Painted Prairie Wellness

02/15/2026

CASPER, Wyo. — A bill that would have authorized enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rates for eligible maternal health providers in rural and frontier areas

01/26/2026

01/23/2026

01/15/2026

Did you know that for centuries, a “gossip” was a woman who attended her pregnant daughter’s, sister’s, or friend’s delivery? The word was a corruption of “god-sib” or “god-sibling,” meaning “sister in the Lord.” The gossips offered emotional and physical support to mother and midwife. It was only later that the term took on a derogatory meaning.

This remarkably detailed wax anatomical model (c.1787) is now housed at the Javier Puerta Museum. Wax models like this were used for teaching anatomy to medical students at a time when few bodies were available for dissection.

11/30/2025

Quantifying the association between doula care and maternal and neonatal outcomes https://ow.ly/8rmW50XzJNO

11/23/2025

The standard method for closing the uterus after cesarean delivery, used for over 50 years, may be causing a host of long-term health issues for millions of women.

According to Dr. Emmanuel Bujold and Dr. Roberto Romero, leaders in obstetrics and gynecology, current closure practices—where sutures join the uterine lining with surrounding muscle—fail to restore the uterus’s natural structure, leading to serious complications.

Their exhaustive review reveals the risks: abnormal placenta attachment affects up to 6% of women, uterine rupture up to 3%, and premature births up to 28%. Many suffer pelvic pain (up to 35%), excessive bleeding (up to 33%), and endometriosis or adenomyosis (up to 43%). Such complications are linked directly to the scarring produced by the conventional closure method.

Bujold and Romero propose a nuanced technique: suturing tissues only of the same type, carefully reconstructing the muscle layer while leaving the uterine lining untouched for natural regeneration. Although this new method takes 5–8 minutes—twice as long as the traditional approach—the additional blood loss is minimal and outweighed by better outcomes for future reproductive health.

With cesarean rates rising globally, especially in countries like Canada where 27% of births are by C-section, prioritizing meticulous uterine repair is a critical public health concern. This shift in surgical thinking may help millions experience safer subsequent pregnancies and better long-term well-being.

Follow Science Sphere for regular scientific updates

📄 RESEARCH PAPER

📌 Emmanuel Bujold et al, "Uterine closure after cesarean delivery: surgical principles, biological rationale, and clinical implications", American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2025)

10/22/2025

10/22/2025

Breastfeeding has long been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer, but how it has this effect isn’t entirely clear. Now, scientists have found that women who have breastfed have more specialised immune cells in their breasts, which may keep malignant ones in check.

Previous research suggests that the risk of breast cancer – the second most common form of cancer in the world – is reduced by 4.3 per cent for every one year of breastfeeding, with the protective effects perhaps particularly benefitting older mothers.

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500663-breastfeeding-causes-a-surge-in-immune-cells-that-could-prevent-cancer/

Image: Svetlana Repnitskaya/Getty Images

09/22/2025

"Use the baby as your barometer."

A quote from the brilliant Sara Morris, RM PhD. We were discussing pros & cons of time-based algorithms among a group of BWB instructors.

One algorithm that has been making the rounds in some local hospitals is: 5 minutes from bum to birth, 3 min from umbilicus to birth, 1 minute from shoulders to birth, step in if no progress for 90 seconds.

We at BWB take a different approach: the baby's condition and progress will tell you if you need to intervene, not the clock. Some babies can tolerate several minutes and remain vigorous, while others cannot even tolerate 1 minute.

If baby is vigorous and is making good progress, fantastic! Just wait and watch, as long as fetal condition and progress remain excellent. But if baby is limp, gasping, or making slow progress, or showing any signs of obstruction, then step in right away.

08/29/2025

A Utah judge this month awarded nearly $1 billion in damages to a Rock Springs family after a Salt Lake City hospital botched the mother’s baby delivery.…

08/25/2025

In many towns across the country, the closest maternity care is now hours away. For some expecting moms, that means skipping prenatal appointments. For others, it means giving birth in transit. For too many, it will mean worse outcomes.

One analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families estimates that nearly 150 rural maternity units are now at risk of closing or downsizing.

We’ve rounded up what expecting moms in rural areas need to know (and do) if their local hospital closes its doors. 💔💜

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