Perilous Times for Expecting Moms and Families

We are living in perilous times. The pandemic created many uncertainties and dangers for pregnant women. The vaccine mandates have exacerbated the problem even more since many skilled maternal nurses and doctors will either retire or walk away from their jobs. Who will this leave expecting mothers and babies in the care of? These skilled employees will either be replaced by students and ex-licensed medical professionals who are vaccinated but had their licensures provoked for very good reasons. To all expecting mothers out here, I encourage you and your partners to: 1) thoroughly do your research about your providers and 2) have someone who has knowledge and skill about pregnancy and birth to support you in the delivery room for the safety of you and your baby. If you don't have somebody in your family who is knowledgeable, I strongly encourage you to hire a doula. I plan to host a free series of zoom calls for expecting families to answer questions about support, complications, and how to choose a birth partner or doula.