Wombkeepers Scottsdale

05/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ChtZQpP4c/

The invisible mental load is real when you're planning a VBAC. Often it feels heavy to carry alone, which is why we hold space for this conversation often on the podcast and nearly every day in our private Facebook community! Craving that connection from others who understand the journey? Comment GROUP below and we'll send you the link to join our free private Facebook Community.

05/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/100057456978070/posts/1470006448257907/

“Birth plans don’t improve outcomes.”

Except the research says otherwise.

A newer systematic review found that birth plans are generally associated with MORE positive birth outcomes, greater satisfaction, improved communication with providers, and a stronger sense of control during labor. Another randomized controlled trial found women with birth plans experienced:
• higher rates of vaginal birth
• lower fear surrounding childbirth
• increased feelings of support and control
• lower psychological trauma after birth
• improved early breastfeeding outcomes

And yet somehow birth plans are still mocked as “Pinterest wishes” or “women trying to control birth.”

That mindset is outdated.

A birth plan is NOT a rigid script demanding birth go perfectly.
A birth plan is:
• education
• informed decision making
• communication
• understanding your options BEFORE labor
• discussing preferences before contractions make conversations harder
• a quick reference sheet for your birth team
• understanding alternatives if plans change

Women who create birth plans are often more educated on birth itself because they’ve spent time actually learning about:
• interventions
• pain management options
• induction
• newborn procedures
• monitoring
• pushing positions
• informed consent
• postpartum preferences
• breastfeeding

The process of creating the plan is often just as valuable as the plan itself.

Anyone in the birth world who immediately diminishes the usefulness of birth plans either:
does not understand the current evidence surrounding patient autonomy and birth satisfaction
OR
does not prioritize collaborative care.

A flexible birth plan is not dangerous.
An uneducated woman being told “just trust us” is.

Birth plans are not about controlling birth.
They are about understanding birth.

And one of the BEST ways to create a realistic, flexible, evidence-based birth plan is through a quality childbirth education class.

Because YOU decide what matters to you.
Not social media.
Not your neighbor.
Not hospital culture.
Not fear.
You.

That’s informed consent.
That’s patient-centered care.
And the research is finally catching up to what many women have been saying all along.

At Call the Doula, birth education is centered around helping women understand their options so they can create birth preferences that are informed, realistic, and truly their own.

05/21/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BnqTbUMLm/

05/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EDFDzsqqW/

05/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BG9y9TVAw/

Here is my often shared PSA……..Doulas belong in the OR.
A solid calming connection for Mom and partner.
A liaison between the family and medical staff.
A bridge between a surgical birth journey to the family feeling seen, safe and connected.

Your medical providers are very used to being in the OR space. They know what’s going on and what to do. And this is such a GOOD THING.

Families can be left feeling vulnerable in an environment that is foreign, cold, bright and fast moving.

Centeredness, grounding into this space is ESSENTIAL.

All other major surgeries, as you know, are done with general anesthesia. Most cesareans are not. I personally feel there’s can be a great benefit to be awake during a surgical birth journey- for many reasons - mostly for immediate bonding/sight of baby.

But remember - what is common place and routine for the medical staff in the room - is an absolutely new experience the mom is literally feeling and experiencing. Of course anesthesia is used - but anybody who has been around or had a surgical birth knows that they’re still sensations of tugging, pressure etc.

I usually try to prepare moms for this aspect of a surgical birth- calling them birth sensations, just as we experience sensations for a vaginal birth. But cesarean mommas are really called to reach a higher state of being. Having these sensations while laying on their back and needing to stay perfectly still. I sometimes hear “cesareans are the easy way out”. This statement could not be more flawed.

Where cesarean births are often dismissed as “not real birth”, these mothers deserve to be also honored for the immense physical and emotional work they are doing in those moments. Their birth experience is no less powerful, sacred, or transformative than a vaginal birth.

05/10/2026

https://www.propublica.org/article/more-parents-decline-vitamin-k-shot-newborns?fbclid=IwY2xjawRtupBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR6gIiP2B03SzE6MnCME2RP5HoTifcJAeRyHq7qY8wF34nmKEh6296wW4lsKvw_aem_F0ewh4MMqCdAOQpjyqZgZg

A lifesaving injection given at birth to prevent severe bleeding has become collateral damage of the anti-vaccine movement.

05/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1GqJb8pFuz/

Does inducing labor increase cesarean risk? New research in midwifery-led settings offers important insight.
In a large cohort study of over 7,000 term births, labor induction, including elective induction at 39 weeks: was not associated with higher cesarean birth rates compared to expectant management. Outcomes like postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal status, and NICU admissions were also similar across groups.
What stood out? Care context matters. Midwifery-led, collaborative practice models may play a key role in supporting vaginal birth, even when labor is induced.
As induction rates continue to rise, understanding how care practices shape outcomes is critical for informed, patient-centered decision-making.

03/07/2026

A new bar may have been set in gender reveal parties :) https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ZqTHJiBMQ/

02/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/100091401300006/posts/845223335201036/

02/21/2026

2025 Birth Statistics for Wombkeepers, showing our model of care delivers better results!
130 babies born in our practice
2/3 in hospital, 1/3 in our birthing center
~ 60% of patients were high risk
NTSV cesarean rate 14.3% (rate of cesarean in first time moms, at term, with a head down baby...the national rate is 25.6%)
Overall cesarean rate: 16.3%
Overall VBAC success rate: 71% (including VBA2C, VBA3C, twins, and high risk patients)
Low Risk VBAC success rate: 89%