Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
October 05, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Meet Hillary Melchiors, PhD, MPH, LCCE, CD(DONA). Dr. Melchiors is a presenter at the 2022 Lamaze International Conference taking place virtually on October 20, 2022. Dr. Melchiors will be presenting "Obstetric Violence: The Role of the Childbirth Educator" and speaking to childbirth educators and others working with pregnant, birthing and new families about specific ways that childbirth educators can help students not only recognize obstetric violence but also advocate for themselves. If you have not yet registered for this conference packed with amazing speakers such as Dr. Melchiors, you can do so here on the conference page. Valuable continuing education hours, updated relevant information and an opportunity to connect live or watch the sessions recorded for a period of time are all part of this year's event. I appreciate the opportunity to interview Dr. Melchiors in advance of her session and share that interview with you here. - Sharon Muza, Community Manager, Connecting the Dots.
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September 29, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Today, I am reaching out to ask you to consider submitting a fun, effective teaching idea to be featured in a future Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post. There are so many talented, gifted and creative educators who read this blog. This is a call to action for you! If you have a favorite teaching activity that is a big hit every time you use it, now is the time to share so other educators can appreciate your idea and help the families in their classes. Maybe you have a method for teaching difficult topics that really supports families to understand important concepts. I invite you to share your favorite teaching activities with Connecting the Dots readers in our monthly Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators series.
September 21, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Meet Mechell Duran, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CDCES, BC-ADM, NBC-HWC, LCCE. Dr. Duran is a presenter at the 2022 Lamaze International Conference taking place virtually on October 20, 2022. Dr. Duran will be presenting "Trauma Informed Care as a Universal Precaution for Perinatal Health Professionals" and speaking to childbirth educators and others working with pregnant, birthing and new families about Trauma Informed Care and why it is imperative to recognize the prevalence of trauma in the birthing population and what we can do to provide support and information so that people with a history of trauma can have a positive birthing and early parenting experience. If you have not yet registered for this conference packed with amazing speakers such as Dr. Duran, you can do so here on the conference page. Valuable continuing education hours, updated relevant information and an opportunity to connect live or watch the sessions recorded for a period of time are all part of this year's event. I appreciate the opportunity to interview Dr. Duran in advance of her session and share that interview with you here. - Sharon Muza, Community Manager, Connecting the Dots.
September 14, 2022 | by: Ken McGee, PT, DPT
As the saying goes, if you don’t know your options then you don’t have options. This is certainly true when it comes to pushing during childbirth in the United States and many other places across the globe. Birthing people are often encouraged to hold their breath and sustain a pushing effort for ten seconds, repeated three times per contraction. However, recent evidence points to the alternative option of breathing during pushing efforts as being better protective of the pelvic floor. Childbirth educators can support pregnant families by informing them of the benefits of breathing during pushing. This is another post in the The Body in Birth Series.
September 07, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
September is Baby Safety Month. Many childbirth educators are not experts in infant safety, but there are some key safety points that should be included in any comprehensive childbirth education class. Topics such as car seat safety, safe sleep, and general household safety are good items to touch on. It is important to also cover general guidelines on safe babywearing and where parents can stay informed on product recalls for infant and child consumer products.
August 31, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators’ idea is something that childbirth educators can do outside of class time, but offers benefits for families and requires little investment or effort on the part of the educator. I think I first learned of having a “Movie Night” from Kim James, an LCCE in the Seattle area of Washington state who would do this activity with her Lamaze classes. You can find all the B Read More
August 24, 2022 | by: Molly Giammarco, MPP
As previously reported in Connecting the Dots, in April 2022, the Biden Administration announced an initiative to create a Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation framework to help improve U.S. maternal health outcomes. Administered by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Biden Administration will provide this designation to help consumers make informed decisions when selecting a hospital for labor and delivery. CMS will make its Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation information publically available on its website, beginning in the fall of 2023.
August 17, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
In the USA, it is National Breastfeeding (Bodyfeeding) Month and every week in August is dedicated to World Breastfeeding Week, Indigenous Milk Medicine Week, Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Week, Black Breastfeeding Week.
Since the beginning of time, people have been feeding their babies from their bodies. Here are some collections of breast/chest/bodyfeeding images, some artwork and others actual images, through the ages.
August 10, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
It is important that all families feel welcome in your childbirth classes. Here are ten things you should be doing to confirm that you and your classroom are welcoming and safe for LGTBQIA+ families. It is imperative that you do not make any assumptions about the people who are attending childbirth classes with you. This post is one in an occasional series, "Welcoming All Families," you can find the entire series here.
August 03, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
The first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week - a time for all the world to acknowledge the importance of giving babies human milk, and an opportunity for individuals, organizations and systems to examine their roles and responsibilities in promoting and supporting bodyfeeding and the parent/baby dyad. Breastfeeding provides food security and reduces inequalities. Additionally, August 8-14 is Indigenous Milk Medicine Week and August 25-31 is the 10th annual Black Breastfeeding Week.
The focus for 2022 World Breastfe
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