Otaika Road Midwives

Because you and your whanau are so important to us, the Otaika Road Midwives have re-vamped our reception area to make it more comfortable and informative.  Our ladies can now enjoy a relaxing and educational environment where you can watch pregnancy related videos and DVD's while your children are playing.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Happy International Day of the Midwife

Happy International Day of the Midwife. May we continue to support each other and learn from each other. May we also remember our Sisters who have gone before us and have passed on their wisdom and knowledge to us.


To all Midwives and Mothers out there who have supported us in our struggle to regain our ancient art of midwifery, thank you all and for putting your trust in us.  

To Midwives across the world, Happy International Day of the Midwife.  We are all united in heart and spirit.

Advice to new midwives

A colleague recently asked me a question,  "If I could impart only one piece of information to a new midwife, what would it be?"


Without a moments hesitation I replied, "Treat the woman and her family as if she were the only one."  I believe a pregnant woman is at her most vulnerable time in their life especially if she is expecting her first baby.  She has never gone this process before, her body is changing rapidly, she may be experiencing morning sickness, she may be shocked at even being pregnant, she may have fears of what the pregnancy, the birth, or a new baby may bring.  


Give the woman and her partner time, answer their questions and be honest if you cannot, let them know that you will seek the advice of someone who may know the answer.  Share information with them through the pregnancy and although we cannot walk their journey for them, we can be there for them and to support them.  


They have given and entrusted us, the midwife a very special and sacred privilege, and that is to bring their newborn baby in to the world.  In other words, treat them as you wish to be treated yourself or how you would wish a midwife to treat your daughter/daughter in law/family member/friend.  

He aha te mea nui o te ao? 
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!

What is the most important thing in the world?
It is people! It is people! It is people!

Delayed Cord Cutting

This is an interesting article of how delayed cord cutting can help your baby.  I am a great proponent of allowing the cord to stop pulsating before it is cut.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2062041/How-delay-cutting-cord-help-baby.html

Skin to Skin

As midwives we promote skin to skin contact with your newborn baby.  If all is well we birth your baby onto your abdomen from birth.  This helps your newborn baby to adapt to life outside the womb where the umbilical cord (iho) is sending a rich blood supply from the placenta (whenua) to your newborn baby.  It helps with temperature control, if you are feeling shivery from the hard work of labour your baby will warm you up and vice versa.

Secondly, it helps promote breastfeeding, your baby will go to the breast and even if he/she does not latch straight away the benefits of skin to skin is phenomenal, even for premature babies.  If you do not know already, I am a great proponent of the love hormone :-) oxytocin, this  is what I call the 'falling in love' hormone.  

There is an invisible feedback mechanism between you and your newborn baby that you cannot see but goes on nevertheless.  You are falling in love with your newborn baby that you cannot put him down, we call this 'bonding.'  Oxytocin triggers the let down reflex when your baby goes to the breast and at the same time, it contracts your uterus to help the placenta expel itself.  I will discuss lotus births in another article but for now, I will keep to skin to skin.  

There is also good evidence for delayed cord cutting at birth until the cord (iho) has stopped pulsating.  This is because your baby is still receiving a rich source of iron, oxygen and nutrients that help your baby to adapt to his/her new world.

Speak to you midwife about skin to skin contact.

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/Skintoskinpdf.pdf 

Updated information area

I have updated the information area on our website

www.marieandmaureen.co.nz

I am adding various articles which I will ensure are on my blog and the website.

New website

What a beautiful day in Whangarei!  What a busy week with setting up not one BUT two new websites!  I will have to design websites for a living.  


www.marieandmaureen.co.nz

Because two other midwives will be joining us in our lovely new offices on Otaika Road, I have set up the Otaika Road Midwives website which is under construction but I thought I would introduce Melissa and Sue.  Some of my ladies will know Melissa, as she covered me when I went to England in July (thank you Melissa) and Sue, who used to be a Whangarei Team midwife but is now coming out as an independent.  Kia ora guys.


www.otaikaroadmidwives.com