Terra Nova Midwifery
120 - 12051 Second Avenue V7E 3L6 Richmond, BC, Canada

A study was recently published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology entitled ‘Associations between consumption of coffee ...and caffeinated soft drinks and late stillbirthFindings from the Midland and North of England stillbirth case-control study’. The media were quick to jump in with headlines such as ‘Just one cup of coffee a day during pregnancy may raise the risk of stillbirth’. Really? Is coffee that dangerous? Not on an individual level, no. After seeing this article, muttering a lot and sending several exasperated emails about the way this study was publicised and the anxiety it could cause pregnant women, we this is Amy Brown and sarawickham.com - thought we’d point out the differences between the headlines and what the study actually looked like and hopefully put minds at rest. As diligent writers we note our conflict of interest and (sad) funding statements at the end of the of article.

Hi all, We used to receive samples of Pampers newborn diapers and wipes sent directly to our clinic. Due to Covid-19 contact restrictions they have taken their sample program directly to parents. In our experience the kits include just diapers and wipes and some nice coupons - no unwanted samples. We can't guarantee that this hasn't changed, so please look into the details first before you sign up. Good luck!... Hello Everyone, I wanted to share with you this opportunity to order a sample kit from Pampers with free newborn diapers and wipes. Click here to order your kit: www.pamperssamples.ca/prenatal

We are so sad to hear our colleagues in the Okanagan are closing their clinic. Midwifery as a profession is in a difficult space - we need more support from our provincial government to ensure the sustainability of midwifery services and to keep midwives in our communities.

SELF CARE ISN'T ALWAYS FUN. I’ve spent a lot of time at the dentist over the past couple of years. And it’s been a harsh lesson in self care for me. One of my t...eeth, a molar, had been off and on bothering me for some time. I had asked my dentist about it during my first pregnancy, but she had decided the risks outweighed the benefits to an x-ray or redoing the filling at the time. The two years after my first baby was born was a cloud of darkness and honestly, self care wasn’t really on my radar. I didn’t go back to have it properly assessed. When I became pregnant with my second baby, I was sucked in a whirlwind of a stressful divorce, a cross country move and caring for my 2 year old during these major transitions. I ignored the red flags my body was giving me. The increasing sensitivity to pressure and temperature. The random shooting pain in my tooth. The painful muscle spasms in my jaw. I convinced myself my tooth was fine. Mostly I decided I didn’t have time to go to the dentist and I was worried because I didn’t have dental insurance or much money. I decided I could find ways to cope, after all I was good at that! So I started chewing exclusively on the left side of my mouth, only drinking and eating room temperature liquids and foods, brushing extremely gently and applying essential oils to my jaw and parts of my feet that I had googled might help. Well inevitably...the pain became unbearable and the day after my son’s third birthday, I had an emergency visit to my dentist where I was diagnosed with an infected tooth, given a root canal immediately and antibiotics to treat the infection. And yes, an expensive dentist bill which was the total of my entire monthly income at the time. Looking back on this, it seems really obvious that I could have avoided all of this stress, minimized the impact on my body and saved myself money...if I had only noticed and attended to my needs in the first place. I’ve learned the lesson on preventative care and routinely go for cleaning and check ups now. There are two lessons that I want to point out to you. 1. As women we’ve been conditioned to believe that in order to be a good mother/wife/woman/daughter, etc...we need to put the needs of others above our own needs. Martyring our basic needs for the sake of our children and family is a very damaging belief and practice. Your needs are ESSENTIAL. Ignoring them will only manifest into bigger and bigger issues until it’s unavoidable. Like a root canal. 2. Media has glamourized self care to the point where we think that it means expensive and luxurious out-of-reach-type pampering that is only available for those people or something we’ll do one day. Like getting your nails done or spending a day at the spa. Self care actually just means caring for yourself. Self care means you are responsibly ensuring that your own needs are met in order for you to show up as your best self for your family. And often? It’s not always fun. Self care can look like having a hard conversation with a loved one about something that is bothering you. It can look like booking that medical appointment you’ve been putting off. It can look like putting yourself to bed at 7PM with your toddler because you’re exhausted, even though the dishes are piled up in the sink and the house is a disaster. And it can look like putting in the time, energy and financial investment in setting up your postpartum in a way that supports your needs as a mom. Because if you’re struggling to keep your head above water, you won’t enjoy your life with a newborn and be the mom that you want to be. If you are ready to put your own needs first and would like to chat with me about how we can prioritize YOU during your upcoming postpartum...send me a message. Looking forward to chatting with you! Warmly, Amy

Whoever made up the expression "sleep like a baby" clearly never had a baby! Its not uncommon for new parents to struggle mightily with NAP time, especially. To those of you out there driving, jiggling, strolling, or pleading your little one to sleep....we salute you. And wish we could give you hug and buy you a latte. Instead, here is a great article on daytime anti-nappers. https://breastfeeding-magazine.com/baby-wont-nap.html

