Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
March 08, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza
Connecting the Dots wanted to share about a very special woman who was just recognized by Time as one of 12 women of the year, 2022. Midwife Jennie Joseph has been named a "Women of the Year 2022."
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March 02, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza
The 2020 maternal mortality rates were just released by the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics. The new information indicates that the United States continues to move in the wrong direction, and has had an increase in both the number and rate of people dying in the childbearing year. Black and brown families have rates that are significantly higher than their white peers.
December 28, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As we close out 2021, a year filled with many challenges, I thought our last Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post of 2021 can be about meaningful closings as well. Making sure that you end your time together with a group of families with some thoughtful closing rituals is an important piece of a satisfying and effective childbirth class. Here are five ways that you might consider sending the families on their way with confidence and excitement. You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators (almost 80 of them in the series!) for free at this link.
December 22, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Today is another post in the occasional series "Building Your Birth Business." If you are anything like me, you are the kind of childbirth educator who uses the time between teaching the last childbirth class of the year in December and the first class of the new year in January to review and refresh your offerings. Here are ten things you can do to make sure you are on top of your game. Follow this link to find all the posts in the Building Your Birth Business series.
December 16, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza
In late October, Tanya Cawthorne was named President of Lamaze International. Once again, Lamaze is being led by a person from outside the United States. Tanya Cawthorne is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Doula and Lamaze Program Director based in Melbourne, Australia. In 2018, she co-founded Lamaze Australia, the first international affiliate of Lamaze International. Meet Tanya in this Q&A with Sharon Muza, Connecting the Dots Community Manager.
December 14, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
This time of year is full of gift giving opportunities. If you have a childbirth educator in your life, and want to gift them something that feeds their professional passion, here are five ideas for you to consider that will delight them and serve them well as they teach!
December 08, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
This week in the United States is National Influenza Vaccination Week. With COVID-19 news continuing to dominate global press, it is easy to forget that the influenza (flu) continues to threaten the health of pregnant people, parents and infants, along with all other segments of the population.
December 02, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
It has long been recognized that skin to skin care between a premature baby and their parent can help those babies gain weight, maintain body temperature, tolerate procedures and experience less stress during their NICU stay. Researchers have now found that newborns who are able to hear the live vocalizations of their parents will respond better to stress, and maintain a more stable body state than those infants who do not have that exposure. Their parent’s voice influences the pain receptors in the newborn and may provide a safe and effective analgesia through the newborn’s endogenous oxytocin production during painful procedures. The findings were documented in the study, Maternal speech decreases pain scores and increases oxytocin levels in preterm infants during painful procedures, published in the journal Scientific Reports in August, 2021
November 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Talking about difficult subjects in a childbirth class requires both sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Various unexpected outcomes, including experiencing an unplanned cesarean, may cause anxiety and fear for both the pregnant person and their support or partner. Using visual aids that accurately and effectively demonstrate the surgical component of a cesarean can diffuse anxiety and make way for understanding. Using this video of a cesarean surgery, that is recreated using play-doh, is an effective way to present this topic without increasing (and quite likely decreasing) the anxiety that class members might feel around this topic.
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?
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