Christina Winton, CPM, LLM Agape Homebirth Services

09/14/2026

Cereal and blueberries for the win! 🥣🫐

We often tell new parents, “Baby should breastfeed every 2–3 hours,” especially in those early days while we’re protecting baby’s intake, encouraging milk production, and establishing a healthy milk supply.

And yes—the math matters! Ideally, we’re looking for around 8–12+ good opportunities to nurse in a 24-hour period. 🤱🏻

But here’s where that advice can get confusing…

The cereal picture is what parents sometimes imagine “every 2–3 hours” means: perfectly spaced feeds, all about the same length, followed by a peacefully sleeping newborn until it’s time to eat again.

That is rarely what breastfeeding actually looks like. 😂

The blueberries are a MUCH better picture of normal newborn feeding.

Some feeds will be long.
Some will be short.
Some will be sleepy.
Some will feel amazing.
Some will leave you wondering, “Did that even count?” 😅
And sometimes baby will want to nurse again 30 minutes after you just finished.

That can all be normal!

Newborns don’t own clocks. ⏰ They have tiny tummies, rapidly changing needs, growth spurts, and times when they naturally cluster feed—especially in the evenings or when helping bring Mom’s milk supply up.

So when we say “every 2–3 hours,” think of that as a maximum window in those early days when baby may need to be awakened to feed—not a schedule that tells you to make a hungry baby wait because “it hasn’t been 3 hours yet.”

Watch your BABY more than the clock. 👶🏻

Rooting, turning the head, stirring, opening the mouth, bringing hands toward the mouth, and becoming more active are early hunger cues. Crying is actually a late hunger cue!

Feed early. Feed often. Follow baby’s cues. 🤍

The goal isn’t perfectly spaced Cheerios.

It’s a whole lot of blueberries. 🫐🫐🫐

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

🎶 Sing Your Baby Down 🎶

Did you know that singing during labor can actually be a beautiful coping tool?

Labor doesn’t always have to sound like silence. Sometimes it sounds like deep breathing, low moans, laughter, prayer… and sometimes it sounds like singing. 💜

Singing during labor may help:

✨ Encourage slower, deeper breathing
✨ Relax the jaw, throat, and pelvic floor
✨ Give your mind something familiar to focus on
✨ Reduce fear and tension
✨ Create rhythm during contractions
✨ Encourage the release of oxytocin and other feel-good hormones
✨ Help you feel grounded and connected to your body
✨ Create a peaceful environment for baby
✨ Give your partner or birth team a way to join you

There’s also something powerful about the connection between the jaw and pelvic floor. When we’re scared or tense, we often clench our jaw and hold our breath. Singing naturally encourages an open mouth, relaxed jaw, long exhale, and softer body.

And you definitely don’t have to be a “good singer.” 😂 This isn’t American Idol — it’s labor!

Sing worship music. Sing a hymn. Sing your favorite song. Hum through contractions. Let your husband sing over you. Let your birth team worship alongside you.

One of my favorite things about homebirth is watching families discover what makes their birth space feel safe and peaceful. Sometimes that’s dim lights and quiet voices. Sometimes it’s worship music filling the room while a mama sings her baby earthside.

Your voice is powerful.
Your breath is powerful.
Your body was beautifully designed.

And sometimes… you just need to sing your baby down. 🎶🤍

“Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” — Psalm 22:3

09/09/2026

This hits especially close to home for me as a midwife serving families in Arkansas. 💜

When hospitals close their labor and delivery units, the need for maternity care doesn’t disappear. Those mothers are still pregnant. Those babies are still coming. And many families are being left to drive farther and farther just to access maternity care.

Midwives can be a HUGE part of the solution.

We need more licensed midwives, more opportunities for midwifery education and training, and policies that allow midwives to practice to the full extent of our education and training while collaborating with physicians and hospitals when higher-level care is needed.

But we also need updated rules and regulations and an evidence-based formulary that actually supports safe homebirth practice. If we want midwives to help address maternity care deserts, we have to give them the appropriate tools, medications, and regulatory framework to provide safe, evidence-based care and respond appropriately when complications arise.

I see firsthand the difference midwifery care can make, especially in our rural communities. We provide prenatal care, education, continuity of care, homebirth for appropriate low-risk families, postpartum and newborn care—and we are trained to recognize when something is outside our scope and facilitate appropriate medical care.

Midwives cannot replace every closing hospital or OB unit, but we absolutely can help fill an enormous gap.

Arkansas needs maternity care.
Arkansas needs options.
Arkansas needs collaboration.
Arkansas needs modern, evidence-based midwifery regulations.
And Arkansas needs MORE MIDWIVES. 💜

This is exactly why I am so passionate about the work we are doing to move midwifery forward in Arkansas.

09/06/2026

🕯️ September 6th — Stillbirth Remembrance Day 🕯️

Today, we remember the babies who were born still, but were still born. 🤍

The babies who were deeply loved before their parents ever held them. The babies whose names are spoken with tears, whose birthdays are remembered, and whose tiny footprints left an imprint that will last a lifetime.

As a midwife, I have learned that birth does not always end with the sound of a newborn cry. Sometimes a birth room is filled with a heartbreaking silence. In those sacred moments, we still honor birth. We still honor motherhood. We still honor fatherhood. And most importantly, we honor the precious life of that baby.

To every family carrying this kind of grief: your baby mattered. Their life mattered. Their birth mattered. And they will always be a part of your family.

Today we say their names.
We remember their birthdays.
We honor the love that continues long after goodbye.

And for those of us who believe, we hold tightly to the hope that this goodbye is not forever. 🤍

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18

If you are comfortable, you are invited to share your baby’s name in the comments so we can remember them with you today. 🕯️

🤍 September 6th — Stillbirth Remembrance Day 🤍

09/04/2026

Finally made it down to The Bread Shed in Bivins, and y’all… they did NOT disappoint! 😍🙌 I had to sneak a bite of the Biscoff cake and OH. MY. GOODNESS. 🤤 Soooo yummy!

