Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
November 27, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza
As I try not to get sucked into the spending frenzy I see around me, I offer up today’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators activity that involves simple items that you may already have around the house or office. These ideas and activities are easy on the budget and at the same time fun for the families in your classes and help make learning fun and memorable too! To see all the Connecting the Dots Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators ideas, follow this link.
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November 22, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
It is hard to believe that the end of the year is almost upon us, with December just a week away. For folks all around the world, this time of year is often full of festive occasions, travels and time with family and friends, good food and many traditions. Not many of us have our sights fully set on 2020 yet, but do make sure that you have Lamaze International’s Childbirth Education Advocacy Summit on your radar.
November 13, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Many childbirth educators new to Lamaze International have just finished the fall testing period and now wait to find out if they can add the credentials Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) to their name. When you are a new childbirth educator, it feels as if there is so much knowledge and information that you must remember and you worry about how you will be able to recall all the important content when facilitating your first classes without looking like a fumbling fool while clutching handfuls of notes and papers. This is a completely normal feeling, and the reality is, even experienced educators don’t hold all the information in their head and often rely on notes to be sure they are providing accurate information to class members. Here are five recall hacks that can help you be the professional educator you are right from the start.
October 31, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Halloween is a holiday that lets a pregnant person truly shine! When someone is pregnant, there are so many creative and fun options for costumes that incorporate and celebrate the newest family member. If you teach childbirth classes that are scheduled during the week of Halloween or even better, on Halloween, you may see your class participants arrive ready to celebrate with an amazing costume. You can even encourage costumes and make a party out of it.
October 29, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators is all about using “weighted” babies in childbirth classes. In this post, we look at three easy ways to incorporate a life-size baby whose weight of 7 ½ or 8 pounds approximates the average weight of a newborn in the USA. Using a doll with a the same weight as a newborn really helps new families to have some practice with something that will be similar to their own newborn in just a few weeks.
October 22, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
A new category of products that create a false sense of security with parents of infants and has been linked to infant deaths. “In-bed sleepers” are being used by parents who want to “safely bed-share” in order to facilitate easier nighttime feedings and comfort for their babies. Examples of popular brands of these products include “DockATot,” “Baby Delight Snuggle Nest Infant Sleeper.” and “SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper” which have all been linked to fatalities by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Learn more on Connecting the Dots.
October 17, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals work hard to share evidence-based information and resources in a culturally sensitive manner. They also strive to strike a balance with families’ expectations and the accurate realities faced during the transition to parenthood with a young infant. This webinar, “Lullabies and Lactation: Navigating Breastfeeding and Safe Sleep” presented by Lyndsey Hookway, Bsc, RNC HV, IBCLC, is an amazing resource for childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals who want to provide families with resources grounded in research while acknowledging the challenges that having a new baby brings.
October 15, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, and today, October 15th is World Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. If you work in any capacity with pregnant and new families, you will have an opportunity to support a family at some point who will experience the tragic loss of their baby during pregnancy or as an infant. Here are ten things the childbirth educator or perinatal professional can do to provide resources and support should this happen to a family you are working with.
October 08, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Connecting the Dots and Lamaze International are delighted to learn and share with you all a new resource, Expecting More, being launched today by Ariadne Labs. Ariadne Labs is an organization that is part of a school of public health, where, much of their work to date has focused on the challenges health systems face in delivering safe care for people who are trying to start or grow their family. Neel Shah, MD, one of the co-founders of Expecting More along with Jocie Fifield, states that families expect more than emerging from childbirth unscathed. This campaign is being launched to engage leading thinkers and influencers like Lamaze International and you in exploring what #ExpectingMore could and should look like, alongside the families we all aim to serve.
October 04, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
One of the valuable benefits for Lamaze International members is a subscription to Lamaze International's official journal - The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE). The mission of the JPE is to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth through education and advocacy. The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles and evidence-based, practical resources that childbirth educators and other healthcare professionals can use to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their care or teaching to prepare expectant parents for birth.
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