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 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 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
July 06, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Being pregnant can at times be pretty uncomfortable. Additional weight gain, crowded organs, body aches, swelling, joint pain, exhaustion and more can range from simply annoying to downright horrible depending on the person and the pregnancy. Often these discomforts are magnified when someone is pregnant in the hot summer months. Childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals working with families who are pregnant in the heat of the summer can share some of these tips and tricks for staying cool, hydrated and comfortable when it is baking hot on the outside and a small human is cooking on the inside.
June 29, 2022 | by: M. Priya, M.E. LCCE
Independent quick activities that are simple to run and fun to complete are great options when you are waiting to start class or want to give some outside class work that reinforces learning. Today, M. Priya, ME, LCCE, shares a great Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea for customized Word Searches that work equally well in person or in a virtual classroom. You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators ideas here for free. - Sharon Muza, Connecting the Dots Community Manager.
June 22, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
In addition to useful resources for childbirth educators, Lamaze International offers some key resources for parents. Today is an opportunity to double check that the resources you are providing to the families in your classes include these six valuable parent-centered tools that Laaze International offers to parents.
June 09, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
In 2021, a new systematic review and meta-analysis was published: Maternal Oxygen Supplementation Compared With Room Air for Intrauterine Resuscitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis that examined if oxygen administration impacted the fetus/newborn.
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