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The Flourishing Family

Faith, Family, Health and Home

  • About
  • My Novel: Aliisa’s letter
  • Remembering Steven
  • Healthy Birth Practices
    • Preparing for Birth
    • Waiting for Labor to Start
    • Pelvic Measurement: Will the Baby Fit?
    • Emotional Support and Guidance During Labor
    • Is the Intervention Necessary?
    • Pushing Positions
    • Mom & Baby: Skin to Skin
    • A New Perspective: Home Birth
  • Family Health
    • Essential Oils
    • Colds Flu and Garlic
    • Calendula for a Healing Salve
    • Measles and the MMR
    • What about Vaccines?
    • Easing Painful Periods
  • Affiliate Links
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • My Novel: Aliisa’s letter
  • Remembering Steven
  • Healthy Birth Practices
    • Preparing for Birth
    • Waiting for Labor to Start
    • Pelvic Measurement: Will the Baby Fit?
    • Emotional Support and Guidance During Labor
    • Is the Intervention Necessary?
    • Pushing Positions
    • Mom & Baby: Skin to Skin
    • A New Perspective: Home Birth
  • Family Health
    • Essential Oils
    • Colds Flu and Garlic
    • Calendula for a Healing Salve
    • Measles and the MMR
    • What about Vaccines?
    • Easing Painful Periods
  • Affiliate Links
  • Privacy Policy
  • Story
    Book Reviews - Midwifery - Women

    Winter Reading: Historical Fiction and More

    February 7, 2025 - By Carol

    In the past month I have read historical fiction that has taken me from Oklahoma to Avignon, France, and to England. Lisa Wingate’s novel, Shelterwood, finds its roots in Oklahoma history. The story has two timelines: 1909, shortly after Oklahoma became a state and 1990 when the bones of three…

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  • The Midwife
    Book Reviews - Childbirth - Marriage - Midwifery

    The Midwife: Her Diary Inspires a Novel

    October 25, 2024 - By Carol

    Two books give insight into the practice of midwifery. Martha Ballard was a midwife in Maine in the late 1700s.

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  • A New Granddaughter
    Childbirth - Faith - Family - Grandparents - Midwifery - Prayer - Women

    Beating the Statistics: Praise God!

    August 23, 2024 - By Carol

    If a woman’s first childbirth was via cesarean section, usually the next birth will be by cesarean section. The CDC provides the statistics for repeat cesarean section. It is 85%. My daughter-in-law’s first baby was born by cesarean section, but she hoped to deliver her second baby normally (vaginally). She…

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  • Born for Life
    Book Reviews - Childbirth - Midwifery - Women

    Born for Life: A Midwife’s Story

    July 27, 2024 - By Carol

    The book, Born for Life; A Midwife's story reminded me of my own experiences.

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  • Norway
    Book Reviews - Childbirth - Midwifery - Women

    Book Review: The Resistance Girl

    September 23, 2022 - By Carol

    During WWII Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany. Like many occupied countries, there was a resistance movement. Mandy Robotham has written a historical fiction book, The Resistance Girl, based on events that took place during that time. The main character, Rumi, is a young woman who is the daughter of…

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  • Research in Finland
    Finland - Midwifery - Writing

    A Research Trail: Finding the Finnish Midwife

    November 12, 2021 - By Carol

    The trip to Finland in 2017 had several purposes. We were meeting some relatives for the first time at a family reunion in northern Finland. After the reunion my husband I traveled south by train. When we arrived in Vaasa (western coast of Finland) we rented a car. The midwife…

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  • Flowers - Gardening - Herbs - Midwifery - Women

    Herbs in a Nosegay

    August 2, 2021 - By Carol

    This summer I have had more time in the garden. The flowers and herbs are flourishing. I picked a nosegay including these herbs with their flowers: calendula, echinacea, feverfew, lavender, mint, lemon balm and marjoram. Some years ago, when I was working as maternity nurse and Lamaze instructor, I came…

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  • Faith - Midwifery - Women

    Strong Women: Midwives and Nurses

    July 16, 2021 - By Carol

    As we look back through history, we come across women who demonstrated faith and courage. Their actions were based on convictions. Some are midwives, and some are nurses. The first book of Exodus records the confrontation between Pharoah and two midwives. Shiprah and Puah did not carry out the Pharoah’s…

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  • Book Reviews - Children - Midwifery - Women

    Immigrant Women and Midwives

    June 29, 2021 - By Carol

    A couple of books have stirred my thoughts and emotions. I read a lot—sometimes three books in a week.  I don’t review many. These two books have touched me. The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin is historical fiction based on a real event. In 1888 a blizzard came on suddenly in…

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  • Prayer
    Childbirth - Midwifery - Prayer - Women

    She Asked Me to Pray

    May 7, 2021 - By Carol

    After working in hospital labor/delivery units for many years, I had the opportunity to join a home birth practice. I attended healthy women in labor at home. During the active phase of labor the doctor or midwife arrived. Approximately ten percent of the women were transferred to the hospital for…

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Welcome to my blog!

As I write, I give thanks for God’s design of the family and the gift of His word, the Bible.

It gives me joy to be a woman, a wife, a mother and grandmother. For many years I was a childbirth nurse, assisting mothers and their babies.

 

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My faith journey throughout Steven’s illness is included in this anthology

I was featured at the senior salon pit stop
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