Fertility Awareness-Based Methods During the Postpartum Period
Johanna Longrenn, a midwifery student and FACTS Ambassador, conducted an interview with a fellow midwife to explore the role of midwives in educating women and couples about the option of fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs)
Breastfeeding Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in East Africa
To continue National Breastfeeding Month, we are highlighting a review of breastfeeding attitudes and practices in East Africa. Dr. Liseli James summarized a 2020 literature review published in the International Breastfeeding Journal.
Breastfeeding Satisfaction and Symptoms of Postpartum Depression: A Research Synopsis
As May is Mental Health Awareness month, we will feature a series of articles that discuss the intersections between reproductive health and psychological wellbeing
A Woman’s Journey with the Marquette and Creighton Model
While on the FACTS elective, Ellen Gaudet Urrutia interviewed an enthusiastic user of FABMs. For this woman, learning to chart her cycle hastened the diagnosis and treatment of a luteal phase defect, and using different methods in new seasons of life has provided a natural and effective way to not only plan their family but also manage her health. Read more!
Caring for the Whole Person in Miscarriage Management
As with so much in medicine, the management of miscarriage must go beyond meeting medical needs to caring for the human being who experiences this significant loss. Dr. Abigail Finder was in her last year of medical school when she interviewed Maria, a woman who has experienced miscarriage more than once. The interview highlights the advantages of such a compassionate, medically sound, and holistic approach in the care of these families.
Supplemental Progesterone for Vaginal Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: A Review of Research
This summary of research by Dr. Emily Endres offers hope for women, couples, and families who have suffered through recurrent miscarriages. Read more about the largest study to date to assess the role of progesterone in the early stages of pregnancy.
Breast Cancer Subtypes and Breastfeeding: A Review of Research
This is a summary of research published in 2015 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute about breast cancer subtypes and breastfeeding. Dr. Elaine Cha reviewed and summarized the study while on the FACTS elective in fertility awareness. The first-of-its-kind study speaks to potential ways a history of breastfeeding may impact both prognosis and survival from breast cancer.
Breastfeeding Education and Support: Hope for DR Congo and the World
We conclude our month-long series on breastfeeding with a promising review of research about the impact of a program to promote successful breastfeeding in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). In the study by Yotebieng et al, researchers sought to observe the impact of a breastfeeding program on infant health. Dr. Rachel Paquette summarized the study while on the FACTS elective.
Breastfeeding in the Early Postpartum Period: A Review of Research
Our series on breastfeeding continues with this review of research published in August of 2020 titled, “Maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding in the first month postpartum and associated factors.” The study took place in Brazil and assessed maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding in the early postpartum period. The researchers also noted factors contributing to maternal satisfaction and continuation of breastfeeding. The study was published by de Senna et al in the International Breastfeeding Journal and summarized by Dr. Kinga Budnicka. Read more!
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method: Two Success Stories
This interview by Dr. Nicole Frey involves two women who discovered the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) at the perfect moment for each of them, though perhaps not in the most ideal ways. Breastfeeding delays the return of a mother’s ovulation and may make her infertile for six months or longer. The Lactational Amenorrhea Method is a simple tool a woman may use in the postpartum period to avoid or delay pregnancy if basic criteria are met. Read about real life stories using LAM in this post.