The Big Push For Midwives Campaign 2009 June 25, 2009

I believe that pregnancy and birth are normal, healthy processes and should not be treated as illness or disease and that women and babies have the inherent wisdom necessary for birth.

 

I believe that midwives can obtain quality education and experience in a variety of ways and programs, including certified nurse midwifery and direct-entry midwifery.

 

 I believe that women need access to professional midwives whose educational and credentialing process provides them with expertise in out-of-hospital birth as well as hospital-based and clinical care that extends beyond the childbearing cycle.

 

 I believe that empowering and safe births can and do take place in a variety of settings including birth centers, hospitals, and homes.

 

 I believe that every woman should have the opportunity to give birth as she wishes in an environment in which she feels nurtured and secure and her emotional well-being, privacy, and personal preferences are respected, whether that be in a hospital, birthing center, or at home and I believe that women in every part of the United States DESERVE THAT CHOICE!

 

  (Excerpts from my post My Philosophy: Birth, Breastfeeding, and Advocacy)

 

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Because of all of these things I support The Big Push For Midwives Campaign 2009 and I want to share with all of you a bit more about it!!

  

According to BigPushTube:

 

“The Big Push for Midwives Campaign builds state-level advocacy campaigns to license Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and educates national policymakers about out-of-hospital maternity care.

 

 [The Big Push for Midwives Campaign] works tirelessly to:

 

1) Educate state and national policymakers about the reduced costs and improved outcomes associated with out-of-hospital maternity care. $9.1 BILLION IN SAVINGS PER YEAR.

  

2) Support advocacy groups working for state licensure in the 24 states where out-of-hospital practice by CPMs is under threat of criminal prosecution.

 

3) Encourage mothers to tell their stories because only grassroots activists will be able to topple the money/power vested in keeping the status quo.

  

4) Advocate for CPM guaranteed reimbursement in National Health Reform, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan, Tricare, and Medicaid/Medicare.

  

5) Support freestanding birth centers seeking guaranteed Medicaid reimbursement, and midwives advocating for equitable Medicaid reimbursement rates.

 

The Big Push for Midwives Campaign empowers midwife advocates and moms groups as they promote increased access to out-of-hospital maternity care and the Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) who are specially trained to provide it.

  

Our dedicated campaigners, or “Pushers” as they are affectionately known, help to educate the people in power (at the insurance companies, in the hospital associations, in the Statehouses, and on Capitol Hill) about the reduced costs and improved outcomes associated with using out-of-hospital maternity care and CPMs, who are specially trained to provide it, and works to widely share the stories of U.S. citizens who choose CPMs as their maternity care providers.” 

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I found this video on YouTube and I got all verklempt watching it!!  (Perhaps it was partly related to the beautiful song that was playing throughout the movie!  I’m such a sap!)  It’s only about 4 minutes long so if you have a chance please take a look!

 

 

 

 Our mothers and babies in this country DESERVE better care than what they are receiving!!  They DESERVE a midwifery model of care (whether that is provided by a certified nurse midwife, a certified professional midwife, a family practice physician, or an obstetrician).  They DESERVE to have CHOICES in childbirth that are proven to promote the best outcomes for both mothers and babies.  And they deserve these choices to be LEGAL!

 

Have you ever heard the term “lay midwife”?  Are you under the impression that a “lay midwife” doesn’t have any education and that all midwives who attend out of hospital births are “lay midwives?”  Do you want to know what the term “lay midwife” is really referring to?  Are you interested in learning what the real differences are between the different types of midwives?  Are you interested in learning more about how midwives train and what type of education they obtain?  If so please check out:  FAQ about Midwives and Midwifery by Citizens for Midwifery (CfM) and Midwifery Definitions by the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA).

 

 Have any of you ever received care from a certified professional midwife?  I’d love to hear about it!

Birth Resources EVERY Woman Should Know About April 23, 2009

I was at my local ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) meeting yesterday and the theme for the night was “Birth Stories.”  Although I have never had a cesarean section, attending the local ICAN meetings is, for me, a way to get together and work with other people in the birth advocacy community and meet pregnant moms who are seeking out more information regarding their birth choices.  Anyways, throughout the meeting last night I found myself often referring to different books that I have read that I feel are great resources for pregnant moms.  Everyone else seemed to jump on the bandwagon and by the end of the night, I think all the gestating members of the group had heads that were spinning with tons of different information!

 

This meeting inspired me to put together a list of books, websites, and movies that I have personally read or watched that I feel are “must see/must reads” for any woman who is trying to get pregnant, currently pregnant or newly postpartum.  Whether you are planning a homebirth birth with a direct entry midwife or wishing you could have your OBGYN call in your epidural before even getting to the hospital, these resources are something to seriously consider.

 

It is important to note that this is an abbreviated list.  I have so many amazing books on pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding that it’s kind of ridiculous.  But I made sure to keep this list brief for a reason; I don’t want to scare anyone away!  I don’t want anyone to think “Oh jeeze, there are just too many things on this list.  I am too overwhelmed to read any of them!”  That being said, if there is any book, movie, website, etc that you found or are finding to be very helpful with your past or current pregnancies, I’d love to hear about it!!!

 

MUST READ BOOKS:

 

*Best Childbirth Preparation Book*

– Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation by Pam England & Rob Horowitz

 

*Best “How To” Guide to Helping a Woman Through Childbirth*

– The Birth Partner, Third Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions  by Penny Simkin

 

*Most Inspiring/Positive/Empowering “What To Expect” Book*

            – Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth  by Ina May Gaskin

 

*Best Practical Guide to Breastfeeding*

            – So That’s What They’re for: Breastfeeding Basics by Janet Tamaro

 

*Best “Research that Doesn’t Read Like Research” Book*

            – The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer

 

 

 MUST WATCH MOVIES:

 

* Best Hard Look at the Current State of Maternity Care in America

– The Business of Being Born (2007)  Directed by Abby Epstein, Produced by Ricki Lake

 

*Most Personal Documentary About Being Pregnant In America

– Pregnant in America: A Nation’s Miscarriage (2008)  Directed by Steve Buonagurio

 

 

MUST SEE WEBSITES:

 

* ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network)

– ICAN’s mission is to prevent unnecessary cesareans through education, to provide support for cesarean recovery, and to promote VBAC.

 

* Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS)

– CIMS is a coalition of individuals and national organizations with concern for the care and well-being of mothers, babies, and families. Their mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs.

– CIMS is the founder of the The Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative  and The Birth Survey

 

* Citizens for Midwifery

– Citizens for Midwifery (CfM) is a non-profit, volunteer, grassroots organization. Founded by several mothers in 1996, it is the only national consumer-based group promoting the Midwives Model of Care.

– CfM can help you learn about the Midwives Model of Care, find a midwife in your area, and connect with resources about birth and midwifery

 

* La Leche League International (LLLI)

– La Leche League International strives to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.

 

* BirthNetwork National (BNN)

– BNN is is leading a grassroots movement based on the belief that birth can profoundly affect our physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

– BNN has local chapters and holds monthly meetings all around the country!

– BNN believes that:

· Birth is a normal, healthy process, not an illness or disease.

· Empowering births can take place in birth centers, hospitals and homes.

· Women are entitled to complete and accurate information on their full range of options for pregnancy, birth, post-partum and breastfeeding.

· Women have a right to make health care decisions for themselves and their babies. That right includes Informed Consent as well as Informed Refusal.

           

 

So now it’s your turn!  What books or other resources did you find helpful when preparing for pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum?  We all want to know J!