Stephanie Ondrack 4/17/23 Stephanie Ondrack 4/17/23

OEDEMA

Oedema (or edema) is swelling that can occur in your extremities during pregnancy, most often in the ankles. Some people just get mildly swollen ankles, and some people get extremely puffy ankles and feet, sometimes even calves and knees, so that shoes, or even socks or pants, don’t fit. Oedema can also occur in the fingers, hands, wrists, and face. Often it gets worse towards the end of pregnancy, and some people experience it in all these places at once.

Stephanie Ondrack 3/16/23 Stephanie Ondrack 3/16/23

BACK OFF: Why Lying Flat On The Back Is Bad For Birth

I thought the days of being told to lie down while birthing a baby were long over, but just recently…..

Stephanie Ondrack 2/21/23 Stephanie Ondrack 2/21/23

The Waters

A common image in futuristic movies is someone floating in a tank of water in order to heal from injuries, illness, or cryogenic stasis. This idea of submersion in an enclosed aquatic tub that is restorative and salubrious is extremely evocative of the womb. Our babies float in exactly such a substance in our bodies, fully submerged, growing and gestating, until they are ready to emerge. This is amniotic fluid, “the waters” that surround and support our baby.

Guest 1/22/23 Guest 1/22/23

The Holistic Approach Mind/Body/Soul

A holistic pregnancy and childbirth recognizes the impact of the mind, body & spirit, on the experience of pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

Stephanie Ondrack 12/19/22 Stephanie Ondrack 12/19/22

Neuroception

Babies are born with the superpower to detect danger in their surroundings, and this same superpower helps with long-term brain development. What is it? Neuroception.

Stephanie Ondrack 11/24/22 Stephanie Ondrack 11/24/22

Life with Baby: Getting Out of the House

Many people feel stir crazy in the early weeks or months at home with a new baby. You might find yourself pacing in front of the window for an hour waiting for your partner to get home from work. Is there anything that can be done to alleviate the terrible monotony?

Guest 9/27/22 Guest 9/27/22

Location, Location, Location: Choosing Baby’s Place of Birth

“Have you considered having a home birth?” My midwife had asked me in one of our first appointments. I promptly responded no, but the question spurred a few thoughts: “I’m a nurse. How could I even consider that?” “That can’t be safe.”

Stephanie Ondrack 8/31/22 Stephanie Ondrack 8/31/22

Weighing In on Pregnancy Weight Gain

How much weight should you gain when you’re pregnant?

While a cursory glance at the internet may appear to provide a consistent answer, a deeper search risks poking a hornet’s nest of dissonant opinions. There are many ways of thinking about this question. And they fly in wildly different directions.

Stephanie Ondrack 7/11/22 Stephanie Ondrack 7/11/22

Drinking in Labour

Why is hydration so beneficial during childbirth? Read our latest blog post to find our why.

Stephanie Ondrack 6/10/22 Stephanie Ondrack 6/10/22

Placenta Trivia

When you are pregnant, you not only grow a baby, you also grow a placenta!

Even though the placenta has been sometimes characterised as a waste-organ, an icky footnote, or unmentionable by-product of birth (the “after birth”), it is actually an important, unique, and fascinating organ.