Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
August 09, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Lamaze International is hosting an exciting learning event – The Virtual Education Symposium, on October 4, 2023. This event provides an opportunity to hear from experts in childbirth education on how you can enhance your childbirth education program activities to increase learner retention, improve perinatal outcomes and reduce inequities facing birthing people of the Global Majority. Over the next weeks leading up to the event, Connecting the Dots will present short interviews with the speakers, so that you can learn more about them, their upcoming presentation and some of their favorite resources.. Today, meet Mallory Emerson and Sharon Muza who will be presenting "Power Up PowerPoint - Utilizing Slide Decks for Interactive, Engaging Learning Opportunities."
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August 03, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE FACCE, CLE
Annually, August 1 - 7 is World Breastfeeding Week. In the United States, the month of August is recognized as National Breastfeeding Month. Each week of August in the USA recognizes the unique lactation journeys of different communities. The worldwide theme in 2023 – ENABLING BREASTFEEDING: Making a difference for working parents is a critical one to address. World Breastfeeding Week 2023 brings into focus the crucial link between lactation and the challenges faced by new parents as they return to work.
July 24, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
It is no longer enough that childbirth educators know all the information about the childbearing year, and continually stay up to date on new information relevant to the topics they teach. It is also critical that educators understand adult learning and deliver the information in engaging and memorable formats targeted for their adult learners. The Lamaze 2023 Virtual Education Symposium, scheduled for Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 10 AM to 4:15 PM EDT has got you covered! This event provides educators with the opportunity to learn leading adult education models, polish up their skills and improve their classes, both virtual and in-person.
June 28, 2023 | by: Katja Holzhei
There are many benefits to physical activity during pregnancy. Childbirth educators can not only be a source of information about these benefits, but provide encouragement and opportunity for pregnant people to increase their level of activity to benefit themselves, their babies and their labors. This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators (BABE) comes from health and wellness professional Katja Holzhei, who shares some effective ideas for incorporating exercise into your childbirth classes. To access all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators creative ideas,
June 22, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
June is PRIDE Month, a time to commemorate and center LGBTQIA+ individuals and recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, nonbinary, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. The desire to have a family is universal amongst all people. As childbirth educators, our role goes beyond simply imparting knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth and recognizes our responsibility to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all families, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. By acknowledging and celebrating the diversity within our classes, childbirth educators can ensure that every individual and every family is seen, respected, and welcomed during this transformative journey. This is a great time to check in with class content and curriculum to confirm that your childbirth classes are welcoming to LGBTQIA+ families in your community. Here are five practical ways to create an inclusive space. To find all the posts in the "Welcoming All Families" series, click here.
May 31, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators focuses on the year after a person has given birth, a time period that is not often recognized as a potentially dangerous time for new parents, especially those who are most vulnerable. This activity offers childbirth educators a simple but effective method to highlight risks and share when parents should seek out support from their health care provider after giving birth. You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators’ ideas here at this link.
May 03, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Preeclampsia, eclampsia, gestational hypertension and HELLP syndrome are all classified as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs). Throughout the globe, up to 10% of pregnant people are impacted by HDPs. Preeclampsia often presents as a rapid rise in blood pressure. This can lead to complications that include strokes, seizures, organ failure and death for both the parent and/or the baby. Severe maternal morbidity events impact Black parents at twice the rate of their white peers. Preeclampsia can be a concern during pregnancy and also after delivery, during the postpartum period.
Childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals have a responsibility to inform pregnant people about the signs and symptoms to watch for, in the case of preeclampsia, and to encourage them to reach out to a health care provider if they have any concerns. It is important for people to be insistent, and express their concern to their doctor or midwife and request that their concerns be taken seriously. Oftentimes, especially for Black and brown people, concerns are dismissed and opportunities are missed to prevent a serious consequence.
April 29, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
April is Cesarean Awareness Month and it is appropriate for this month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators activity to be on the topic of cesareans and vaginal births after cesarean (VBACs) with a fun and simple idea that can be used both virtually and in person.
The current cesarean rate in the United States is hovering around 32% and this number has been fairly flat for the past years. Physician and midwifery professional organizations in the United States, Canada and beyond are in agreement that the current cesarean rate in many places is too high and can cause more harm than good, with a prolonged and more complicated recovery post surgery and additional impact for future fertility, pregnancies and births. Sharing some simple facts about cesarean birth and VBAC in an informal activity is appropriate for childbirth classes, so that expectant families can understand facts and how to advocate for appropriate and evidence based care.
April 05, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
April is Cesarean Awareness Month, an annual observance in the United States and around the world that brings focus to the extremely high number of cesarean deliveries in many areas of the globe. In 2021, the most recent year for full statistics, the cesarean rate in the United States was 32.1%. This is up one full percentage point from the 2020 statistics, and the second yearly increase in a row, after two years of declining in 2018 and 2019. Black birthing parents have the highest cesarean birth rate of all US populations, with 36.8% of Black parents having a surgical birth.
March 22, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Many perinatal professionals work as birth and/or postpartum doulas as well as teach classes either independently or as part of a hospital or community program. Each role is professionally fulfilling in different ways and also helps generate several income streams.
While being both a doula and a childbirth educator can peacefully “co-exist,” there are definitely challenges to make it work well. The on-call life of a birth doula often creates a major conflict with the planned and scheduled-in-advance responsibilities of a childbirth educator.
Here are some suggestions for successfully managing both roles.
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