I’m trying to behave and save the cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning… we’ll see how that goes. 😂 And with fall being my absolute favorite, I’m already thinking I may need another trip next week to see if they have any apple-flavored treats! 🍎🍂

But there was an extra sweet little moment while I was there… my dragonfly friend stopped by. 🩵🪽 Dragonflies always make me think of our sweet Logan in Heaven. Those little unexpected reminders of him seem to find me at just the right moments, and they always make my heart smile. 💙

Good food, supporting a local business, and a little reminder from Heaven… I’d say it was definitely worth the trip. 🥹

09/03/2026

September is National Su***de Prevention Month, and this year the conversation feels especially important for mothers and the people who love them.

The Lindsay Clancy trial has brought postpartum mental health front and center. Her defense has argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors dispute that she was psychotic at the time of her children’s deaths. Whatever the jury ultimately decides about her legal responsibility, this case has opened an important conversation that cannot end when the trial does: maternal mental health matters, and postpartum mental illness can become life-threatening.

As a midwife, I want families to understand that baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis are not the same thing.

🩵 Baby blues are incredibly common. Up to 85% of new mothers may experience tearfulness, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, feeling overwhelmed, and difficulty sleeping. They typically begin in the first few days after birth and improve within about two weeks.

💜 Postpartum depression goes deeper. The sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, anger, guilt, exhaustion, difficulty bonding, loss of interest, or feeling unable to cope persists or becomes severe enough to interfere with everyday life. Thoughts of death, su***de, or harming yourself or your baby can also occur. This isn’t something a mama should simply be told to “push through.” Postpartum depression is treatable, and asking for help is important.

❤️ Postpartum psychosis is different still. It is rare—roughly 1–2 mothers per 1,000 births—but it is a psychiatric emergency. A mother may experience hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, severe confusion, mania, disorganized thinking or behavior, and may lose touch with reality. She may not recognize that she is ill or that what she is experiencing isn’t real. Immediate medical treatment and hospitalization may be necessary to protect both mother and baby.

This is why postpartum care has to be about so much more than checking bleeding, blood pressure, breastfeeding, stitches, and the baby.

We have to ask about MAMA.

How are you sleeping?
Are you eating?
Are you feeling like yourself?
Are you having scary or intrusive thoughts?
Do you feel safe?
Do you feel connected to reality?
Have you thought about hurting yourself?
Do you have someone helping you?

And families need to know the warning signs too. Sometimes the person who is struggling is the least able to recognize how serious things have become.

During Su***de Prevention Month, please remember: there should never be shame in saying, “I need help.” Maternal mental illness is illness—not a measure of how much a woman loves her baby or how good of a mother she is.

If a postpartum mother is experiencing hallucinations, delusions, severe confusion, loss of touch with reality, or there is an immediate concern that she may harm herself or her baby, do not leave her alone. Seek emergency medical care immediately. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

Check on the new mama. And then check on her again. 💜

08/31/2026

What a beautiful way to welcome a sweet baby boy earthside. 💙🌿

I am so honored to have been chosen to serve this precious family. Rooted deeply in faith and raised around both homebirth and chiropractic care, this first-time mama came into pregnancy with a beautiful confidence in birth. She knew what she wanted, trusted the process, and prepared herself to achieve it. And achieve it she did. 🙌🏻

Labor was smooth, steady, and incredibly effective. In fact, baby had plans of his own and things moved so quickly that there wasn’t even enough time to get the birth pool filled! 😂

Surprise baby BOY made his peaceful entrance at home, surrounded by the love and support of his daddy and grandma, with mama bringing him earthside with such strength and determination. 💙

There is something extra special about watching a first-time mama trust her body, lean into her faith, and discover just how capable and powerful she truly is. Welcome to the world, sweet boy! A healthy 8 lbs 2 oz of absolute perfection, arriving on National Trail Mix Day. 🥜🌲💙

Congratulations to this beautiful new family of three. Thank you for trusting me to walk alongside you through such a sacred season. It is truly an honor every single time.

With love,
Midwife Christina 🤍

08/31/2026

🤰💜 YOUR DUE DATE IS NOT AN EXPIRATION DATE! 💜🤰

One of my favorite things to remind expecting mamas:

Your EDD is an ESTIMATED Due Date — not an eviction notice. 😂

I like to think of pregnancy as having a “due window,” not one magical day on the calendar.

🌿 37–38+6 weeks: Early Term
🌿 39–40+6 weeks: Full Term
🌿 41–41+6 weeks: Late Term
🌿 42+ weeks: Postterm

And guess what? A LOT of spontaneous labor happens AFTER that estimated due date!

Reaching 40 weeks does not suddenly mean something is wrong, your body has failed, or your baby is “overdue.”

Your baby doesn’t know what date someone circled on a calendar months ago. 😂

As midwives, we look at the WHOLE picture — mama’s health, baby’s movement and wellbeing, blood pressure, growth, fluid when indicated, and individual risk factors — not simply the date on the calendar.

Yes, risks gradually increase as pregnancy continues beyond 41 weeks, and that’s when good monitoring, informed decision-making, and individualized care become especially important.

But 40+1? 40+3? 40+5?

Still pregnant. Still normal. Still within the window. 💜

So when your due date comes and everyone starts texting…

👀 “ANY BABY YET?!”

Turn off the phone, rest, nourish your body, love on your family, and let that sweet baby finish getting ready. 🌿

✨ EDD = ESTIMATED Due Date.
It’s a window, not an expiration date.

Babies don’t read calendars. 😉💜