Shiloh Birth Support

06/22/2025

If you’re pregnant or considering pregnancy, here are 5 reasons to consider midwifery care.

For healthy births and , women and babies deserve access to trusted midwives each step of the way.

bit.ly/4kShgEQ

06/25/2023

At LONG last... the website exists✨ Go check it out and tell me what you think! (And while you're at it, tell your friends and family!)

mckailashiloh.com

06/03/2023

Gallery delivery day for this beautiful new family! Brianna Grace Wade

Newborn sessions are some of my favorite; I so look forward to being invited into your spaces to document the quiet intimacy of your homes and families!

If you're not following on Instagram, I've recently decided and announced to pick photography back up a little more, after initially putting a complete pause on Mic & Mck Photography. I will continue posting my perinatal sessions here at Shiloh Birth Support so as to continue to keep birth-work separate, but you can expect to find other sessions over there!

05/25/2023

There was a blood marker identified last year and, just published, there's now a consistent brain stem anamoly. I'm so thankful there's progress being found with this research so we can prevent more unnecessary infant deaths!

A new paper indicates that sudden infant death syndrome, the cause and frequency of which is the subject of much research and debate, may in many cases be associated with a brainstem abnormality affecting serotonin receptors.

01/09/2023

Ran into a sweet friend at today's midwifery appointment! How many of you take pictures with your care provider and have fun with them at your appointments?!

One of the best parts of being pregnant has been the INCREDIBLE midwifery care I've received over the last 8 months. A quote I love that describes midwifery so well is: "At an OB, you'll spend an hour waiting to be seen for 8 minutes. With a midwife, you spend 8 minutes waiting to be seen for an hour." Every concern, every thought or want I have, is heard and met withOUT judgment and WITH evidence-based information. You leave visits feeling empowered and with tools and resources to best inform and guide your pregnancy, birth, AND postpartum journey, and aren't blindsided by any "unknowns". You'll never just be told "your blood pressure is high" and handed a faded print-out about diet and an induction date 4 months away; we talk in-depth about nutrition and how to have the best birth and maternal/fetal outcomes by being involved in your own health every day.

Susan was the first person I told I was pregnant - I messaged her within an hour of finding out, in a panic that I wasn't going to be a candidate for the low-risk intervention-free birth I wanted (completely unsubstantiated fears, but nontheless!). Since then, she has provided constant guidance, education and reassurance and helped to make this all feel like a dream. I've worked with every local midwife (to my knowledge) and at every hospital in an hour's drive and consider that to be the best "interview" I could have had as I watch them work with their families. I knew Susan was my #1 choice, and with that being a reality any day now, I'm SO excited and encouraged to see other young friends of mine turning towards midwifery care (all across the country!) and getting to have the same caring experience!

Photo shared with consent 💕

01/09/2023

My beautiful little niece was born this past week! A huge congratulations to her mama & dad, you're a great team and she is perfect! I can't wait to watch you raise her to be the sweet and spunky little girl I know she's going to be 🥰💕

I got to hold her while being 39 weeks pregnant with her baby cousin and it continues to astound me to feel my baby internally making the same movements she is, the only difference is their environment. It's interesting, too, to be able to envision my baby's body in this picture, as they sit butt-to-butt.

I thought holding a newborn this close to being due might instill some fear in me as I thought about labor, but this was such an encouragement. Our bodies are MADE to do this. Our babies are made to do this, too! Hundreds of thousands of babies are born every day around the world. There is always someone birthing right with you 🤍 Any day now! 🥰

09/05/2022

We made the announcement on our personal pages this weekend, but of course need to update here, too!

✨ Baby DeVries will be joining us in January 2023! ✨

Many of my client families have asked if I would document my personal experience in the future...well, here we are! I am happy to share my pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenthood journeys here, but I want to be clear with the caveat that these are *MY* PERSONAL choices. As a trained birthworker, it is my responsibility to provide unbiased information and support; so just because I make decisions for myself, it does NOT mean I don't support your own choices that are different than, or totally opposite of, mine! ALL that I care about is that you are educated, informed, and an active participant in your own decision making.

That being said... stay tuned 🥰 I am currently working with my dream care provider and working hard to focus on nutrition and health goals. I will cover posts about some of this moving forward, but if there's anything you are specifically interested in or have questions about, please comment below or message me! 🥰❤

07/06/2022

Really helpful step-by-step info!

Breast pumps are a necessity for some people. Whether it’s to pump to start a freezer stash, to build a supply, to pump and dump or to purely pump and feed your little one. The thing some people may not be aware of is thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), most insurers are now required to cover breastfeeding support.

Here are the steps to help you through the process.
- First you must locate your insurance card
- Find the number on the back of the insurance card for customer service
- Call customer service and tell them you would like to get information on obtaining a personal use breast pump
o Do you cover the cost to buy or rent a pump?
o Do I need a prescription from my doctor, if so, where should my doctor send the script to?
o What types of pumps are offered?
o Do you send it to me, or do I go buy the specific one and submit for reimbursement?
- Obtain paperwork from doctor’s office and submit if applicable
- Follow up with insurance company customer service if needed

In the event that your insurance company does not provide a free breast pump your doctor should be able to submit a medical script/paperwork to your insurance company showing that it is medically necessary for you to have the breast pump; baby is a preemie, baby has a medical condition making it difficult to nurse (ex. down syndrome or cerebral palsy) or that there is supply issues.

11/02/2021

It is an honor to be invited into a birth space. It is the *privilege of a lifetime* for that invitation to come from a friend that I admire and respect. I about dropped my phone when Vanessa messaged me, months ago, about her desire for a homebirth - her first, after 2 hospital births. When you've attended both hospital and homebirths, you understand how incredibly different they are. Both can be beautiful (when parents are informed and empowered), but there's something very sacred about a family bringing new life into their home - unhibited, serene, unhurried. To watch mama lean into her faith and maintain her focus and have the birth she longed for was breathtaking. In 5 short peaceful hours, months of Vanessa's informative work paid off, as this little one made her way into the arms of her mom & dad.

10/09/2021

In the state of Washington, a planned home birth with a licensed midwife is just as safe as a birth at a licensed birth centre.

05/29/2021

While we can't magically take your pain away (as much as we wish we could!), doulas are able to provide this ⬆️ type of hands-on support to apply counterpressure and massage during labor. This mama is also utilizing hydrotherapy with her birth pool, another wonderful source of natural pain relief!

What are/were your preferences for pain management during labor?