The Family Journey

A PUSH ALERT from the Big Push For Midwives

http://www.thebigpushformidwives.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=enews.signup

NOV 15, 2010 — There is amazing pushing afoot! It is URGENT that we all push together to help Illinois fill the terrible shortage of home birth providers. Together, we can do it!!

The Home Birth Safety Act (SB 3712) to license CPMs in Illinois is being voted on in the House of Representatives this week, even as early as Wednesday, Nov. 16!

We need everyone in Illinois to call their Representatives and to forward this message to their family and friends in Illinois TODAY.

Here is the message that every Representative in Illinois needs to hear:

“I want to let the Representative know that Speaker Madigan has just reviewed the Home Birth Safety Act and improved the bill with an amendment. The bill is definitely going to be called this week. Will the Representative vote Yes for the bill on the House Floor?”

If anyone tells you “this is not the right act,” tell them the Home Birth text is in House amendment 001.

* Legislators can be looked up (Legislator Lookup) here: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx
* If you can call Monday, please call the Representative’s district office, and if Tuesday is better, call his/her Springfield office.

The Illinois State Medical Society has been spreading misinformation saying the bill will not be voted on. NOT TRUE. House leadership has assured us a vote, but we need the grassroots to bring it home.

So make the call today and spread the word to everyone you know in Illinois!

After you make your calls, please send a text to report the results to me at the phone number below. Otherwise, please send an email to the email address.

Thank you from all of us Pushers in Illinois!

Rachel Dolan Wickersham, CD(DONA), LCCE
President, Coalition for Illinois Midwifery
Vice President, Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives
Jiandra@aol.com
630-750-9444

P.S. Again, please spread this far and wide – to your friends, family, and to all other lists! Even to folks outside of the birthing community. We look forward to keeping you informed of our progress thanks to your support!

The 2011 legislative session will have the opportunity to expand midwives’ responsibilities and further ensure they have adequate tools and permission to provide optimal care for their clients. See the DORA summary for details, then contact the CO state government with your support for broadening midwives’ scope of practice.

The Family Journey is becoming increasingly connected with other Colorado grassroots birth organizations. We are excited to share some of their very important events here:

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Long gone are the days when a father paced back and forth in a smoky hospital waiting room while his wife gave birth elsewhere, in a room full of strangers. This was the stereotype during the mid-twentieth century. Today, nearly 90% of fathers are present at the birth of their children. A lot is known about the changes a woman goes through as she becomes a mother, but what about the changes of a man into a dad?

London-based author Patrick Houser has much to say about becoming a dad. Houser will visit Colorado April 29 – May 8, 2010 on a state-wide tour, stopping in Denver, Salida, Grand Junction and Durango. His workshops, presentations and classes are designed to educate parents, birth professionals and healthcare providers on the importance of the father’s role in pregnancy, birth and early parenting. Says Houser, “The transition to fatherhood is one of the most significant and challenging experiences a man will ever face. In order to have a satisfying and successful experience, fathers must feel safe, supported and confident. To optimize the possibilities for our families, we need to provide appropriate educational, physical and emotional support for ‘father love’.”

And supporting ‘father love’ is Houser’s mission. Houser’s workshops and presentations engage participants in both new and timeless information: the idea that fathers go through significant hormonal changes in much the same way as their wives, that they too need support during these transitions in order to best support their families, and that they must attend to how they themselves were fathered.

Patrick pioneered conscious birthing with his son’s waterbirth in 1980–the first in the US–and went on to work as a social architect in the world of birth advocacy for 25 years. In 2006, he co-founded Fathers-To-Be International and works internationally with expectant and new dads, birthcare professionals and educators. He is the author of Fathers-To-Be Handbook: A Roadmap for the Transition to Fatherhood.

Birth professionals, healthcare providers, mothers, fathers and parents-to-be are all invited to attend any workshop or speaking engagement. Continuing Education credits are available for birth professionals. (4 L-CERPs have been approved through IBLCE. 4 CEU reciprocity has been offered and verified through NARM, DONA, CAPPA and ACBE.)

2010 Colorado FatherLove Tour Dates

Denver:

Birth Professional Workshop

Topic: Supporting Fathers in Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Early Parenting

Date: April 29, 2010, 1 – 5:15 PM (Registration opens at 12:30 PM)

Location: St. Anthony Central Hospital, 4231 W. 16th Avenue, Denver, CO

Registration: At the Door, $45 general admission or $85 admission with CERPs or CEUs.

Register online for a DISCOUNT of $5 general admission/$10 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Online registration is available at www.wisdomwithinyourbody.org/fatherlovedenver and ENDS April 28th.

