In My Mother's House

The Universal Language of Love

Mon, 14 May 2012 22:37:00 GMT

by Sheila Simms Watson

The Universal Language of Birth… (birth experience January 2012)

At a recent birth I got to experience the universal language of birth…..

I met this woman mid pregnancy. She was the relative of two other women whom I have been midwife to during their pregnancies and births. English is not her first language, so she spoke little to no English. Here relatives would come with her to prenatal appointments. We would communicate as best we could. As the time progressed, her English picked up little by little.

When labor started I was called by one of her relatives and arrived to find this mama in a good active labor pattern. She was listening to her body; moving and assuming positions that worked and helped her. My senses became my most valuable tools, my eyes and ears watching her and listening to her sounds. She would fuss and moan when she needed, verbally in her language and universally with her body. After being in and out of the pool, she says in her language “kaka”….. I understood that as I saw her body giving “bearing down” signs. She decided to get out of the tub and onto the birth stool she went. She is actively bearing down, with much effort. I can see bulging and a bit of her baby’s head. She then starts speaking in her native language what sounded very strong and forceful words, and I in my excitement looked at her and the progress she is making moving her baby down and respond enthusiastically “YES, YES”!!! There was a little chuckle from her relative who looks at me and says… “she said she is going to die, and you told her yes!”…. oh my, I laughed at myself and my enthusiasm and then told her… “no, not die, babe is coming!!” and they translated that to her! Minutes later she pushes out her sweet baby into her arms with the biggest smile of triumph and joy!!

What an incredible teaching this birth was for me…. I learned about the beauty of the universal (unspoken) language of birth!! I learned how it would not hurt to know a few key words in her language…so our post partum time has been spent with me learning a few key words in her language… I learned the ability to laugh at myself!!

Get involved: Every Mother Counts No Mothers Day Campaign

Sun, 13 May 2012 03:38:00 GMT

by Sheila Simms Watson

Spirit of Live Midwifery received this email on May 2, 2012...I felt that it was too important not to share with my readers, so below we have reprinted it here. Please use the information provided by from Every Mother Counts, take action get involved!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Dear Friends,

This Mother’s Day, we are launching a social issue campaign designed to raise awareness about the hundreds of thousands of girls and women around the world who die each year from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. This campaign is a collaboration between CHI & Partners and Every Mother Counts.

The cornerstone of the campaign is a short social issue film that features moms encouraging other moms to join in solidarity by disappearing May 13th, Mother’s Day, because "our silence can speak the loudest for all mothers." Click here to watch the video.

Our goal is to leverage Mother’s Day—the day when people are thinking about their mothers most—as a moment to bring the facts about maternal mortality to a wider audience. We believe that once people know the facts, they will want to do what they can to engage. Our hope is that the No Mothers Day campaign will spark energy into Every Mother Counts’ overarching goal of driving 5 million individual actions on maternal health by 2015.

How You Can Help:
·      Spread the word about our short social issue film and sharing it with your network;
·      Sign up to take part in No Mothers Day yourself on our Facebook page;
·      Inform your friends about the issue of maternal health and with their help, we can prevent 90% of the fatalities that occur due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth; and
·      Post about the No Mothers Day campaign on your social media outlets with the language below.

Share Language for Mothers:
1)    Facebook Post
FB STATUS: This Mother’s Day, I will disappear. Find out why.

LINK: “No Mothers Day”
http://youtu.be/x0w669fZBH8

DESCRIPTION: Together, the silence of mothers will speak the loudest this Mother’s Day.

2) Tweet
Together, the silence of mothers will speak the loudest this Mother’s Day.http://j.mp/jdx_#NoMothersDay @everymomcounts

3) Tweet
No phone calls. No emails. No social media. No gifts. My silence will speak for all mothers.http://j.mp/jdx_#NoMothersDay @everymomcounts

Share Language If You’re Not a Mom But You Love One:
1) Facebook Post
FB STATUS: This Mother’s Day, 1,000 women will die. Not because of old age. Not because of cancer, but because they were about to become mothers. Ninety percent of these fatalities are preventable, but only if we make it a priority.

LINK: “No Mothers Day”
http://youtu.be/x0w669fZBH8

DESCRIPTION: Together, our silence will speak the loudest this Mother’s Day.

