100 WISDOM births at GW!

On June 17th, we had a party to celebrate our first year and our first 100 births at GW. WISDOM women joined Whitney and people from GW who helped make possible all of the success in our first year.

Happy International Day of the Midwife

Today, May 5th, is International Day of the Midwife. Learn more about how you can honor and advocate for midwives.

WISDOM is growing!

Two new midwives have joined our practice: Nora Fisher CNM, and Marsha Stalcup CNM (both previously with Takoma Women’s Health before they closed their doors in 2007). Now with five WISDOM midwives, we're thrilled to be able support more DC-area women achieve in-hospital, midwifery managed pregnancy care and births.

WISDOM at GW receives honorable mention as a "collaborative practice"

Whitney Pinger and her GW colleagues have been recognized for the new collaborative practice model they've launched at GW in the past year. Their paper, “Successful Models of Collaborative Practices in Maternity Care: Midwifery at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates,” has been selected for an honorable mention by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American College of Nurse-Midwives.

The two organizations are promoting collaborative practice between obstetrician-gynecologists and certified nurse-midwives and/or certified midwives. The organizations believe "Health care is most effective when it occurs in a system that facilitates communication across care settings and among providers... Ob-gyns and CNMs/CMs are experts in their respective fields of practice and are educated, trained, and licensed, independent providers who may collaborate with each other based on the needs of their patients. Quality of care is enhanced by collegial relationships characterized by mutual respect and trust, as well as professional responsibility and accountability.”

Welcome WISDOM to GWU with a "light of life"

Help us celebrate WISDOM's arrival at George Washington University by participating in the Lights of Life Celebration. With a $10 donation, you can dedicate a light in honor of WISDOM. Your gift will benefit GW Hospital Oncology patients and The GW Hospital Women’s Center.

Hundreds of white lights will be lit in The George Washington University Ross Hall courtyard during the Lights of Life ceremony on December 8th, 2010 at 5:15 p.m. and remain lit throughout the holiday season.

To make a donation and dedication, please use the Lights of Life dedication form.

Whitney Pinger Pioneers New Presentation on Benefits of Midwifery

In June, Whitney Pinger presented “Midwifery Pearls: Evidence for Clinical Practice” at the national conference of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The presentation, originally created by Whitney in collaboration with the ACNM DC Chapter, is now promoted by the professional association as “Evidence‐based Practice: Pearls of Midwifery”: “a one‐of‐a‐kind presentation that...showcases the benefits of midwifery practices that support labor and childbirth for mothers and babies.” Read more about the “Pearls” presentation here.

Whitney Pinger and the DC Chapter of ACNM won a National Midwifery Media Award for their work on this presentation.
************
"Pearls for Normal Birth"

• Encourage women to eat in early labor and drink throughout.
• No routine IV fluids: don’t dilute normal oxytocin levels.
• Intermittently auscultate the fetal heart rite.
• Keep women upright, mobile, and wet.
• Encourage doulas.
• Don’t routinely break the bag of water.
• Give women the time they need to birth their babies.
• Wait for women to involuntarily push; labor down with epidurals.
• No routine episiotomies or aggressive vaginal stretching.
• Delay cord clamping and actively but gently manage the third stage.
• Encourage immediate skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding.
• Listen to the evidence, listen to women, and trust yourself.

Happy Midwifery Week

Photo by Damian Achilles

We’re celebrating Midwifery Week this year by honoring our growing WISDOM network and renewed focus on building our community. This week, we mark a milestone of 70 women who have recently joined our network at GWU.

The Midwife Connection blog is also celebrating Midwifery Week.

WISDOM has Moved to George Washington University

George Washington University Hospital is WISDOM's new home. With the move comes new capacity for WISDOM to establish a full-scope midwifery service. Whitney Pinger is now Director of Midwifery Services with the GW Medical Faculty Associates in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Here's how to get in touch with WISDOM Midwifery:
phone: 202.741.2500
email: midwife@mfa.gwu.edu

Whitney Pinger Wins "Women's Health Hero" Award

Whitney Pinger

Photo by Damian Achilles

Whitney was one of 20 individuals and organizations across the country who were inducted into the Our Bodies Ourselves Women's Health Heroes  Hall of Fame this year. These "heroes" were recognized for having made significant, long-lasting contributions to women’s health.

Read more about the Women’s Health Heroes award and the nomination for Whitney.

The WISDOM community knows first hand this award is well deserved. Congratulations, Whitney!

WISDOM Celebrates Mother's Day

The WISDOM community gathered this month to celebrate Mother's Day and to send off our very valuable Heather Wilson to midwifery school.