Today we are sending our support to our nursing colleagues. The BC Nurses union representative made a statement today about the crushing weight of being a nurse in the second wave of the pandemic. Nursing makes our healthcare system work - we are nothing without nurses. To show your support for nurses you can; * STAY HOME, unless you absolutely need to go out * Practice physical distancing when you must be near others * Do not gather with anyone other than your immediate f...amily/members of your household * Wear a mask * Wash your hands * Monitor yourself and your family for symptoms and get tested when indicated. It is our collective responsibility to protect our nurses and to keep our healthcare system strong. Please do your part. https://www.cbc.ca//b-c-nurses-struggling-with-shortage-of

You probably already know that as midwives we are absolute research NERDS! Well in order to generate evidence-based care we need to support research. Here is a link to a study you might be interested in! The Sexuality and well-being lab at UBC is recruiting pregnant and postpartum couples to participate in their study. They are looking for: Pregnant couples between 12-20wks pregnant... & Postpartum couples 2-4 months after the birth of their baby We encourage you to participate, or share the study link with others who may be interested! https://swelllab.psych.ubc.ca

https://www.nytimes.com/article/black-mothers-birth.html

Talk dirty to me, folks. I want to get the scoop on poop! What are your favourite diaper subscription programs, cloth services, or sources of great deals? Do you hike it to costco, stock up at Walmart, or did you sign up for Prime or make the decision to go cloth?

Good evening Richmond & Delta mamas! I am working on a proposal to develop a FREE (MSP paid..) Breastfeeding Centre at Richmond Hospital. I need to hear about your breastfeeding /chestfeeding support experiences to help determine what resources are needed. ... If you have had a baby in the past few years, PLEASE take a few minutes to complete my survey. It is completely anonymous but your answers could help determine what support families get to achieve their baby-feeding goals. Please share the link to the survey if you have friends or family who might be willing to participate. Thanks for your help and for sharing your ideas. Sincerely, Jillian SImon, RM https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WQLZ9BS

A great explanation from our colleague Gaelen Gibson RMT on CST. We recommend Galen for many of our newborns having troubles with breastfeeding

Richmond Hospital Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week! The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet. This year ha...s proved to make in-person gatherings difficult but we were able to encourage mothers in our hospital and community to "latch on" their babies all at the same time. Here is Stephanie after the latch on to welcome and wishing everybody a HAPPY WOLRD BREASTFEEDING WEEK! See more

Are you planning on getting the flu shot this year? Here are some possible locations in our area. http://www.vch.ca//communicable-dise/flu-shots-flu-clinics

Some kind and loving words from one of the amazing nurses at Richmond Hospital.

October is pregnancy and infant loss month. Chances are you know, or are yourself someone affected by loss. We want to acknowledge the pain and suffering this creates and encourage those experiencing loss to feel loved, supported and encouraged to speak about their loss. https://www.october15.ca

As if we needed it, but scientific evidence that a parent's touch reduces a newborn's pain. https://neurosciencenews.com/parental-touch-baby-pain-17076/

Birth Art! We love it. In fact, we midwives are so passionate about the creative expression of - well - CREATION, that we sometimes wear it, we cover the walls of our homes in it, and are just a wee bit obsessed with it. Have you ever created anything - in any medium - to express the power of your pregnancy, birth or parenting experience?? If so, PLEASE share. I will make our day. http://harwoodmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/216

https://www.richmond-news.com//vancouver-mamas-for-mamas-o

Looking for information about the risks of wildfire smoke exposure for pregnant people and newborns? Check this out; http://www.bccdc.ca//prevention-public-heal/wildfire-smoke

Fascinating piece looking at the economics behind baby formula costs!

It's Fall Family Mini Time! Quick 20-minute sessions, and a whole lotta fun! https://eranjayne.com//fall-family-mini-time-tsawwassen-p/

Maternal Mental Health Matters hosts a special panel discussion for #BirthTrauma Awareness Week. Hosted by mother and maternity advocate Sally Cusack from Pregn...ancy, Birth & Beyond NOTE: if you know anyone who isn't on this platform but would like to watch, you can send them the link - or google search maternal mental health matters australia 2020 - scroll down the page to the panel or other events and press play - a message will come up to register or sign-in. Click NOT NOW underneath - and then they should be able to watch. Our panelists: * Professor Hannah Dahlen, Associate Dean, Research and Hdr * Debbie Gould from Birth Talk * Bashi Hazard, Human Rights in Childbirth Lawyer * Melanie Briggs & Cleone Wellington from the Waminda Indigenous Midwives * Dr Kirsten Small, BMedSc, MBBS, OB/GYN, specialist obstetrician gynaecologist * Dr Andrew Bissits, Director of Obstetrics, Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney * Dr Lauren Tober, BSc (Hons) DPsyc (Clinical) MAPS, Clinical Psychologist * Dr Erin Bowe, Clinical & Perinatal Psychologist and Coach This event is brought to you by Maternal Mental Health Matters Australia, a collaboration between four peak Australian nonprofit consumer advocacy groups: Safe Motherhood For All, Maternity Choices Australia, Maternity Consumer Network & PBB Media Produced by Annalee Atia, PBB Media

Before your baby arrives, spend some time thinking about your postpartum body. Are you feeling pressure to ‘bounce back’ to your pre-pregnant body?