2) Facebook Post
FB STATUS: A missing mom creates a hole in the world… Raise your voice in silence by changing your cover photo and status on Facebook this Mother’s Day.

LINK: “No Mothers Day”
http://youtu.be/x0w669fZBH8

DESCRIPTION: Together, our silence will speak the loudest this Mother’s Day.

3) Tweet
The US ranks 50th in maternal mortality, despite spending more on healthcare per capita than any other nation. j.mp/nmd_ #NoMothersDay

4) Tweet
For every woman who dies in childbirth, 20-30 more suffer from lifelong disabilities. http://j.mp/nmd_ #NoMothersDay @everymomcounts

Thank you in advance for your help. Every woman deserves the chance to become a mother. We truly appreciate your support and wish you a very happy No Mothers Day.

From,
Christy and EMC

Copyright (C) 2012 Every Mother Counts All rights reserved.

Forward this email to a friend
Copyright (C) 2012 Every Mother Counts All rights reserved.

Fun Baby Friendly Rap - Hospital birth vs Doula Assisted Birth

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:26:00 GMT

by Sheila Simms Watson

Having a baby? See birth at a Baby-Friendly Hospital versus a Typical Hospital.
Cosponsored by the Breastfeeding Coalition of Oregon and the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.
www.breastfeedingOR.org
www.massbreastfeeding.org
www.babyfriendlyusa.org

Download the mp3 for free

http://massbreastfeeding.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/skin-2-skin-v3a-Rende...

Midwives of Color Report - New Community Midwifery Fund Supports Quality Care for Low-Income Mothers and Babies

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:33:00 GMT

by Sheila Simms Watson

New Community Midwifery Fund Supports Quality Care for Low-Income Mothers and Babies

“Midwives deliver – and not only babies. They save lives and promote good health in societies as a whole. They are an essential workforce in an effective healthcare system.”
- United Nations Population Fund Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin

For more information contact: Alexandra DelValle, 347-689-3221

Oakland, CA - April 16, 2012 – Groundswell Fund is pleased to announce the first grant awards from its newest grantmaking endeavor, the Community Midwifery Fund (CMF), a funding collaborative that is now welcoming new donor partners.

The U.S. consistently lags behind other industrialized democracies in infant and maternal mortality rates. Thirty-three countries outpace the U.S. in preventing infant mortality, and fifty have done a better job of preventing maternal mortality. In fact, while birth outcomes in most countries are steadily improving, they are getting worse in the U.S., due in part to increasing racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. African American women, for example, suffer maternal mortality rates nearly four times those of white women, and their babies are two to three times more likely to die – a gap that exists regardless of socio-economic status.

Women of color are also disproportionately impacted by the high c-section rate in the U.S., which leapt from 4.5 percent of all births in 1965 to 33 percent of all births today, in sharp contrast to the World Health Organization’s recommendation that c-section rates not exceed 10 percent. High c-section rates contribute to increased rates of premature birth, low birth weight infants and rising healthcare costs (birth-related hospital costs totaled $98 billion in 2010).

Midwifery and doula care are changing these outcomes across the U.S., providing low cost, high quality care where it might not otherwise exist. Studies consistently show that midwifery care reduces hospital interventions like c-sections, and lowers infant and maternal mortality rates among vulnerable populations.

Yet, while many industrialized countries now make midwifery care widely available, these vital services are extremely limited in the U.S., and there are very few philanthropic dollars moving to this field.

The Community Midwifery Fund was created to make high quality, culturally competent midwifery care more readily available, especially for low-income women and women of color. Its goal is to improve birth outcomes for mothers and babies and address racial disparities in maternal and infant health. In its first round of grantmaking, the CMF awarded a total of $92,500 to eight projects that:

Increase the number of midwives of color entering the profession;
Expand affordable, community-based midwifery care, including sliding-scale birth centers and homebirth practices;
Increase doula training programs for women of color and girls, and community-based apprenticeship opportunities for women of color midwives; and
Reclaim and support traditional birth practices within different cultures.

According to Vanessa Daniel, Executive Director of Groundswell Fund, “Community-based midwifery and doula training and care are lowering maternal mortality, infant mortality and cesarean rates for women in low- income communities and communities of color across the U.S. The Community Midwifery Fund helps to ensure that midwife and doula care is available to every woman who wants it, no matter what her race or economic status.”

