 8 lbs., 11 oz. – September 7 Fiona Maureen Kirkley – 9 lbs., 3 oz. – September 11 Shōen Miles Ferrell – 7 lbs., 11 oz. – September 12 Dominic Jordan Errato – 8 lbs. – September 15 Elliot Andersen Wilson Cox – 8 lbs., 10 oz. – September 15 Jade Gray Taylor – 7 lbs., 6 oz. – September 17 Michah Samuel Stevens – 7 lbs., 13 oz. – September 19 Syrus Lloyd Parsons – 9 lbs., 1 oz. – September 21 Owen Jeremiah Cole – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – September 21 Jasalyn Myla Rena Miller – 8 lbs., 5 oz. – September 23 Aiden Christopher Roos – 9 lbs., 4 oz. – September 24 Elliot Faraimunashe Taranhike – 7 lbs., 14.5 oz. – September 24 Benjamin Kane Darab – 7 lbs., 1 oz. – September 27 Baby Boy Erickson – 8 lbs., 1 oz. – September 27 Baby Girl Mette – 6 lbs., 9 oz. – September 29 Tilden Ash Varley – 8 lbs., 15 oz. – September 29 Urijah Winthrop – 8 lbs, 1 oz – October 1 Kylan Monroe Rice – 8 lbs, 7 oz – October 2 Ruby Magdalene Jones – 7 lbs, 1 oz – October 2 Evelyn Jane Hollis – 7 lbs, 13 oz – October 3 Finnick Lucas Nickols – October 4 Anna Belle Horton – 7 lbs, 6 oz – October 6 Miriam Catherine Nell – 7 lbs. – October 8 Katie Megan Strickland – 6 lbs, 15 oz – October 8 Rayna Hope Kehoe – 7 lbs, 5 oz – October 9 Levi William Landahl – 7 lbs, 3 oz – October 10 Sloan Marie Smith – 7 lbs, 4 oz – October 13 Azalea Flores – 8 lbs, 3 … Read More

Press Release

UNC Family Physicians receive national award from Midwifery group On September 26th of this year, the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) presented Dr. Martha Carlough and the faculty of the University of North Carolina’s Family Medicine department with the prestigious “Collaborating Physician Award” for 2013. Dr. Carlough, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at UNC, serves as the Medical Director for Women’s Birth & Wellness Center (WBWC) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. WBWC was founded as North Carolina’s first free-standing birthing center by Maureen Darcey, a certified nurse midwife (CNM) who has been practicing in the state for over 30 years. North Carolina is one of only six states left in the nation requiring a physician’s signature in order for CNMs to practice their vocation. Dr. Carlough and UNC faculty have been honored by the AABC for their past and current advocacy for the birth center midwifery model of care. AABC Executive Director, Kate E. Bauer said Carlough received the award to recognize and celebrate her “outstanding achievements.”  The award, for which scores of candidates were considered, was presented by Darcey at the 30th annual AABC conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Martha has kept us on our toes by religiously helping us update our protocols throughout the years, as new methods of care and research evolve,” stated Darcey during the presentation, “She’s the queen of evidence based care.” Darcey went on to praise Carlough’s commitment to maintain the highest and most up-to-date standards of care for WBWC patients and families. Women’s Birth & Wellness Center patients, families and staff are grateful to the UNC Department of Family Medicine for their support and collaboration. UNC Family Medicine Group and Maureen Darcey, CNM From left: Margaret Helton, MD, Maureen Darcey, CNM, Martha Carlough, MD, Warren Newton, MD Women’s Birth & Wellness Center Staff and Martha Carlough, MD From top left: Rachel VanBree, WHCNP, Mariah Velazquez, CNM, Carey Jefferson, CNM, Martha Carlough, MD, Maureen Darcey, CNM, Teresa Ray, CAN, Donna McBane, CAN, Tracey Jones, CAN,  Kiah Sell-Goodhand.  Bottom row from left: Brianna Honea, MBA, Nancy Albrecht, RN, IBCLC, Layne Shipley-Townsend, Alexandra Henry, CNM

My Births, My Babies: Aden

By Fatimah Faraj  My first child, Alina, was born by C-section on Friday, April 17, 2009. Yes, I had a C-section. Not my plan, but it ended up being a beautiful birth. My plan was to have a natural birth.  We chose Women’s Birth and Wellness Center (WBWC) as a good stepping stone for our first birth, hoping to follow it with a home birth. WBWC also offered my husband, who had no background in birth, an introduction to this world.   At 35 weeks I found out Alina was transverse breach.  Her head was nuzzled under my left rib and her bottom sat on my right hip.  My pelvis was empty – with no baby in it.  I did everything in the book to turn her.  Inversion on my back, inversion on hands and knees, inversion off stairs, moxibustion (Chinese medicine dried mugwort herb that is burned by the little toe and used to help turn babies), acupuncture, hot and cold, hypnosis and an External Cephalic Version (ECV) performed at UNC Womens Hospital in Chapel Hill.  The obstetricians (I had two of them) tried several times to turn her during my ECV- once she flipped down with her head to my left hip and then somersaulted back up.  Did she turn with the last try? No, but I was determined to go into spontaneous labor, to see if that would turn her and if not to then go in for my c-section.  I also wanted delayed cord clamping and skin to skin.  All of these things I fought for, and it took a few hours of discussions to get the whole operating room team on board. I vowed not to have another baby until I made peace with my c-section and until I was prepared to have another c-section (even though my plans would be to avoid it). I got pregnant last October with Aden, who was due July 22. 2013. My plan was to go for a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC).  However, I was very in tune with him and his position, and I just knew he was in the same exact position as his sister.  At our 17-week ultra sound he was breech.  Two weeks before my 29-week position-check ultra sound I could have sworn his head was under my left rib. At our 29 week ultra sound he was — drum roll– head down! I was shocked.  I swore up and down he was in the same position … Read More

