Gina and Nedra wrap up the loose ends of Mod Midwives, and their home birth practice, in this final episode ..read more

This week we spend a little more time getting to know our illustrious student, Paige Hesen. Paige has been involved in our practice for over a year and has become an important member of our team! This episode, though, is going to be our last for a time. Mod Midwives has been continuously running for two years and we have yet to take a season off. It’s been a long two years–between a new practice, a podcast, and a pandemic…and dang…we are ready for a break! So we’re going to pull a Rachel and Ross and take it! So, don’t forget to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast player so that when we d ..read more

Being a midwifery student is fast paced, hard work! I have learned so much over my last 3 years as a student midwife – not just clinical skills and how to write practice guidelines, but also how to juggle the transition into the world of being a community birth provider. Midwifery can quickly become more than just a job – it’s a lifestyle! Below are my top tips for midwifery students in any stage of their education!  Photo: Monet Nicole Photography TIPS TO FIND A PRECEPTOR:  Don’t wait until the last minute – It’s never too early to start making connections in the birth world even i ..read more

This week Nedra and Gina have a frank discussion about those times when we, as practitioners, make mistakes. Sometimes this comes in the form of a missed or mis-diagnosis, sometimes it looks like unhappy clients, and sometimes it’s just when we don’t stick to boundaries and protocols that we know we should. It doesn’t happen often, but it is a part of learning how to dance the dance of midwifery and client care. We hope you enjoy! Photo by Brittany Gamblin ..read more

This week, Gina and Nedra talk listeners through how we organize our equipment and supplies–in our cars, bags, and office. And, as promised, you can watch the Bag Tour of Gina’s bags here: We know this may not be fascinating for everyone, but we hope student midwives might glean something from this episode! We hope you enjoy! PS–here is our TikTok about setting up at a birth ..read more

This week Gina and Nedra discuss why framing breastfeeding/chestfeeding as a simple parenting choice is problematic. Not only is it an oversimplification of very complex issue, this also places blame and shame on new parents who were likely derailed, undermined, or unsupported in meeting their own feeding goals for their babies. We hope you enjoy this week’s podcast! And if you’re interested in listening to more about our perspective on related topics here are some other episodes that you might like to listen to: Mod Midwives: 10 (okay, 23) Things We Love About Breastfeeding Mod Midwives ..read more

Podcasts have quickly become my favorite thing to listen to in the car or while on a walk. There are thousands of podcasts to choose from these days, and lucky for a birth junkie like me – there are tons of birth/pregnancy/postpartum podcast options to indulge in. I am breaking down my favorite birth-related podcasts on the blog this week – tune in & make that daily 3-mile walk your midwives recommend fly by!  One of my very favorite podcasts that I have been listening to for years- long before I even started my journey to becoming a midwife- is called The Birth Hour. This ..read more

We haven’t talked about food in awhile, and it’s been even longer since we talked about breakfast. This, I think about as I sit in my bed on a lazy weekend morning with my stomach growling, wondering why my breakfast doesn’t magically appear. If I had made a baked omelet yesterday, I could be eating leftovers right now! But only if I got out of bed to heat it up, I suppose. Anyway! On to the subject at hand: Nutrition in Pregnancy. Packed with iron and protein-rich eggs and your favorite veggies, baked omelets are awesome for their versatility – plus, the leftovers can be stored in the fridge ..read more

In this week’s podcast, Gina and Nedra talk about parenting babies in the wee hours. From what to expect with feeding, to the importance of skin to skin and close contact, to a discussion about safe sleeping arrangements, it’s all covered in this episode. As promised, in the discussion of skin to skin, Gina mentioned that she would provide references for thermoregulation (including temperature adjustment up and down to help babies regulate their own body temperature). Here are a few resources to for your perusal, including an amazing study that shows breasts can adapt differently to accommodat ..read more

Many of our clients wonder whether they will need to see a pediatrician after they have a home birth. Of course, this answer may be different depending on which midwifery practice you are working with, but in our practice, it is our policy that our babies are seen by a pediatrician in the first week of life. This may seem like a lot when we are also seeing your baby five times in the first six weeks, but we always want to make it clear that, while we see a lot of babies and are good at discerning what is normal for a newborn and what is not, this fact is simple: we are not pediatricians, who s ..read more