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Gynecological problems as a result of ACEs, and particularly of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA), are rarely discussed in books and articles about the ACEs. The author would like to see that issue become part of the ACEs conversation.

By Molly Campbell, July 22, 2020, Science Writer, Technology Networks. Pain is a complex phenomenon Delivering a child is a complex and subjective experience that is different for every woman; there are various options for delivery methods, delivery locations, approaches to breathing and so on. Regardless of these different variables, childbirth is widely recognized as ranking highly on the pain rating scale compared to other life experiences, and the fear of such pain can discourage women...

We are going to have a small Lactation Specialist Program July 31st- Aug 2nd. Better Beginnings has offered us a limited number of scholarships to help cover the expenses of the students. We will be sitting 6 ft apart, in a well ventilated room, and will only have 10 students total. If you know someone who is interested, please have them call me! Rosanne Gephart CNM, MSN, IBCLC With Child Breastfeeding Support 5263 Beaumont Way - Santa Rosa, CA 95409 707-327-6911 *Please see attached for...

By Austin Frakt, The New York Times, July 13, 2020 According to the best data available , as summarized in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States could prevent two-thirds of maternal deaths during or within a year of pregnancy. Policies and practices to do so are well understood; we just haven’t employed them. A first step is measuring maternal death rates, which is harder than you might think . The death needs to be directly related to the pregnancy or...

By May-Ying Lam, The Washington Post, June 30, 2020 For women who are pregnant amid a pandemic, a recession and racial turmoil, the future is an anxiety-stirring unknown. They began their pregnancies in the “other world” that promised baby showers, gender-reveal parties, visits with grandparents and browsing stores for onesies. Now, they contemplate how they would handle a novel coronavirus diagnosis, prepare to give birth while wearing a mask and fight through old traumas that the virus has...

By Mikhal Ben Joseph, June 24, 2020, Daily Yonder. Rural moms already faced a host of obstacles to get good prenatal care. Rural nurse midwives and doulas are trying to fill the gap . (Part of a series.) Mothers all over the country faced new hurdles when Covid-19 turned birth plans upside down: fathers not allowed to attend prenatal care visits, temporary closure of health clinics and OB/GYN offices, concerns over mother-to-baby transmission of the disease. In rural America, it made the...

By Jade Wu, June 22, 2020, Savvy Psychologist. Is mindfulness helpful for women and their partners during childbirth? We talked with neuroscientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center about the transformative practice of mindful body scan meditation [ Please click here to read more. ]

Association of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health (APPPAH) Dear APPPAH Community, During this time of great change and upheaval, APPPAH stands in solidarity and support for equity, racial justice and social transformation in all areas of our society. We especially support the voices of all the Black and Indigenous mothers, fathers, babies, grandparents and extended families who have been living with the burden of racism and inequality for too long. In our organization, we have...

Becca Andrews, June 15, 2020, Mother Jones “The solutions are within our communities, and people need to trust Black women, listen to Black women, and invest in Black women.” As a low-income, Black mother of seven, Laurie Bertram Roberts has limited faith in the medical establishment. So do her children. Back in March, when her middle daughter Kayla’s due date was inching closer amid a global pandemic, they made a decision: Kayla would deliver her baby at home. It wasn’t just one thing that...

By Aisha Dow, April 27, 2020, The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian doctors who delivered a coronavirus carrier's baby say they have achieved what could be a world first – by keeping an infected mother together with her newborn. Overseas, infants and mothers with the disease have been physically separated for 14 days after a scheduled caesarean section and prevented from breastfeeding. But when a 31-year-old woman with coronavirus gave birth at the Gold Coast University Hospital last month,...

JAMA. Published online June 8, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.10125 Data from China found severe complications in 8% of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 1 However, the high rate of cesarean deliveries (>90%) in Chinese reports is concerning, 2 and whether mode of delivery is associated with maternal complications or neonatal transmission is unknown. 3 We assessed births to women with COVID-19 by mode of delivery. Methods Women with singleton pregnancies and a positive...

By Pooja Lakshmin, The New York Times, May 27, 2020 After going through a harrowing bout of postpartum depression with her first child, my patient, Emily, had done everything possible to prepare for the postpartum period with her second. She stayed in treatment with me, her perinatal psychiatrist, and together we made the decision for her to continue Zoloft during her pregnancy. With the combination of medication, psychotherapy and a significant amount of planning, she was feeling confident...