We celebrate our 10th:

For 10 years, the Chapel Hill-based Women’s Birth & Wellness Center (WBWC) has been a major community and statewide resource in women’s health and child birth. Since we opened our doors in 2003, WBWC has thrived as a unique non-profit birth center and women’s health clinic offering women an alternative to the hospital setting for prenatal, birth and post-delivery care.    As North Carolina’s only accredited, free-standing birth center in the triangle, WBWC has become a health care resource for women of all ages. On October 20, WBWC is hosted a birthday party for patients and their families at Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC. Past fall galas have drawn hundreds of attendees, including families and WBWC staff.  Under WBWC founder Maureen Darcey, Executive Director, WBWC offers a unique patient-centered approach to well-woman and pregnancy services. Our mission is to provide “women of diverse backgrounds with comprehensive well-woman, maternity and preventative healthcare throughout the life cycle.” We provide a dedicated staff of eight Certified Nurse Midwives, two women’s health nurse practioners, numerous registered nurses, administrative staff and lactation consultants. This team of committed women is well known for providing excellent care to their patients.  In part, our mission statement says: “We believe that every woman has the right to a standard of excellence in her healthcare, to be treated with respect for human dignity and cultural preferences, and to be an active partner in her healthcare.  We believe that the establishment of a freestanding birth center and women’s health center provides the best opportunity to succeed in our mission.”  As the birth center continues to grow, we have plans to build a new and more comprehensive facility as part of our continuous effort to better serve our patients. “I have seen this practice grow immensely over the years and we are overjoyed to continue to care for the women and families across North Carolina”, Darcey said.  Women’s Birth & Wellness Center is a not-for-profit women’s health organization designed to improve the health of women in our community by providing the highest quality preventive and maternity health care services to women and families.  WBWC is a community-based center and provides services to patients regardless of their economic status. We provide affordable healthcare to women and offer sliding-fee scales to the uninsured.  

News from our board

Fall greetings from the board! It was great to see so many families and long-time friends at the Tenth Anniversary Birthday Party celebration at Pullen Park this weekend. After days of gloom and rain, the sun shone brightly on our very special day. Thank you especially to Layne Townsend and all other staff who helped “behind the scenes” to make it such a great day. We look forward to ten years and more, providing the women and families of our area the kind of health care and birthing experiences they desire. Congratulations, Women’s Birth & Wellness Center!

Bringing Rhythm to Your Baby

Excerpt by Kristen Burgess with permission from christopherushomeschool.org A rhythmic, ordered life is nourishing to the young child.  This includes the littlest children as well!  Bringing rhythm into your baby’s days and life will benefit you and your baby, as well as the rest of your family. Remember that a life of rhythm and routine is not about harshly scheduling your baby.  Rhythm is more natural, organic, and can flow.  It is always there to hold the family, and to carry the family – but it does not bind the family. Once your baby is between 2 to 4 weeks old you can begin working with rhythm.  Begin based on your own feelings about it – just don’t try to tax yourself too soon after giving birth. Start by deciding a guiding rhythm for your own day.  If you have older children this may be easy since you probably already have set waking, eating, and bedtimes (if not, this is a good time to work on it!)  If this baby is your first you will need to have more discipline with yourself.  It was far easier for me to give my second and third child a rhythmic babyhood than it was with my first. But begin by setting a time to wake (or to wake baby if you prefer to rise earlier) in the morning, a time to eat your meals (and you should really be getting snacks too!), and a time put baby to bed.  You do not have to be rigid about these times.  A general “around 8 o’clock, around noon, etc.” is good.  I do recommend you research bedtime and choose an early bedtime for your baby.  My own children go to bed at 7 o’clock! Now that you have those cornerstones begin to live life with your new baby – or older baby!  Wake in the morning, dress or freshen up.  Get baby ready for the day.  Eat breakfast and nurse baby.  Then you may want to do some housework with baby in the sling, take a walk outside with baby, or nurse baby some more. When you sit down to have your snack, nurse baby.  Your baby will come to associate this snack-time with nursing.  Gradually you can work towards the morning nap being just after this snack-time.  It’s a matter of gradually adjusting your baby into this rhythm and routine.  My second baby fell … Read More

Save the Date!

        The Birth Center’s 10th Anniversary/Birthday Party will be held October 20th  from 2-5 pm at Pullen Park in Raleigh.   We can’t wait to see you and those adorable babies! Kids and adults: Try out your Halloween costume at the party! For more information on Pullen Park, click here.