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

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 do come back you'll be the first to know!

We hope you enjoy and we'll see you on the other side!

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.

This week, Gina and Nedra talk listeners through how we organize our equipment and supplies--in our cars, bags, and office. You can find more information, including some videos, on our blog here: https://metromidwifery.com/?p=4330

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!

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 couple resources to for your perusal, including an amazing study that shows breasts can adapt differently to accommodate twins' needs!

Breast-Infant Temperature with Twins during Shared Kangaroo Care:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1890034/

Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3979156/

The effect of mother and newborn early skin-to-skin contact on initiation of breastfeeding, newborn temperature and duration of third stage of labor: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048813/

This week we tackle a topic that most of us don't particularly enjoy talking about: money.

We cover a number of topics related to your financial agreement with your home birth midwives from what is involved in the fee to insurance reimbursement to refunds. Just a few takeaways from this week's podcast are:

* You are not paying for a home birth, you are paying for midwifery care.

* Your midwifery fee not only pays for our practice, it pays our salaries.

* Choosing a home birth (at least in our state) means opting out of the usual financial processes and structures of the health care system.

* While we absolutely love our career and are called to it, it isn't a hobby for us and we're not able to take a high enough volume to offset poor reimbursement rates.

* Overall, it is best to consider whether all of the services and value-added benefits that come with home birth are worth it for you to pay the fee out of pocket. While some reimbursement may happen in some cases, it's best not to bank on it. Is this something that's worth paying for? If yes, great. If not, there may be lower out of pocket options for you.

*Finally, not only is health care expensive in this country, but kids are as well. We often joke about our hourly rate vs. our kids' orthodontists. Midwives are a great value. No contest.

We hope this episode clears up some of the confusion out there about the midwifery fee!

This week, Gina and Nedra bring you another episode in our Practical Advice for Midwifery Practice series. Over the years and between the two of us, we've had a lot of different office configurations: home visits in the clients' home, shared office space, home offices in the midwives' homes, and dedicated office space. This week, we discuss the pros and cons of each, as well as considerations as you embark upon setting up your practice space. We hope you enjoy!

In this week's podcast, Gina and Nedra tackle the most common questions our clients ask us--both for baby and mom.

For baby we discuss:

Normal newborn breathing (and clearing of secretions)

The fussy second night

Umbilical cord care

For the birthing person we discuss:

Postpartum blood clots

Afterpains/cramping (particularly with subsequent babies)

Recommendations for resting postpartum

We hope you enjoy this week's episode!

(Photo courtesy of Monet Nicole Birthing Stories)

Peer review is something that midwives--and clinicians of all types--regularly engage in. It's an de-identified, confidential review of cases. It's meant to provide the midwife with feedback, suggestions, and guidance, as well as accountability and continuing education. As an added bonus, it's a great way to develop community and relationship building.