Rebekah Mustaleski is a Certified Professional Midwife with Roots & Wings Midwifery in Knoxville, TN, where Rebekah promotes evidence-based maternity care for families seeking an out of hospital delivery. She is working to improve maternal outcomes during the childbearing year and to promote a sustainable business model for midwifery practices across the country. Rebekah is co-owner of Roots & Wings Midwifery, LLC as well as Treasurer for the Tennessee Midwives Association.
It’s the season of the year when love is in the air! Do you feel it? Do you feel it for yourself and the miracle of life that you are growing inside? Self-love is a vital part of our emotional well-being that can improve how our body feels physically, too—especially during pregnancy. Some people love being pregnant. Self-love flows naturally out of the wonder and joy of carrying a baby. But not everyone has a natural fondness for being pregnant! Either way, when the pregnancy hormones are flowing and you’re growing a new life inside. It’s the perfect time to try some of these Valentine’s Day-inspired self-care strategies and love the bump you’re with this season.
Did you know that the United States is facing a maternal health crisis every single day? Maternal mortality affects communities across the country, yet it often goes unnoticed. January 23, 2025, marks Maternal Health Awareness Day—a crucial time to highlight the alarming reality that too many birthing people and babies are dying due to pregnancy-related complications. Learn what’s at stake and how we can take action together.
The medical definition of “postpartum” is the first six weeks after you give birth. But talk to anyone who has had a baby before and they will tell you that the postpartum period is much longer than that! This time after birth has also recently been referred to as “the fourth trimester,” which would imply that it is actually about 12 weeks long since each trimester is about 12 weeks. But the reality for many new mothers is that the postpartum lasts for about 12 months after giving birth. During this time, your body is healing, replenishing, and recovering from birth AND from the 9 months of pregnancy. Let’s talk about ways you can support your body and mental health during this recovery process.
Ready or not, the holiday season is here! This time of year brings so many opportunities for everything from building treasured memories to finding an amazing deal! Being pregnant during the holidays was one of my favorite parts of having a baby, so let’s talk about some holiday tips and tricks you can use if you’re expecting this holiday season.
With all of the prenatal and baby-related products that are available these days, it can be difficult to know which ones are really necessary and which ones are not. While there are many optional pregnancy products, the gentle compression provided by a maternity support belt is not something you’ll want to do without! A pregnancy support band helps with many discomforts of pregnancy, such as lower back pain and pelvic girdle pain, so for most pregnant women, having a pregnancy band is a good thing. How does a pregnancy support band keep you more comfortable in the second and third trimesters? Below are the top three physical benefits of wearing a support belt during pregnancy.
The first hour after birth is referred to as “the golden hour” because it is a unique time of transition for both the birthing parent and the baby. When a baby is placed on the mother’s chest or abdomen and receives early skin-to-skin contact, this intimate connection helps both individuals begin the physiological adaptations to life postpartum. In addition to supporting the physical changes happening during this time, immediate skin-to-skin contact promotes bonding and emotional safety, which decreases stress levels for both. Although the first hour after birth is particularly important, you can get the benefits of skin-to-skin contact with your baby at any time! Let’s take a closer look at what you can your baby will gain from skin-to-skin contact in the postpartum and how it can benefit your breastfeeding relationship.
It’s summertime! And in many parts of the United States, the hot weather is here. Some people love a summer pregnancy: they feel their best and love the summer sun and pool days with their best friends. But not all pregnant women think that way! You’re carrying a little heater around in your belly while pregnant, so the hot summer months can be overwhelming and make you so grateful for air conditioning. Whichever part of the spectrum you fall on, I’ve put together a summer pregnancy survival guide for you. I want you to be able to take care of yourself and your baby in the hot, summer heat and enjoy this part of your pregnancy!
Pregnancy is such a fun and exciting time—there’s nothing quite like preparing to welcome a new soul into the world! But with the anticipation of meeting your baby, can come a host of unexpected aches in your body caused by the physical and hormonal changes of pregnancy. It takes a lot of work to form a whole new person inside you. Plus your body is shifting and accommodating to allow your baby to grow and develop. The benefits of compression during this transitional time of life have been used for ages around the world and thankfully, Motif Medical has developed maternity compression products that are designed to support a healthy pregnancy and promote a smooth postpartum recovery. Even better than that, most of Motif’s maternity support garments are multi-purpose and can be used during pregnancy and into the postpartum, too!
Getting ready to welcome your first baby into the world is a fun and exciting time for new moms plus the whole family! But if you’re the one giving birth, there may be some uncertainty and anxiety involved when you think about your baby’s birthday. Don’t let that worry you! The majority of first-time moms have a lot of questions about how they can prepare for birth or what they should expect during delivery. Let’s take a look at some of the topics you can discuss with your family and healthcare provider before the big day.
Most people who choose to see a midwife during the pregnancy are planning to have a vaginal delivery and not planning on having a cesarean section. Some people who have c-sections are even planning a home birth for their birth experience. Unfortunately, labor doesn’t always go the way we want it to. Part of a midwife’s job is to make sure that both the birthing person and the baby are safe throughout the birthing process and sometimes it becomes obvious that a c-section is the safest way for a baby to be born. While midwives generally try to avoid interventions, when they are in the best interest of the mom and baby, we are really glad they are available! But if this scenario happens to you, you might be wondering—what your midwife will do now.
