Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
June 15, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As the world marks 2 ½ years of a long, hard slog through the global COVID-19 pandemic, a new study was just released in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that may create potential concern for pregnant and new families. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 1 Year in Infants of Mothers Who Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2 During Pregnancy indicates a relationship between neurodevelopmental delays on 12 month old impacts and the COVID status of the parent during pregnancy. Infants were diagnosed at 12 months with neurodevelopmental delays at higher rates if they were exposed to COVID in utero.
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November 26, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Childbirth classes are not only a place to learn and prepare for the end of pregnancy, labor, birth and the fourth trimester, but an opportunity to connect with other people having the same experience. Even if virtual learning is taking place, due to the COVID-19 situation, or other reasons, an engaged and active group of learners leaning in to both learning and the camera makes for a positive and productive experience. What do you do during your virtual classes that encourage a “cameras on” philosophy?
November 23, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
On November 22, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released a statement, with regard to this latest CDC Report, and acknowledged that the impact of the COVID-19 infection on pregnant people and their babies is well documented. They urged health care providers who work with pregnant population to continue to continue to counsel people who are pregnant or anyone who is planning to become pregnant about the known risks of COVID-19 to themselves and their unborn child. They also stated that health care providers stress the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccination series before becoming pregnant, during pregnancy and continuing into the postpartum time.
August 05, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
August is all about lactation! August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding* Week, August 8th - 14th is Native Breastfeeding Week, August 25th - 31st is Black Breastfeeding Week and in the USA, the entire month recognized as National Breastfeeding Month. Today’s research review summarizes a study that examined nursing and the passage of COVID-19 antibodies from parents who received a COVI-19 vaccination after birth and during bodyfeeding.
May 05, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Today is the annual International Day of the Midwife. Every year on May 5th, global attention turns to the role of the midwife in helping families grow all around the world. This year’s theme is “Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives.” Lamaze International childbirth educators are committed to sharing evidence based information and best practices so families can make informed decisions about their perinatal care. The research on midwifery care demonstrates that midwives are critical to ending preventable deaths for birthing parents and newborns. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.1 is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, and globally, we are not on track to meet that target. If there is any hope to to reach this important benchmark, there will need to be more midwives, and a greater acceptance of the integrated role for the midwife in perinatal care around the world.
April 01, 2021 | by: Debby Amis, RN, BSN, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE
It has been a little over a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Overnight, daily life changed, in-person childbirth classes were canceled, and the birth experience changed for families around the world.
March 31, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
As I write the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post for March 2021, I am both stunned and not totally surprised that much of the world continues to be heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual perinatal classes are still the norm. I am curious and unsure when it will be considered safe to once again hold in-person classes for those families expecting a baby. I do believe that even once in-person classes return, there will continue to be a consistent demand for live, virtual classes as well. Today’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post is all about having a meaningful way to end your virtual childbirth class. You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators posts in the series by following this link.
March 23, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
The world just passed the one year anniversary of the declaration of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and vaccinations are being rolled out in many countries with varying degrees of access and participation. In the meantime, birthing parents continue to welcome their babies, and many families have done so with a doula by the side. This week is also World Doula Week. Birth doulas support the family with emotional, physical and informational support during labor and birth, with prenatal and postpartum visits on either side. There are also postpartum doulas who support families after the baby is born.
I wanted to share my experiences as a birth doula throughout this pandemic, and how this pandemic has impacted birth doula support. I want to acknowledge that I live in Seattle, WA, USA and this part of the country is very “doula friendly” and we have many, many doulas here. Doulas practicing elsewhere in the world, may have different experiences than mine.
February 23, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Lamaze International is offering an affordable webinar “The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Six Healthy Birth Practices” on March 9, 2021, at 1:00 PM ET.
Debby Amis, RN, BSN, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, a perennial favorite at Lamaze Conferences every year will get us up to speed and facilitate a panel of experts in sharing information on this topic.
January 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Welcome to 2021 and the continuing global COVID-19 pandemic. For most of us, we are one month shy of a full year of conducting virtual childbirth classes. Hard to believe I just typed that statement, but it is true. I have tried to seize on the advantages that have come with having the families in my classes participating from the comfort of their homes and incorporate that opportunity into our class time together. This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea builds on that statement and offers you something fun and quick to do with your families no matter if you are meeting with them once or over a series of weeks. I hate to waste even a minute of learning time with the classes I teach, whether in person or virtual. “So much information, so little time” drives me make every second count for the families who are getting ready to meet their babies! I ask families to bring an object from their home to class that they share virtually with others when we first start our time together. Read more to get some ideas on how you can do this too! You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators posts here, for lots of creativity and ready to use teaching ideas to make your classes fun and exciting to teach and to take!
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