CMF grantees include a Florida midwifery program that has succeeded in reducing low-birth weights and pre-term births among low-income African American women and Latinas and the International Center for Traditional Childbearing, a midwifery training program that successfully persuaded the Oregon Health Authority to research the viability of public insurance coverage for doula care to improve birth outcomes for women of color and low-income women

As Jennie Joseph, founder and Executive Director of CMF grantee Common Sense Childbirth of Winter Garden, FL, explains, "We started with the fundamental premise that every woman wants a healthy baby and every woman deserves one.” Joseph, who is also a midwife, says that her organization has discovered that “when a woman sees that you firmly believe that, she too is motivated to do the best she can for herself and her baby."

“Projects like this one demonstrate the power and effectiveness of midwifery care,” notes Daniel. “We invite funder and donor partners to join Groundswell in increasing support for community midwifery projects that have the power and potential to transform health outcomes for women, children, and communities.”

Community Midwifery Fund 2011 Grantees

International Center for Traditional Childbearing, Portland, OR, $15,000
Earth Mama Healing Inc. – Wise Queen Dream Institute, Sacramento, CA, $10,000
SistahCare, Portland, OR, $10,000
Sacred Grove, Oakland, CA , $7,500
Wisdom Spring, Inc., Sacramento, CA, $5,000
Sacred Birth Place, Oakland, CA, $15,000
Española Valley Women’s Health, Española, NM, $15,000
Common Sense Childbirth, Inc., Winter Garden, FL, $15,000

For more information on the Community Midwifery Fund, please visitwww.groundswellfund.org.

In The News...What doctors don't tell you about C-sections

Sat, 12 May 2012 03:21:00 GMT

by Sheila Simms Watson

Here is a very good article from the CNN Health blog, I thought that you all would enjoy read it.

What doctors don't tell you about C-sections

By Cara Birnbaum, Health.com

November 11, 2009 9:40 a.m. EST

It takes at least four weeks to recover from a C-section, which involves cutting through the skin, tissue and muscle.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

One third of U.S. babies are born via C-section -- a 50 percent jump over the previous decade
Expert: 5 percent of C-sections are true emergencies; 3 percent are purely elective
Some health professionals believe the rate is still on the rise
Older moms, heavier moms, fewer VBACs and more multiples are all factors

(Health.com ) -- I was six months pregnant when a smiling stranger on a bus asked where I was delivering. Within minutes, this woman was sharing intimate details of her own birthing experience -- the water breaking, the contractions that failed to get closer together, and the way her doctor deftly sewed up the four-inch incision from her Caesarean section. "I'm telling you, this guy was good," she said. "Next time, I'm just scheduling my C-section. None of this pushing stuff."

I reached my stop before I could probe her for more specifics. But, I have to admit, her ringing endorsement made C-sections seem pretty appealing. After all, for most of us, the thought of pushing a baby through a centimeters-wide opening is at least daunting, if not downright terrifying. And, the fact is, a C-section is so routine these days that many regard it as simply an alternative to vaginal delivery, not major abdominal surgery.

Except that's exactly what it is. And today, one in three babies is born via C-section, according to the most recent data -- a 50 percent increase over the previous decade. "We think the rate is going to go up even more," says Hope Ricciotti, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

When the procedure is needed -- when the mother or baby is in distress or other factors make a vaginal delivery hazardous -- it can be a lifesaver. But only about 5 percent of C-sections are true emergencies, estimates George Macones, M.D., chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, in Missouri. Around 3 percent are completely elective, meaning there's no medical reason whatsoever, but the vast majority of C-sections actually fall into a gray zone: the baby looks big, mom is past her due date, labor isn't progressing well.

A growing number of critics are now questioning whether so many of these healthy pregnancies should end with surgery. "There's no question that there's a basic, irreducible number of C-sections we need to do for women's health," Ricciotti says. "But there's also no question that we're doing too many in the United States."

Health.com: How to sooth heartburn during pregnancy

We think the rate is going to go up even more.
--Hope Ricciotti, M.D.

It takes at least four weeks to recover from a Caesarean section -- which involves cutting through the skin, tissue, and uterine wall, extracting the baby and placenta, and sewing the incision -- compared with one or two weeks for vaginal deliveries. The surgery carries with it the risk of infection, blood loss, and blood clots, as well as other potentially fatal complications.

