1. What the hell does 6cm look like?
Sure, I could pull out a tape measure and treat you like an adult, but instead please direct your attention to this gross chart so I can fulfill a childhood dream of mine by comparing your cervix to a bagel (which, by the way, vary in size greatly).
Source: Sweet Leigh Mama
2. Why is the midwife always squeezing my tummy? And who is this Leopold?
Christian Gerhard Leopold (24 February 1846 – 12 September 1911) was a German gynecologist who developed these four maneuvers for determining the position of the fetus in the uterus. They are used by midwives to assess for a breech presentation (feet or butt first) and to estimate the size of the growing fetus.
Source: Wikipedia
3. Oh, you’re going to be a midwife? Is that better than a doula?
Well, that’s like asking if a pilot is better than a flight attendant. It’s not wrong, it just means our profession needs a better PR department.
But yes, I’m also a doula — many of us are.
Source: Ancestral Wellness Temple
4. Why is my baby covered in cheese? No, I don’t want to touch it. You touch it!
Vernix is an expected finding on a newborn and its benefits (along with thermoregulation) are part of the reason the WHO recommends that baby’s first bath be delayed at least 6 hours (and ideally 24h).
Sidebar: Has anyone checked out The Alternative Mom, from whom I stole this photo via the Pinterest? She sounds feisty.
Source: The Alternative Mom
5. What exactly is the difference between a vagina, a cervix and a uterus?
More than you’d think! If a female person is standing up, the vagina is closest to the ground and is accessible through the middle of the three openings that persons with two X chromosomes typically have.
The cervix is the (normally closed) canal that leads to the uterus and becomes thinner and more open during labor. Ask to take a look the next time you have a pelvic exam or check back here soon for a series I’m working on called Guess Whose Cervix?*
For more info on the cervix, check out this great post on Across The Speculum.
The uterus is the uppermost cavity where tissue builds up every month to either support a fertilized egg, be shed during a woman’s period or be safely reabsorbed if she is on progesterone-only contraception (more on that later).
For now, this:
Source (and on sale now): Blue Barn House Store
*currently accepting photos for this series at leacraftspencer@gmail.com
Eat. Read. Ask. Do. Be. 