Fika Midwifery

A year ago, deep in the pandemic. Don’t forget to celebrate how much a gift the passage of time is. #sweetcheeks #babyblues #fikamidwifery

It’s amazing how much variation there is in the amount of blood that comes out when a baby is born. My third baby was by far my bloodiestthe result of a tear in the labial region which gets a lot of blood flow. When we see a big gush as the baby crowns followed by a very bloody baby, we can usually guess a tear may have happened in the labial, periurethral, or clitoral region. My second baby had no blood on him whatsoever, and some births are like that too! In our practice, ...we don’t routinely check for lacerations until an hour or two after birth to allow time for bonding unless it’s apparent that there’s more bleeding than normal that could be coming from a tear. Experiencing a tear in birth isn’t necessarily a bad thingwhile we (midwives and birthers alike!) love intact tissues, the reality is that the vagina and surrounding tissues are made to tear and come back together, and tearing allows for space to be made for your baby’s head or shoulders. Tearing in birth is not a failure. #thisishomebirth #communitybirth #fikamidwifery See more

Two of the most amazing things about community birth are that you get to 1) sleep in your own bed without being woken up all night by nurses for checks after birth BUT ALSO 2) get a highly personalized, thorough, and informative home visit for both you and your baby 24-36 hours after birth. During the initial home visit, we check in to see how lactation is going, perform the newborn screenings recommended by NYS, assess your bleeding, vitals, breasts, and mood, and do a quick head to toe exam of your baby, all in your own bed. #homebirth #postpartumcare #fikamidwifery

You can expect postpartum bleeding to last about six weeks after birth. The initial bleeding--called lochia rubra--is typically bright or dark red in color and as heavy or slightly heavier than any period you have experienced. Over the first week or two, this bleeding transitions to lochia serosa, which tends to be more of a pinkish, mucus-like discharge that is reflective of healing occurring in the uterus where the placenta was once attached. Postpartum discharge culminates the last week or two approaching six weeks with lochia alba, a white-ish or yellow-white discharge. While lochia may have a distinct smell, it should not have a foul odor. Soaking a pad in < 1 hour or passing clots as big as or larger than an apricot are reasons to call the midwife. #postpartum #thisispostpartum #fikamidwifery

Happy birthday to @charles.winkler who is one of the most important people behind @fikamidwifery and the @coithouse not many partners could work full time and equally share parenting and household responsibilities while being married to a midwife running off at all hours of day and night for unknown lengths of time. #happybirthday #marriedtoamidwife #fikamidwifery

We are so excited to introduce you to our new look! Our office at the Coit House and growing birth center practice was left out of the old design simply because it was just a dream then. We love how this new logo incorporates the historical significance of midwifery care and birth outside of the hospital but brings a new feminist energy and approach. #fikamidwifery #thecoithouse #womxnchangetheworld

Meet Jennifer Kula, one of our birth assistants! With a passion for all things birth and baby, Jenni Kula also serves local families as a birth doula CD(DONA) , postpartum doula (PICD), and childbirth educator. Jenni has a bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo (2008) and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Florida (2016). She began working as a childbirth educator and doula in 2017 and serves families between Buffalo and Rochester. Jenni began wor...king as a birth assistant in 2019 and is certified in NRP. She believes that all families deserve compassionate and comforting support as they find their strength in pregnancy, birth, and parenting. As an educator, Jenni connects families to evidence-based information as they discover their inner truth. She supports families, hand in hand, through the journey into parenthood. #birthassistant #birthcenter #fikamidwifery

And while we’re in the Christmas spirit, #consent https://youtu.be/amK4U4pCTB8