labor & birth

Stop Separating Birthing Families!

Several hospitals in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are routinely separating pregnant people from their partners or labor support person, for hours, days and even weeks--find out why this is happening and why it should never be happening! And then sign our petition to tell Governor Baker to sign an Executive Order to stop this practice of separation. To read more and sign the petition, see: moveon.org. Read more

But They Said the Latch Looked Good (updated)

When someone tells you that your baby's latch looks good but you feel pain or baby isn't transferring milk, then maybe the latch isn't so good after all? It's important to consider several aspects of the latch and get help until you find it's better for you and effective for baby! Read more

Dad vs. Nurse: Advocacy in the Labor Room (part two)

GUEST POST by Melissa DuBois If you haven’t already, please read DAD VS NURSE: Advocacy in the labor room, Part 1 In part 1 of this blog, I discussed factors that influence the relationship between a partner (especially a male partner) and a labor nurse. I also discussed why some approaches and gender dynamics can create a defensive and adversarial relationship between dad and nurse when a dad… Read more

Dad vs. Nurse: Advocacy in the Labor Room (part one)

GUEST POST by Melissa DuBois Jeanette Mesite Frem, owner/director and executive momma of Babies in Common (BinC) recently posed a question to a group of current and former labor & delivery nurse friends (me included). The question was: How can partners (especially male partners) best interact with a labor nurse when advocating for the laboring mother’s birth plan without causing the nurse to get… Read more

"Natural" is Now a Bad Word, says AAP Journal Article

author: Jeanette Mesite Frem   In an article in the journal Pediatrics (April 2016, released late March), Jessica Martucci and Anne Barnhill discuss the "Unintended Consequences of Invoking the "Natural" in Breastfeeding Promotion". As parents and professionals around the US balk at this, I just wanted to illustrate how preposterous this really is by using the authors words but with a twist… Read more

An Anesthesia Doctor's Wish: an Unmedicated Birth

GUEST POST by Rebecca Zanconato, MD By the time I completed my first month of obstetric anesthesia training, I had concluded that every woman admitted to labor and delivery was a disaster waiting to happen.  No one ever specifically said this to me during any of my training, but in speaking with fellow residents I found that just based on our experiences in training we had all come to the same… Read more

6 Ways to a Successful VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)

author: Jeanette Mesite Frem Did you know that the research on VBAC success says that 60-80% of women who had a previous Cesarean are able to have a successful vaginal birth…yes, as high as 80%.  Then again, I know one midwifery practice in the Boston area that one year had an 85% success rate.  It may not seem like that number of mamas are having Vaginal Births After Cesarean, because not… Read more

For the Duchess of Cambridge (and all expectant mums)

author: Jeanette Mesite Frem NOTE: this was originally posted when Kate was expecting George.  Dear Your Royal Highness, Duchess of Cambridge (or Kate, as the world used to call you before you married that hottie the Prince): I heard you are expecting a baby…yup, the news got out that a) you had sex, probably more than once and b) you have been puking a lot lately. Funny how such personal… Read more

Why, Oh Why? Media Representations of Birth

author: Jeanette Mesite Frem Turned on the TV this evening and Baby Mama was on. If you haven’t seen it (and I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t), the plot is that a brunette hires a blonde to be her gestational carrier. I won’t ruin the whole movie by telling you much more, but instead talk about the birth class and the birth scene…both of which are so very typical to how the media… Read more