Yearly Archives: 2015


The message is finally getting out.  Preterm induction (before 39 weeks) is not good for babies. But what about induction at 39, 40 or even the common 41.6 weeks?   The rate of induction of labor in the U.S. has risen from 9.6% in 1990 to 25.7% in 2018, including 31.7% […]

If you are not happy to be induced, your provider ...


  These are my grandparents, Frank and Madelin Raven.  They were young and newly married in this photo, with no idea what life had in store for them.  WWI was won, my grandfather safely home, and the hard times of the depression were not yet visible on the horizon.  It […]

The Ghost of Postpartum Past


Most babies, whether breast or formula fed, will drink from a bottle at some point. With all the breastfeeding support and education that is out there, there is very little help available to learn optimal bottle feeding.  Most parents just assume it is as simple as putting the nipple in […]

Paced Bottle Feeding



Lately the doula profession has become kind of “cool”,  and every year there are more and more doulas and doula groups popping up in NH and on the Seacoast.  On the surface, the option of more doulas from which to find a good match might seem like a new parent’s […]

Who’s Your Doula?


Technically known as “Vernix Casoesa,” vernix is a white substance often found coating the skin of newborn babies. Vernix is made up of a mixture of lipids (fats), proteins and water, secreted by the baby’s sebaceous glands. It is similar to cream cheese in appearance, but very waxy and difficult […]

Vernix


At a recent doula meeting, a member wondered aloud at the fact that many a well written birth plan is tossed aside when the parents are actually in labor. There is a great debate within the birthing community about the value of birth plans, how they should be created and […]

Do I need a birth plan?