While we've all heard that type A moms and profit-seeking doctors are fueling this trend, the truth is far more complex. Here's the real story, and what every woman needs to know before she gets pregnant.

Why C-sections are so hot

Reason #1: Better technology is picking up more potential problems

From third-trimester ultrasounds that predict the size of the baby to monitors that check the baby's heart rate during labor and delivery, obstetricians and hospitals rely on technology more than ever to flag potential problems during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. If there's a hint of trouble, they're more likely to play it safe and do a Caesarean, Macones says. "Continuous recording of the fetal heart rate came into being in the 1970s and is likely a big contributor to the increase in C-sections," he says. "Doctors today are more inclined to do a C-section if there is anything of concern."

Heath.com: The curious history in birth control

Reason #2: Moms are older

More women are waiting later to have children, and "C-sections increase with [maternal] age," Macones says. Older women have more medical problems that can complicate delivery, have a more difficult time pushing a baby out, and are more likely to ask for C-sections, he notes.

Heath.com: Is your fertility window closing?

On top of that, the fertility treatments that many older women use to get pregnant lead to more twins, triplets, etc. -- and multiples often demand a surgical delivery. "It's very hard to predict how the second baby will come out," says Owen Montgomery, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Drexel University College of Medicine, noting that complicated positions are more common among multiples. Plus, after a trial published in The Lancet in 2002 found that delivering a breech baby (one whose head is up high and feet or butt are positioned to come out first) by C-section is safer for the fetus, the surgery became the default method for delivering multiples, regardless of the position of the babies.

Reason #3: More of today's moms-to-be are overweight

Pregnant women with body mass indexes of 30 or higher are more likely to require C-sections. And today, 34 percent of women over the age of 20 fit into this "clinically obese" category, compared with 26 percent a decade or so ago, according to the American Heart Association. "Heavier women have bigger babies," which are tougher to push out, Ricciotti says. What's more, too much fatty tissue can prevent the baby from moving smoothly through the birth canal and keep the body from absorbing medications designed to speed labor along. Obese women also have more medical problems, like diabetes and high blood pressure, which might require induction of labor, setting them up for unwanted C-sections (see below).

Reason #4: More inductions mean more C-sections

What's the problem with inducing labor? The process doesn't always work as well as natural labor, so in those cases there's a 35 to 50 percent chance that you'll need a Caesarean, Montgomery estimates. Inducing with drugs, manually stripping the membranes connecting the amniotic sac to the uterine walls, or rupturing the amniotic sac to cause contractions doesn't always do the job. And with inductions at an all-time high, making up more than 22 percent of births, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), it follows that Caesareans have spiked, too.

Reason #5: One C-section leads to another

The safest method is an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. That said, we don't know who will wind up having an uncomplicated vaginal delivery."
--Catherine Spong, M.D.

RELATED TOPICS

Once you have a C-section, doctors generally advise that you have one with subsequent deliveries. Vaginal birth after a Caesarean (VBAC), which used to be widely available, is rarely performed these days, after a 1999 study showed a slight chance that the scar could give way, posing "a catastrophic risk to the mother and baby," Ricciotti says. Around that time, ACOG recommended that doctors perform VBACs only in centers that can provide emergency C-sections, explains Jeffrey V. Spencer, M.D., a fetal-medicine specialist at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland. Plus, there are liability concerns for doctors if a VBAC goes wrong.

Heath.com: The risks of having babies after 40

This trend may reverse itself, however. "Multiple C-sections have risks as well, such as injury due to hardened scar tissue and a greater risk that [in subsequent pregnancies] the placenta will implant abnormally," Macones says. In March, the National Institutes of Health will re-evaluate whether VBACs should be more widely available.

Are C-sections really riskier?

There's really no way to 100 percent know which is a safer way to deliver. "Unequivocally, I can state that the safest method is an uncomplicated vaginal delivery," says Catherine Spong, M.D., chief of the pregnancy and perinatology branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland. "That said, we don't know who will wind up having an uncomplicated vaginal delivery."

