Baby Daniel Sullivan

Baby Daniel, you are snugly, sweet smelling, even tempered and so very handsome. You are the quintessential baby. What other surprises will you bring us?

Welcome Baby Daniel Sullivan!



May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy

LCM Moms & More This Week 12/19/12

Nothing special planned (besides the very special re-appearance of my very special sister). Just folks of various ages that love babies, maybe some music making, probably some tea drinking, undoubtedly some play time and conversation. Maybe we will dance. Maybe we will get wild and make plans for the coming year. Or not.

What: LCM Moms & More

Who: Folks that love babies

When: Wednesday, December 19, 2012, 2-4 PM

Where: The Guild House, 27 State Street, Troy, NY 12180

May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM

www.localcaremidwifery.com

www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy

Baby Sawyer David

Baby Sawyer David arrived on a crisp December night; icy rain peppered the windows while a wood fire both lit and heated the room. He was born into a warm, cozy home and even warmer hearts.

Welcome Baby Sawyer!



May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy

MM&M: (Almost) Virgin Birth

This week's Midwifery, Mothering & Me blog post is a seasonally appropriate (?) retelling of a client encounter. Enjoy!





K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Midwifery, Mothering & Me: (Almost) Virgin Birth

Many years ago, when I was living in Colorado, I worked as a nurse case manager in a prenatal clinic, We primarily served poor and undocumented Hispanics. One day, I was seeing a married woman expecting a baby. Nothing particularly unusual about her, except that she was a virgin. Yep. She was young, beautiful, in love, married, pregnant and had never had a penis inside her body. READ MORE

Posted with Blogsy

Baby Cooper Michael

With mommy, daddy, a big brother, Kiko the dog, two kitties and house plants galore, it is certain that little Copper never be lonely. 
Welcome Baby Cooper Michael!




May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy

MM&M: Call The Midwife

Call The Midwife

I have a small, private midwifery practice in UpState NY. My practice, Local Care Midwifery, PLLC, specializes in planned home birth. Like the popular BBC production currently showing on PBS, my clients call the midwife.
Several times during prenatal care, we discuss the criteria for making this call. At the prenatal homevisit, about a month before the estimated due date, I review labor signs and criteria for calling the midwife.

• "Call the midwife if your water breaks. I may not doing anything besides tell you to go back to sleep but call right away."
• "Call the midwife if there is blood running down your legs. This is not normal and I would need a call"
• "Call the midwife if all your are doing is dealing with contractions. Five minutes apart, ten minutes apart, I don't really care. However, if they are intense, if they are taking all of your attention, I need a call"
• "Call the midwife if you are just not sure, if you are concerned, or if you just need information or reassurance"
• And this is what I always say to the partner, "Most importantly, if YOU think that it is time to call and your wife says 'No, not yet', YOU WIN. Call the midwife!"

That last instruction, may be the most important. The reason I say this is because when things are working well, the woman in labor may not realize that she is really deep into the process. Labor, the work of giving birth to another human being, is really hard work that is done best by deeply relaxing. With deep relaxation and intense physical work, endorphins are produced. Endorphins are powerful brain chemicals. They can produce a hypnotic effect lovingly known as LaborLand. LaborLand is a strange place with soft, blurry edges and no sense of time; it is a place where the rational mind does not function. Labor is working really well when the laboring woman's body is gracefully surging from one contraction into the next and her rational brain in not engaged. Labor is working perfectly when the mom-to-be is so far into LaborLand that she has no idea how close she is to giving birth. Sometimes, a laboring woman has no idea that she is really in labor. Someone else, dad-to-be for example, takes one look at her and thinks "This is labor" or "Wow! This is different. I want a professional to keep me company.Time to all the midwife!

The other day, a dad was awakened by his wife with what she said just was 'just cramps'. Shortly after he got up, she moved to into what appeared to him to be intense contractions. He wanted to call the midwife. Eyes closed, breathing deeply, she adamantly said, no. Mom was deep in LaborLand. With the next contraction, she was pulling on her husband's shirt (there may have been some arm punching involved) and crying "No! Don't call. Not yet! It is too early." Good husband that he was (and not loving those arm punches) he listened to his wife. Having remembered my instructions, he also figured he was right. So he tracked contractions. Two contractions actually. Two intense contractions that were only three minutes apart. Time to call the midwife!(Remember this was just twenty minutes after his wife had woken him, saying she was merely 'cramping'.)

He called. I arrived. She had a baby. All was well. We were all glad that in spite of his laboring wife's demand that he not, that this dad took matters into his own hands and called. This was definitely the right time to Call The Midwife!

May all babies be born into loving hands...


www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy

Guerrilla Midwife 12/6/12

Missed seeing the film Guerrilla Midwife last spring at The Sanctuary for Independent Media? Still hoping to see it? You have another chance! Tomorrow night Thursday 12/6/12 at 6:00, Guerrilla Midwife will be shown at RPI as part of Health & Human Rights Week. Hope to see you there!

DATE: Thursday, Dec 6th
EVENT: Film Screening of "Guerrilla Midwife" and Discussion

SPEAKER: Michelle Doyle
TIME: 6-8:30 PM
LOCATION: Sage 4711 @ RPI
Sponsored by RPI

Parking is very easy. The West Lot will be open. This parking lot is about halfway up Sage Ave between 9th and 15th St. Parking is free after 5. There are stairs in front of the parking meters, take those up and Sage Building is on the left hand side (it's the only building on the left). If the side entrance is not open (and it should be) the main one will definitely be. 4711 is on the 4th Floor, as you go up the stairs or when you get off the elevator take a right, and it will be towards the end of the hall on the right hand side.

May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

LCM Moms & More This Week 12/5/12

How did it get to be December? Wow! This year is almost over.

Take a break from whatever that means for you and come join us for a moment, an hour or two. Nothing special planned (besides the very special appearance of my very special sister). Just folks of various ages that love babies, maybe some music making, probably some tea drinking, undoubtedly some play time and conversation. Maybe we will dance. Maybe we will get wild and make plans for the coming year. Or not.

What: LCM Moms & More

Who: Folks that love babies

When: Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 2-4 PM

Where: The Guild House, 27 State Street, Troy, NY 12180

 



May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM

www.localcaremidwifery.com

www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com



 

Posted with Blogsy

I Love my Job

Midwifery is wonderful, physically hard, emotionally challenging, intellectually stimulating and socially intricate work. Midwifery is what I do. I love my job.




May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM

www.localcaremidwifery.com

www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy

Baby Kateri Noel

Looking like an Indian Princess, named after the first Native American Saint, and already speaking her mind clearly, Kateri Noel is a presence to be recognized. 
Welcome, Baby Kateri!



May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Posted with Blogsy