Jeanna Deswert LM, CPM

01/07/2025

A little sneak peek (in the comments) at my latest post on Motherhood & Midwifery! It’s been almost a year since I left the border for the hill country and it’s taken almost all of that time to untangle my thoughts and feelings.

05/07/2022

Because May is month, I want to dedicate this space to raising awareness and sharing information and stories about perinatal and maternal mental health conditions. Perinatal mental health and maternal mental health are often used interchangeably. Perinatal refers to the period of time during pregnancy, labor and birth, and the first years of the postpartum period.

Did you know

🌿 1 in 5 women suffer from a maternal mental health disorder?
🌿 34% of new mothers report experiencing a traumatic child birth.
🌿 Maternal mental health disorders are more than the “baby blues” and consist of a range of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
🌿 Less than 15% of women diagnosed with a maternal mental health disorder receive treatment.

It is highly likely that you or someone you know and love has struggled with a perinatal mental health condition.

We live in a society that places unrealistic demands on mothers and primary parents. We also live in a society that significantly lacks true community support. I read something once that said, “We live in a society that expects us to work as if we didn’t have children and parent as if we didn’t have to work.”

I invite you to weigh in and share your experience with perinatal mental health problems. You can also DM me and share your experiences privately.

05/05/2022

Today is World Maternal Mental Health Day and the entire month of May is dedicated to Maternal Mental Health Awareness. This month I will dedicate this space to talk more about perinatal mental health and its impact.

Maternal Mental Health is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires awareness and access to adequate mental health resources. Did you know that up to 1 in 5 women suffer from Maternal Mental Health (MMH) disorders in the U.S. each year.  Research shows that this number has more than doubled during the pandemic.  Now, more than ever, it is important to address barriers to maternal mental health care and treatment. 

Did you (or someone you know) experience a mental health condition during pregnancy or after giving birth?









 
 

05/04/2022

Did you know that most obstetricians and midwives are not extensively trained to manage a vaginal breech delivery? The training most healthcare providers have provides a basic overview of vaginal breech birth and frames it in the context of an emergency. Midwives who are trained in breech birth have sought out training that exceeds what is required and/or taught in their respective training programs.

In order to offer vaginal breech birth as a safe birth option for expecting parents, we need more providers who are adequately trained in breech birth.

I have compiled a list of some of my favorite Breech Birth courses/workshops and resources!
Do you have a breech practice?
Which breech trainings have you taken?

03/28/2022

Let’s chat about some key considerations for a vaginal breech birth (VBB)!

05/06/2021

Beautiful words! ❤️

A piece written in honor of International Day of the Midwife!

with mother

In the sacred spaces
between woman and mother
she sits.
Negating any personal fame or notoriety,
she holds
space
for the unfolding of miracles.

Instincts and primal remembrances linger
thick in the air as she cradles the becoming
of mother
She gives reverence to the
mothers that came
before and
before and
before.

Her power lies in protecting
the intuitive power of woman:
raw,
fundamental,
the only catalyst for the future.

She believes even when you don’t,
bestowing
genuine words
gentle touches
transcendent calmness
as new life comes from motherland to homeland.

She is -
with mother -
a midwife.

Katie Drobina

(PS How was I so lucky to have the best midwife for two of my births?!) Jeanna Deswert LM, CPM

02/10/2021

This is so fascinating!! “The lifelong consequences of the exchange of cells between a mother and her child are profound and have many applications in development, health, and disease. This intricate exchange of genetically foreign cells creates a permanent connection that contributes to the survival of both individuals."

If like me you aren't so familiar with the word, microchimerism means the presence of two genetically distinct cell populations in the same person, for example, a pregnant mother and the fetus growing inside her womb.

02/03/2021

I never understood how important the postpartum period is for both the new parent and baby. In the society I live in, the sacredness of this period is all but forgotten. Prior to my birth, I spent time researching the concept of a slow postpartum and how many cultures around the world deeply honor and rever this time and space. It was my goal to gift myself and my baby that sacred time as we transitioned into a new state of being. There was something deeply profound and powerful about staying in bed with my fresh baby while the world turned around us. We spent our days like this, skin-to-skin and lost in milk drunk dreams. It was slow, it was deliberate, and it was nourishing in the deepest ways. When you are allowed the time and space to honor a slow postpartum period, you have the opportunity to connect with yourself and your baby in ways a busy world simply does not allow. I will forever carry with me the power of that time and the ways in which it allowed baby and I to truly transition from an esoteric or spiritual state to a materialized one here on this beautiful earth. ✨
I want to hear all about your postpartum experience, the good, the bad, and everything in between. Comment below 👇🏼 and let’s talk!

12/11/2020

This is too cool!

11/10/2020

Please donate to help out! Our student midwife Hannah had her belongings stolen, including her wallet, ID, and money.

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who donated, our need has been met for Hannah! You are all amazing!!
❤️

We need a little help for our sweet student Midwife Hannah Erbeck! She has been with us several months and will be a long term Midwife with our Organization. Hannah is such a blessing to us and to the families we serve. She is not paid and relies on Missionary donations to continue her volunteer work and training with us.
Yesterday, Hannah was in the pharmacy looking for medication for a patient back at the clinic. A very unkind person broke into the New Life car and robbed Hannah of her belongings. She is now stuck in Ecuador with no ID, bank ATM card or cash. They even stole her phone that is desperately needed for the work she does serving the pregnant and postpartum women of Southern Ecuador!
Hannah is very upset and isn’t sure how she is going to replace many of the items, as there is no reliable US to Ecuador mail service.
Today we are praying to raise the funds Hannah needs to replace her phone and at least have money to live on, while we help her get the other items replaced.
Thank you to everyone in advance for your financial help and prayers for Hannah!