Health Inspired

06/22/2026

✨ Feeling incredibly grateful today! ✨

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in the Community Votes awards. I am honored to share that Health Inspired Women was named Platinum Winner in Holistic Health and Platinum Winner in the Midwives & Doulas category!

What makes this recognition even more meaningful is seeing the incredible representation of our local birth community among the winners. The other top-placing nominees in the Midwives & Doulas category were also home birth midwives and doulas serving families in our area. I am honored to be recognized alongside such dedicated professionals who are passionate about supporting women and families.

To my clients—past, present, and future—thank you for trusting me with your care. To my fellow midwives and doulas, thank you for the work you do and for helping create a strong, supportive birth community here in the Coulee Region.

This recognition belongs to all of you. ❤️

06/18/2026

A few weeks ago, during the Iron Series, I talked about this... even gave you a couple of research highlights...

It got you all talking, which is AWESOME.

What I want you all to realize is that low-normal ferritin IS NORMAL in pregnancy. From a preeclampsia prevention perspective, we should not aim for crazy-high ferritin levels, and we should be more strategic in our iron supplementation recommendations.

These studies examined third-trimester serum ferritin and its relationship to preeclampsia, including among women taking iron supplements. Together, they support the idea that higher ferritin is associated with higher odds of PE.

And trust me... There are more... lots more... connecting higher ferritin (and not even that high) in the third trimester with higher Hypertension risk.

1️⃣A 2024 study found ferritin >20 ng/mL in the third trimester increased the risk 4-fold

https://saudijournals.com/media/articles/SIJOG_73_84-87.pdf

2️⃣A 2021 study found that ferritin >40 ng/mL in the third trimester, with iron supplementation, increases the odds of PE by 3-fold.

https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/15530/50696_CE[Ra1]_F[SH]_PF1(AG_SS)_PFA(AnK_AG_KM)_PN(KM).pdf

3️⃣A 2025 study found that the highest quartile of ferritin at 29 - 31.6 weeks was associated with hypertension

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1639068/full

06/17/2026

06/15/2026

Three babies have been hospitalized, according to the FDA: https://fox8.com/news/recallsandsafetyalerts/baby-formula-sold-at-target-recalled-after-multistate-infant-botulism-outbreak/

06/07/2026

“Why am I not surprised?”

Because you’re the son of a midwife. ❤️

Tonight’s text exchange made me smile, but it also highlights a reality that many people don’t see.

Being a birth midwife isn’t just a job—it’s a lifestyle. Even with a relatively low birth volume, being on call means always being ready to leave at a moment’s notice. It means taking two vehicles everywhere so someone can stay with the kids if I get called away. It means carrying birth supplies with me, having backup childcare plans, and thinking through “what if” scenarios before every family outing.

It means missing dinners, leaving birthday parties early, skipping vacations, and sometimes being gone for days at a time while supporting another family through pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum.

There are stretches when I don’t sleep in my own bed for multiple nights. There are holidays spent waiting for a phone call. There are countless moments when my own family adjusts their plans because someone else’s baby is ready to be born.

And yet, they do it with grace.

My husband, my children, and my village make this work possible. Every birth I attend is supported not only by me, but by the sacrifices of the people waiting for me at home.

Tonight, my son wasn’t surprised I’d be home at 2 AM.

He’s grown up knowing that babies don’t check calendars, clocks, weekends, or holidays before they decide it’s time.

To all the families who share their midwife with other families: thank you. Your sacrifices matter, and they make this work possible. ❤️

06/04/2026

One meal. One table. One family.

From the time our kids are old enough to enjoy solid foods and family meals, they eat what we eat. No separate menus. No “kid food.”

Sharing the same wholesome foods helps build healthy habits, adventurous taste buds, and a positive relationship with food that can last a lifetime.

The family meal is about so much more than nutrition—it’s where connection, conversation, and healthy patterns begin. ❤️

06/04/2026

05/26/2026

Some journeys into parenthood are gentle, and some ask everything of you before placing the greatest gift in your arms. 💙

After a long, hard labor, these first-time parents welcomed their beautiful baby boy into the world through an incredible vaginal birth. Through every challenge and every transition, she leaned on the unwavering love and support of her husband and her mother—three hearts working together toward one unforgettable moment.

And then, finally… he was here.

A tiny boy who was already so deeply loved before he ever took his first breath earthside. Watching two people become a family of three never gets old. Strength, perseverance, trust, and love carried this family through.

Welcome to the world, sweet boy. Your story began with courage, and your parents were made for you. 💙

HomesteadingMidwife

05/23/2026

My farm officially has a surplus in butcher ready hogs. These animals will be sent for processing in about a month-give or take. Reach out if you would like your name on one.

05/22/2026

Breakfast for dinner. Scratch made-down to the sausage seasoning, raw milk, fresh milled flour, home grown pork.