Heath.com: The tricky business of scheduling a C-section

Macones, who led a large study on VBACs last year that found it was impossible to determine whether a vaginal delivery would be safe for women who had had a prior Caesarean, seconds Spong's assessment. "It is hard to get a great comparison of vaginal versus Caesarean, mainly because there are so many factors that go into the decision to have one or the other," he explains. Scientists have batted around the idea of conducting a study that would compare a planned vaginal birth with a planned C-section. But such a trial would have to control for all sorts of variables, and, even more daunting, Spong says, "you'd need people who'd be willing to have their birth method chosen for them randomly by a computer." That, experts say, may not happen anytime soon.

What every woman needs to know

When a normal pregnancy takes a turn for the worse, few procedures work better or are easier for doctors to master than a C-section. And that has helped the in-case-of-emergency route become a safe route at the first sign of any trouble, says Atul Gawande, M.D., a general and endocrine surgeon at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and author of "Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance."

Brettne Bloom, a 34-year-old literary agent in New York City, is grateful to have had a Caesarean. When her doctor found that her baby had stopped growing three weeks before her due date, she delivered via C-section. "I just feel so lucky to live at a time when C-sections are relatively simple procedures," says Bloom, whose daughter Eloisa is now a healthy 2-year-old. "I didn't care how she arrived in the world as long as she was safe."

Heath.com: Fertility success rates in your 30s and 40s

That's what every mom-to-be wants: a healthy baby. So if you're pregnant, schedule a conversation with your OB and ask, "What's your philosophy about C-sections?" Montgomery advises. Get your doctor's opinion on what's safe and within your control, because you may be asked to OK a gray-area C-section at the eleventh hour. The more informed you are, the better and safer delivery you'll have -- whether it's via Caesarean section or not.

I Am A Midwife - Midwifery Care: What's In It For Women

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:05:00 GMT

I am a Midwife is a new online video series about midwives and what they do! http://mana.org/ IAAM focuses on topics important for women and their partners to consider when researching their birth options. A diverse representation of midwives practicing throughout the US and Canada in all settings--home, hospital and birth center-- share their stories, information and wisdom about birth.

IAAM is meant to change the discourse about childbirth in the US--from fear to empowerment!

Filmed, edited and co-produced by Nicolle Littrell of Woman in the Moon Films http://www.youtube.com/user/womaninthemoonfilms

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:29:00 GMT

by Sheila Simms Watson

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

What day could be more perfect for stating the obvious? Birth matters!

"Midwives Know That Birth Matters" is the second of MANA's I am a Midwife video series.

How one is born, how a woman gives birth, and how midwives help give birth to a movement that recognizes relationship between birth, women's bodies, our planet, and social change--this is the focus of our newest short video. Midwives Know That Birth Matters delves deeply into the core beliefs of midwifery and gives words to what we know to be true about each and every sacred birth.

Share our video and message with your clients, friends, and colleagues! The Midwives Alliance is seeking to change the discourse about childbirth in America from a focus on fear to a focus on safety, cost savings, and empowerment. Midwives are the answer.

Learn more about the campaign at mana.org/IAAM, read and share our Media Kit, spread this video anywhere women or other birth professionals may see it, and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Birth matters, and your help in spreading the word matters.

"Birth matters because women matter, babies matter, families matter, and the respect with which they are treated matters deeply," says MANA's President, Geradine Simkins. "What a mother and baby need during any given birth is, of course, important. And yet it is the skilled, compassionate care--that which should be present at every birth--that allows the transformative power of this experience to create change."

The I am a Midwife series explores the benefits of midwifery care and the full range of services provided by midwives. We will release a new video weekly through May and June. On this auspicious occasion, Mother's Day weekend, we release the second video celebrating one of motherhood's most cherished truths--Midwives Know That Birth Matters. The entire series is designed to be widely disseminated using social media.

I am a Midwife offers a unique look at more than 40 real-life midwives and the work they do across our country providing care to women of all races and socioeconomic levels, in all childbirth settings, including hospitals, birth centers, and women's homes. I am a Midwife describes why midwifery care is safe, satisfying, reduces disparities, decreases costs, and increases better outcomes for mothers and their newborns.

The I am a Midwife campaign comes at a time when the challenges of the United States maternity care system have been under scrutiny. According to a 2011 update to the landmark Amnesty International report, the U.S. spends more on maternal health care than any other country, yet ranks behind 49 other developed nations in maternal mortality and behind 45 other nations in infant mortality. And the noteworthy statistics are worse for women of color, and marginalized and vulnerable women of all races and ethnicities. Midwives in the U.S. have proven to provide better care and better health for women and infants at lower costs for taxpayers and private insurers.

