Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
August 13, 2020 | by: Molly Giammarco, MPP
In partnership with the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC), Lamaze hosted a webinar, Evidence-Based Childbirth Education: A Critical Strategy in Improving Birth Outcomes & Reducing Maternal Health Disparities, in July to discuss the growing role childbirth educators have in reducing maternal-health disparities. The webinar featured U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (North Carolina) and Lauren Underwood (Illinois), BMHC Co-Chairs; Tara Owens Schuler, M.Ed., LCCE, FACCE, Lamaze Diversity + Outreach Committee Chair; and Melissa Harley, AdvCD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, CLC, FACCE, DONA International President.
Read More
August 11, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just launched a new campaign called HEAR Her. The mission of this new effort is to reduce the number of people who die during pregnancy or the first year after giving birth, currently estimated at over 700 individuals annually in the United States. Research indicates that over 60 percent of those deaths are preventable. Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) disproportionately die at higher rates than their white peers. Often, Black and Indigenous parents’ concerns are disregarded, minimized or ignored and situations that could be addressed are left untreated until it becomes a matter of life and death.
August 06, 2020 | by: Andrea Lythgoe, LCCE
The first thing you should do when you start planning a new class offering or updating a previous one is to take some time and think about what you have to work with, so that any plans you make will work well.
August 04, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
A childbirth educator is responsible for providing families with evidence based information on lactation and infant feeding. Many people assume that this information is collated in the “last class” of a series, or the last topic of an abbreviated learning session. The reality is that teaching expectant families about the importance of human milk for their newborns and how to meet any challenges that may arise is not a topic for the end of the learning experience. It is something that should be woven through the entire learning experience from the first moments that a family begins to participate in a perinatal learning opportunity.
July 30, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
There is something that all of us can do that can support Black doulas and midwives as they train to serve families. It is called the Doula Book Project. The concept is simple, easy to participate in and supports Black perinatal professionals. Black doulas and midwives make a “wish list” on Amazon of the books they need in order to continue their training. Once they have created their list, they can be added to the Doula Book Project website. Individuals who would like to support the program simply choose a doula or midwife, peruse their public Amazon wish list and purchase the book(s) that are need, which get shipped to the individual promptly. Simple, easy and effective.
July 28, 2020 | by: Stacie Bingham, LCCE, CD(DONA), CBS(LER)
With so many perinatal classes being moved online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, I have found one rousing tool that makes classes especially engaging: Using video clips from movies to enhance the tedium that can sometimes be associated with distance/online learning. Hollywood movies during class are unusual, and we know learners pay attention to things that are different. Movies can make us laugh or cry, and endorphins show up when we have expressions of emotion. Movies can be nostalgic – and guess what? We know feelings of nostalgia actually help build our mental toughness by providing a boost when we face difficult situations.
Since the goal of our classes is to share information that families will be applying days, weeks, or even months in the future, making things memorable should be one of your top priorities. Here is a handful of some of my favorites – adjust them as needed to make them work for you!
July 23, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The RESPCCT study, from the well-respected Birth Place Lab in Vancouver, BC is recruiting participants from across Canada to answer questions about their pregnancy and birth experiences in the past 10 years. What makes this research unique is that a multistakeholder team that included service users from diverse backgrounds, identities, and circumstances spent two years to develop this survey that is person-centered and was designed through a lens that is person-centered and elevates the perspectives and voices of those most marginalized.
July 21, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
First reported from physicians in Ireland and Denmark, with an upwelling of more anecdotal reports from other countries, it appears that the number of babies who are born prematurely, (and most noticeably, very prematurely) has been significantly reduced. In the study that has yet to be peer-reviewed and is still in preprint, “Changes in premature birth rates during the Danish nationwide COVID-19 lockdown: a nationwide register-based prevalence proportion study” found that there were significantly less babies born prematurely during the COVID-19 lockdown than in the previous five years.
July 17, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
While there is no consensus amongst Maternal Mortality Review committees in operation in almost all 50 states about what actually constitutes a maternal death, there is one thing that everyone can agree on. More than two thirds of the deaths that do occur during or within a year of pregnancy are preventable!
July 13, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Being able to read and understand research papers is a skill that will serve perinatal professionals well time and time again. It can be intimidating but once you dive in, you may find it is not as difficult as you once thought. The more frequently you give it a go, the easier it becomes. We have covered this topic before in several blog posts and an amazing series here on Connecting the Dots. Today I highlight those resources along with some new ones that have been useful to me.
Subscribe by Email
RSS Feed
