“Investing in Maternal & Infant Health, streamed on December 2, 2021. Sponsored by March of Dimes.”
Hear Shafia Monroe, speak on how to improve maternal health (Start from the beginning to hear Shafia speak.) The Hill’s Steve Clemons discusses investing in maternal & infant health with experts and Shafia Monroe, DEM, CDT, MPH (President, Shafia Monroe Consulting/Birthing CHANGE, Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, RADM USPHS (Director, Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for […]
Healthcare Disparities Black Women Receive and What to Do About Them
To say that we live in a post-racial society would be a gross myth and incorrect claim. Those who cannot “see race” only claim so because race may not be weaponized against them. Systemic racism continues to infiltrate institutions, further embodied by individuals who systemically act on their prejudice. This happens with such frequency, in alarming […]
Preterm Birth Prevention Strategies
At SMC, we appreciate November Prematurity Awareness Month, part of the March of Dimes Prematurity Awareness Campaign which began in 2003. Through education, voice, social media, events, community service projects and more, individuals and organizations come together to reduce the number of premature births. Preterm is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks of […]
Don’t Lose a Tooth for Every Baby: Pregnancy and Oral Health
Oral health during pregnancy is especially important for the pregnant woman/person. The old wives’ tale that says a pregnant woman loses a tooth for every pregnancy should not be accepted as the norm. Perhaps this saying comes from the fact that with poor oral health and a poor diet, a mother’s teeth were negatively impacted […]
Traditional Southern Postpartum Chicken Soup
Though labor and birthing are a miracle and a joy, it is the greatest physical demand on the female body. It is estimated that a laboring woman use approximately 100 calories per hour in labor (Kordi, M., et al 2017). Postpartum women/people need quality-dense food to begin a healthy postpartum recuperation. Soup is an excellent way […]
Perinatal Safety and Coronavirus
GUIDELINES SMC’s position on the Coronavirus for SMC Full Circle Doula Birth Companions is to be safe and up to date on the guidelines. Please use the Center for Disease Control(www.cdc.gov), National Institute of Health (NIH,gov) and PubMed, for prevention and safety guidelines against the Coronavirus. Because the findings are changing by the second, we […]
African American Postpartum Belly Binding
Not to long ago, in rural Virginia it was customary for the mother to have a belly band made for the new baby and a belly band aka belly binder made for her, for her postpartum time. Once the baby was born the midwife and female family members put the belly binder on the postpartum […]
Traditional Home Birth Supplies
Traditional Home Birth Supplies Home birth is an ancient tradition and the most sacred place to birth. Birth takes place in tents, igloos, huts, apartments, cars, cabins, mansions, water, and outdoor spaces. Preparing for a home birth should be simple and inexpensive. The role of traditional home birth supplies is to create a sacred and […]
Competent Maternity Care
Competent maternity care can reduce maternal mortality and improve perinatal outcomes using the core cultural competencies. This knowledge is a requirement to reduce preventable deaths in maternal and child health and to build a “much needed” diverse workforce. Cultural competency is a well-established discipline that was introduced to medical education in 1988. It was later […]