Enjoy!

Geradine Simkins, President of Midwives Alliance of North America

Nicolle Littrell, MA, Fillmmaker, Woman in the Moon Films

Tamara Taitt, CPM, DEM, MS, MFTI, PhDc

The Midwives Alliance is a professional organization for all midwives, recognizing the diversity of educational backgrounds and practice styles within the profession. MANA's goal is to unify and strengthen the profession of midwifery, thereby improving the quality of health care for women, babies, and communities. I am a Midwife series is funded by a grant from "The Birth Trust," a fund of the Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery.

Update From US Breastfeeding Committee: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Awards Grant to U.S. Breastfeeding Committee

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:58:00 GMT

Reprinted from U.S. Breastfeeding Committee Sat, April 05 supporters News Blast...To View the full online article use this link W.K. Kellogg Foundation Awards Grant to U.S. Breastfeeding Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Megan Renner, 202.367.1132, mrenner@usbreastfeeding.org

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Awards Grant to U.S. BreastfeSeding Committee to Build National and State Coalitions to Implement Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change

View web version of this release

Washington, DC—The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is pleased to announce receipt of a $694,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The three-year award will fund a two-part initiative to build and sustain national and state coalitions to generate collective action to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes needed to increase breastfeeding rates and eliminate disparities.

"With 75% of mothers initiating breastfeeding, we know that most mothers want to breastfeed, but they encounter several barriers along the way that make it difficult to reach their personal breastfeeding goals," said USBC Chair Jeanne Blankenship. "As the national focus on breastfeeding continues to grow, we applaud the commitment of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to building the infrastructure to support the cross-sector collaboration necessary to tackle the complexity of this issue."

The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, released in January 2011, identifies the USBC and its affiliated state coalitions as the primary partners in the implementation of its 20 recommended actions, along with the federal interagency work group on breastfeeding. Therefore, Part 1 of the grant initiative will focus on support for state breastfeeding coalitions, beginning with a comprehensive assessment to inform the design of customized technical assistance and enhanced training and networking opportunities for coalition leaders.

On the national level, Part 2 of the initiative will apply the "Collective Impact" model with a specific focus on increasing access to and continuity of skilled support for breastfeeding between hospitals and community health settings. Collective Impact Initiatives, as defined by John Kania & Mark Kramer in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, are "…long-term commitments by a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem. Their actions are supported by a shared measurement system, mutually reinforcing activities, and ongoing communication, and are staffed by an independent backbone organization."

Upon discharge from the hospital, many new mothers are unable to find or access skilled breastfeeding support. Hospitals, health care providers, and community organizations often lack systems to connect mothers to this skilled support. To address this gap, Action 8 of the Call to Action calls for the development of "systems to guarantee continuity of skilled support." The responsibility for building such systems is shared between hospitals, providers, and community organizations, making collaboration an imperative. As the national, multi-sectoral breastfeeding coalition, the USBC is uniquely qualified to lead this collective approach to systemic change to "help make breastfeeding easier," in the words of U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.

According to Blankenship, "the Call to Action truly paints the landscape of breastfeeding support in the United States, demonstrating a society-wide approach to removing the barriers to breastfeeding success. The USBC looks forward to working with members and partners, public and private, at the national, state, and community levels, so that mothers throughout the country receive the care and support they need and deserve."

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, established in 1930, supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa. For further information on the foundation, please visit www.wkkf.org.

USBC is an organization of organizations. Opinions expressed by USBC are not necessarily the position of all member organizations and opinions expressed by USBC member organization representatives are not necessarily the position of USBC.

The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent nonprofit coalition of more than 40 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations. Representing over one million concerned professionals and the families they serve, USBC and its member organizations share a common mission to improve the Nation's health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. For more information about USBC, visit www.usbreastfeeding.org.

United States Breastfeeding Committee: Advancing breastfeeding on our Nation's agenda.