Community Presentation

Topic: When Dads Have Babies: The Science of FatherLove

Date: April 29, 2010, 7 – 8 PM

Location: St. Anthony Central Hospital, 4231 W. 16th Avenue, Denver, CO

Registration: Free and Open to the public. Walk-Ins Welcome. Donations appreciated.

Salida:

Birth Professional Workshop

Topic: Including Fathers in our Perinatal and Breastfeeding Language

Date: April 30, 2010, 10:30 AM – Noon (Registration opens at 10 AM)

Location: 2010 Reproductive Wellness Symposium, Salida Café and Roastery Community Room, 300 W. Sackett Ave., Salida, CO

Registration: $10 general admission/$50 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Register early for the full symposium weekend, or at the door for this individual workshop.

Full Symposium Weekend registration costs are $65 general admission/$105 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Early registration ends April 27, 2010. Register online at www.wisdomwithinyourbody.org.

Community Class

Topic: Proud Papas – Creating Community-Supported Fathers’ Groups

Date: May 1, 2010, 3 – 4 PM

Location: 2010 Reproductive Wellness Symposium, Salida Café and Roastery Community Room, 300 W. Sackett Ave., Salida, CO

Registration: Free and Open to the Public. Walk-Ins Welcome. Donations appreciated.

Birth Professional Workshop

Topic: Supporting Fathers in Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Early Parenting

Date: May 2, 2010, 1 – 5:15 PM (Registration opens at 12:30 PM)

Location: 2010 Reproductive Wellness Symposium, Salida Café and Roastery Community Room, 300 W. Sackett Ave., Salida, CO

Registration: $20 general admission/$60 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Register early for the full symposium weekend, or at the door for this individual workshop.

Full Symposium registration $65 general admission/$105 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Early registration ends April 27, 2010. Register online at www.wisdomwithinyourbody.org.

Grand Junction:

Community Presentation

Topic: When Dads Have Babies: The Science of FatherLove

Date: May 5, 2010, 7 – 8:30 PM

Location: Coffee Muggers, 644 Main St, Grand Junction, CO

Registration: Free and Open to the Public, Walk-Ins Welcome. Donations appreciated.

Birth Professional Workshop

Topic: Supporting Fathers in Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Early Parenting

Date: May 6, 1 – 5:15 PM (Registration opens at 12:30 PM)

Location: Koinonia Church, 730 25 Road, Grand Junction, CO

Registration: At the Door, $45 general admission/$70 admission with CERPs or CEUs.

Register online for a DISCOUNT of $5 general admission/$10 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Online registration is available at www.wisdomwithinyourbody.org/fatherlovejunction and ENDS May 5th.

Durango, CO:

Birth Professional Workshop

Topic: Supporting Fathers in Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Early Parenting

Date: May 7, 1 – 5:15 PM (Registration opens at 12:30 PM)

Location: Serving Life Chiropractic, 1040 Main Ave. upstairs, Durango, CO

Registration: At the Door, $45 general admission/$70 admission with CERPs or CEUs.

Register online for a DISCOUNT of $5 general admission/$10 admission with CERPs or CEUs. Online registration is available at www.wisdomwithinyourbody.org/fatherlovedurango and ENDS May 6th.

Community Presentation

Topic: When Dads Have Babies: The Science of Father Love

Date: May 8, 10:30 – Noon

Location: The Durango Pregnancy Expo, Serving Life Chiropractic, 1040 Main Ave. upstairs, Durango, CO

Registration: $10; Contact Serving Life Chiropractic to register over the phone: 970-422-2032

Houser’s visit is hosted by a cooperative effort of Wisdom Within, Fathers-To-Be International, A Bump in the Road, Mountain Midwifery Center and BirthSmart.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at one of these events!

Baltimore ICAN is looking for art pieces on cesarean birth. See their site for details!

She did it! CNN has a surprisingly informed article about it. This is a nice change from the negative.

For those who think we don’t need a strong focus on improving infant mortality rates here in the U.S.:
“Discussions of the U.S. infant mortality rate are often countered with criticism that the U.S. records data differently than other countries, reporting very premature babies as live births. While this is true for five of the 19 European countries whose data was analyzed, 14 of the 19 European countries require that all live births at any birth weight or gestational age be reported.”

» CDC Releases New Report Comparing U.S. and European Infant Mortality Rates.

