The Birth Lounge Blog

What Does Low Amniotic Fluid Really Mean? Recently a client brought up low amniotic fluid concerns after a prenatal appointment. After a deep dive into this with them, we thought we'd circle back to our community here and chat low amniotic fluid (Otherwise known as: Oligohydramnios) and inductions. The standard practice in the U.S is to jump to induction if a full term mother experiencing an otherwise normal pregnancy is reported to have low amniotic fluid. You know we are all about the facts here, so let's dig in. Is low amniotic fluid a valid reason for induction? 'A recent review of the literature (Rossi & Prefumo 2013) found that in term or post-term pregnancies oligohydramnios (with an otherwise healthy pregnancy/baby) was not associated with poor outcomes . However, it was associated with increased risk of obstetric interventions… probably because the diagnosis leads to intervention.' Check out the evidence on Low Amniotic Fluid and why inducing for this reas

Delayed Cord Clamping Delayed Cord Clamping is a hot topic in the birth world! It is something that almost every client wants to have pretty lengthy conversations about. Per usual, when I research this for clients, I went a little overboard! I’m going to share what you need to know about one of the biggest questions about delayed cord clamping: does it cause jaundice? Delayed Cord Clamping has been shown to increase iron stores in newborns , increase red blood cells , and it gives your placenta enough time to drain which returns 30% of your baby’s blood back to them. ACOG and The World Health Organization recognize delayed cord clamping as positive!  I want you to have all the information so you can make whatever choice feels most aligned to you should you find yourself facing the questions of jaundice. The myth that delayed cord clamping causes jaundice is an antiquated belief and has since been strongly debunked. I wanted to give you the spectrum of research and resources for you

How to Pick the Best Baby Bath  There's a few things to know about bath time with children! First and foremost, babies don't like baths to begin with. Some do, but for the most part babies less than 8-12 weeks don't love bath time. With that being said, bath time plays a crucial role in your routines. First, it is an anchor. An "anchor" is a point in time of day or an action that happens at the same time each day. For example, when a child eats lunch, they come to learn and expect that nap time follows. If there is one parent in the house who returns home at a similar time each day, that will become an "anchor" for the children in the home and they will learn that this anchor means the day is coming to a close, dinner is next, and bedtime is soon.  Bath time will serve this same purpose for your child. Not necessarily a newborn, but whether you take a full-blown bath every night or not, having your child's body safely submerged in warm water will do