The Midwives Of New Jersey
Serving Women, Honoring Birth
Please Sign our Petition and make New Jersey the best state in the country to have a baby! Waterbirth is under attack This past April, ACOG and AAP issued a negative opinion of waterbirth and managed to immediately strip many women of their CHOICE for pain management in labor. Because we felt the need to …
Once upon a time there were two moms of young children. Both women decided, with their demanding lives as mothers, time was needed to bond with other moms. They decided to attend the Midwives of New Jersey Monthly Wellness Workshop. At the time, this was a new group that met only once a month. Both …
You can make a difference by helping us ensure that women have a right to choose their birth options beginning here in NJ. Sign the petition now by clicking the link below https://www.change.org/petitions/gov-chris-christie-give-women-in-nj-the-right-to-choose-her-birth-setting-provider-and-type-of-birth The petition details are as follows: New Jersey Choice in Birth Petition Whereas it is well documented in medical literature that childbirth, …
When pregnant women go past their “due date”, they are often greeted with questions about when the baby will come. They may be on alert for signs of labor all the time, feel frustrated or angry, weepy or scared. They may feel like a watched pot or a beached whale. That pregnancy will last forever. …
Blue or teal? This was a question I would ask myself as a NICU nurse. Which nipple should I put on the bottle that I was about to feed to the preemie in my care? Bottle choice in the NICU was even easier. I didn’t have one. Whether the baby was on formula or Mommy’s …
A new recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is Iodine supplementation in pregnancy (see first link below). It is not surprising that poor diets result in less than ideal outcomes for children. I think we need to heed Dr. Mercola’s advice (see second link below) though, and ensure that Iodine intake is through diet …
Is Glucola Necessary? A foundational concept at the Midwives of New Jersey is choice. We do believe pregnant women should be screened for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) because, left untreated, it can have significant negative effects, both in the short and long term. But there is more than one way to skin a cat! The …
There is no Need to Rush There is no hurry! Why is childbirth so rushed? The baby comes out-Clanking instruments, loud, high–pitched voices, tunnel-vision and sharp jerking motions surround the baby as he is dried vigorously and the cord is cut and clamped usually in the first seconds of life. I think this is the …
Recently, I have become aware that the powers that be in the Obstetric world, ACOG, have decided that women should not be allowed to birth their babies at home or in a pool of water. http://www.acog.org/Resources_And_Publications/Committee_Opinions/Committee_on_Obstetric_Practice/Immersion_in_Water_During_Labor_and_Delivery. http://www.acog.org/Resources_And_Publications/Committee_Opinions/Committee_on_Obstetric_Practice/Planned_Home_Birth. Unfounded Concerns They are quite convinced that they should decide for women how they birth their babies …
As I sit here on this Saturday morning, I have mixed feelings. Today is the day I have been anticipating since December. Today is the day I finally reach my goal. The goal I have been working hard towards for several months. I wanted to have a goal for me as a person, something not …
We are all guilty of it as women. How many hours did the baby sleep last night? How many hours did you sleep last night? So do you have a routine yet? Is your son doing travel soccer? Does your two year old know the whole alphabet yet? How’s your relationship with your husband now …
Imagine if from a young age, you were taught that you were strong, capable and powerful beyond measure….. What if you were taught that you were intelligently and divinely created and that this intelligence that made you from one cell to a trillion cells in 9 months was with you from the moment of conception …
I love this poem as it acutely describes the work we do as midwives. Hands These are my hands Through these hands I have come to see the world. These hands have measured the growth of life and documented the stalling of time. They guide my ears to places where I hear The watch-like beat …
http://www.hackensackumc.org/cap/ Hackensack University Medical Center has opened a Center for Abnormal Placentation. I am sure that most people are unaware of abnormal placentation, which occurs when the placenta implants abnormally and can be incredibly risky to the pregnant woman’s life. Placenta accreta is the leading cause for Maternal death in the United States. When a …
Women defend right to Waterbirth It’s letters like these that have a tremendous impact on natural childbirth and women’s health. Waterbirth will remain at Morristown Memorial Hospital because of testimonies like these. I am writing in response to ACOG’s recent position regarding the clinical benefit and safety of waterbirth. As both a mom, and a …
The Overuse of C-section With nearly 1 out of 3 births resulting in a C-Section, ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recently published recommendations amid growing concern that C-sections are overused. The new guidelines urge providers to wait longer before turning to C-sections. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/02/20/new-guidelines-to-reduce-c-section-births-urge-waiting/ This article is testimony to the fact that trying to quantify a …
The Midwives of New Jersey are always interested in speaking with Midwives with a commitment to providing excellent healthcare to women about joining our team. We hope to expand our vision for midwifery beyond our own personal practice, and to leave a legacy to the generations of Midwives to come, by teaching our model of …
I often hear people ask, “Is massage safe during pregnancy?” Yes, yes, yes! Massage not only is safe during pregnancy, but it also has many benefits. Massage relieves muscle aches and joint pains and improves labor outcomes and newborn health, as well as regulates hormone levels and reduces swelling. Studies done in the past …
