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Maura Winkler (she/her)
@fikamidwifery

10,832 followers

I woke up this morning like I was waking from a dream, wondering if the last few weeks had really happened. The August babies generally came “late” and the September babies a little “early,” and where they met in the middle, I attended 16 births in the last 22 days. 15 of them kept me up for part or all of the night. My circadian rhythm and my nervous system needs some love and support. But in those three weeks it was one lovely physiologic birth after another, with just one transfer to the hospital who still had an unmedicated vaginal birth with midwives. Here’s how it went: ⭐️16 babies caught by their parents or snuggled up right away for skin to skin after caught by the midwife ⭐️16 vaginal births ⭐️16 people who chose their birthing position, none of whom chose their back in the bed ⭐️16 people with normal bleeding, and no hemorrhages ⭐️16 vigorous, spontaneously crying babies who didn’t need any help coming into their bodies and their breathing ⭐️16 vulvas that were either intact or had minor lacerations, none requiring repair or “stitches” ⭐️16 babies that got all their blood from the placenta, with cords not clamped or cut until after the placenta was born and cord long done pulsing ⭐️15 babies (maybe 16–I wasn’t there for the one hospital birth) welcomed with watching eyes and gentle hands and a moment without a blanket, not aggressive rubbing and drying as they may experience in hospital settings (many of you know my pet peeve is the blanket attack) ⭐️15 times the water broke on its own (and one time I helped a first timer having an epic labor and—as is typical since I do this so rarely—it worked and less than 4 hours later she was holding her baby!) ⭐️10 first time birthers and 6 people with previous vaginal births Can you believe this amazing stretch of physiologic births? It’s #birthcenterweek and let’s have a resounding #wedeservebirthcenters !