And, if this ignites a fire within you to talk about it, please join us for BirthChat on November 16th at 6:00 p.m. We meet at the Tap Room @ Catalyst, 3501 S. Shields St. in Fort Collins. We’ll show the film Reducing Infant Mortality and discuss it afterward. Invite your neighbor, your doctor, your senator, your brother, your doula, your teacher, etc. We want everyone to understand that this is a big issue with affordable, credible, common sense solutions.

This just came in my inbox from The Big Push for Midwives Campaign:

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? ……

INA MAY GASKIN!

Donate $25 or more to The Big Push for Midwives Campaign before 6:00 a.m. Monday, September 14 and you could have dinner with Ina May Gaskin!

All you need to do is make a donation of at least $25 via the website and share a word or phrase that describes what having access to out-of-hospital birth options with CPMs means to you. See directions at the end for where to enter your word or phrase.

If you are selected, Ina May will come to your home to break bread with you. She will also make herself available for a public event while she is in town to raise funds for your work on behalf of CPMs and out-of-hospital maternity care.

While you tell all of your friends what you’re doing to win dinner with Ina May Gaskin, The Big Push for Midwives team will be putting your donation to good use to keep ACOG on the defensive by:

* Reframing the debate around homebirth in major media outlets by continuing to develop compelling talking points and cultivating relationships with key reporters and bloggers
* Applying consistent pressure to legislators to make sure that Certified Professional Midwives are incorporated into healthcare reform at the state and federal levels
* Providing assistance to leaders in states who are pushing back against the well-financed and coordinated opposition to licensure legislation across the country.

You have until 6:00 a.m. on Monday, September 14 to make a minimum donation of $25 and share a word or phrase that describes what having access to out-of-hospital birth options with CPMs means to you. The winner will be announced on Tuesday. If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Prown, Campaign Manager for The Big Push for Midwives Campaign.

Secure online donations can be made through the Big Push for Midwives Contribute page as well as through Paypal by clicking on the Donate button on the home page.

On the secure donation page, add your word or phrase where it says “Please send acknowledgment of this gift to:” If contributing through Paypal on the homepage, put your word or phrase in the “Special Instructions to Seller” box.

Thank you for your support of mothers, babies and families!

The Push Team

If you’ve been waiting to purchase your tickets to Northern Colorado BOLD, your day has come!

The American Medical Association is at it again! (Remember their resolution a little over a year ago?)

They want to create CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes that label patients as ‘non-compliant’ or ‘hostile’. This, in turn will provide an avenue for insurance companies to deny claims. Not only is this insulting to those who choose to challenge the recommendations of their physician (a repeat cesarean, for example), but it could make finding a provider more difficult.

International Cesarean Awareness Network has put together a comprehensive list of ways to ACT against this insulting proposition. It only takes a second and needs to be addressed immediately!

From the “News”pace Digest: May 2009:

What’s New at the New Space: Matching Gift Opportunity!

We are thrilled to announce that an anonymous donor is matching every dollar donated between now and July 31st, up to $80,000! Despite the current economic climate this donor believes in our commitment to create an independent center for birth and midwifery care in New York City and joins us in the belief that every mother deserves to deliver her baby in a safe and loving environment.

We invite you to share our confidence and join us as we work to provide New York City women and families a place where they can give birth in dignity and with respect. Today, more than ever, New York families need an alternative to the typical hospital birth experience, where:

• The latest average Cesarean section rate for all NYC hospitals is 31.8%, a 30% increase since 2000. At least one private hospital reached a 40% c-section rate in 2007;

• Increasingly, hospital protocols are restricting a woman’s choice to give birth naturally and make the choices that are best for her;

• We are seeing a growing backlash from the public against rising labor intervention rates as well as an increased demand for midwifery services as a result of the documentary “The Business of Being Born.”

Since 2003, the New Space has been at the forefront, by:

• Continuing to lay the groundwork for our phenomenal five birth room center on the West side.

• Expanding our board of directors and family of supporters, with numerous community, business and philanthropic leaders committing to our mission.

• Advocating for hospital transparency, insurance coverage and access to midwifery services, most recently lobbying for, and winning, insurance coverage for home birth by a major labor union.

As we continue to grow with new initiatives and challenges we need your help more than ever. All funds raised as part of the match will support general operating costs and will provide the resources necessary to lay the groundwork for such an important and essential project for New York City. It is because of contributions from dedicated supporters like you that we can work as hard as we do to create a revolutionary model of care. We ask you to join your fellow community members and make a gift today. Visit our website to donate now or join us on Facebook and invite your friends to join our cause and make a gift.

Together, lets make this investment a promise to our community and our future.

For more information visit www.newspacenyc.org.