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Advocacy

United States Breastfeeding Committee
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800 ♦ Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/367-1132 ♦ Fax: 202/367-2132
E-mail: office@usbreastfeeding.org

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Diet and Fitness Before, During and After your Pregnancy

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:32:00 GMT

The Latest News on All Things Birth and Mothers Health - Weekly Digest One from CNNNews

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:52:00 GMT

New Community Midwifery Fund Supports Quality Care for Low Income Mothers and Babies

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:10:00 GMT

For more information contact: Alexandra DelValle, 347-689-3221

Increase the number of midwives of color entering the profession;
Expand affordable, community-based midwifery care, including sliding-scale birth centers and homebirth practices;
Increase doula training programs for women of color and girls, and community-based apprenticeship opportunities for women of color midwives; and
Reclaim and support traditional birth practices within different cultures.

International Center for Traditional Childbearing, Portland, OR, $15,000
Earth Mama Healing Inc. – Wise Queen Dream Institute, Sacramento, CA, $10,000
SistahCare, Portland, OR, $10,000
Sacred Grove, Oakland, CA , $7,500
Wisdom Spring, Inc., Sacramento, CA, $5,000
Sacred Birth Place, Oakland, CA, $15,000
Española Valley Women’s Health, Española, NM, $15,000
Common Sense Childbirth, Inc., Winter Garden, FL, $15,000

For more information on the Community Midwifery Fund, please visit www.groundswellfund.org.

###

Vote YES on Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:20:00 GMT

As organizations that stand for rights and justice for all, we urge you, with one united voice, to cast your votes in support of this bill. Let the State of Florida make a stand for Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women. This historic legislation bans the inhumane and unjustified practice of routine shackling of those who are incarcerated during pregnancy, labor and postpartum. We stand united in support of HB367 and in support of dignity and safety for all pregnant persons and their babies. By passing the Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act the state of Florida will become the first state in the South to pass anti-shackling legislation and will join a host of other states nationwide to ban the practice. Florida will be setting an essential standard for the human rights, dignity, health and safety of pregnant people regardless of their circumstances.

There are many considerations in voting yes on HB367. There is no sound reason to vote against it. Shackling does not make anyone safer; it actually creates more danger for the mother and
baby. As the bill states, “restraining a pregnant prisoner can increase health risks and the potential for physical harm to the woman and her pregnancy.” The Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals Service, the American Correctional Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Public Health Association all oppose restraining women during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery because it is unnecessary and dangerous to a woman's health and well being.

During pregnancy, shackling increases the risk of falls and decreases the woman’s ability to
protect herself and the fetus if she does fall. Shackling during labor may cause complications during delivery such as blood clots or fetal distress. Precious time can be lost unlocking and removing restraints, if emergency diagnostic and life-saving procedures become necessaryi. Shackling during labor and birth causes emotional distress and trauma and is cruel and unnecessary. Shackling during postpartum recovery can prevent mothers from bonding with and breastfeeding their babies for the short time they are allowed to be together.

There is no need for shackling, as the vast majority of incarcerated women are there for
nonviolent crimes. The average prisoner in a women’s prison is of reproductive age,ii is a mother to minor children, and is incarcerated for crimes of poverty and addictioniii. Many are survivors of abuse. Most are already in high-risk pregnanciesiv. What incarcerated people need are dignified and comprehensive health services. The practice of shackling only furthers victimization and increases risk. The practice goes against the 2002 Supreme Court precedent protecting prisoners’ Eighth Amendment rights to be free from inhuman treatment.v The United Nations Human Rights Committee and the Committee Against Torture have declared that shackling violates the United States’ obligations under international treaties ratified by the United States.vi The practice also violates the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.vii

The rights of all of Florida’s citizens, including the incarcerated ones, must be upheld. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure safe and dignified pregnancy, birth and postpartum conditions for everyone in state custody. Birth Justice upholds every person’s right to birth in dignity and with respect.

It is every person’s right to birth free from chains. We demand Birth Justice for all.
We are making our voice heard. We citizens urge you, representatives of the people of Florida, to make a stand and make history- vote YES on the Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act.

Sincerely,

Mobile Midwife
International Center for Traditional Childbearing
SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW
Sisterhood of Survivors
Salad and Politics
Commonsense Childbirth, Inc.
Birthworkers of Color United
Kindred Healing Justice Collective
Florida New Majority
Mi-Lola
Miami Workers Center
Florida Legal Services
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Florida Friends of Midwives
Project MotherPath
WeCount!
The Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance
California Black Women's Health Project
The Aleph Institute
Right2Birth
Ital Path
Loving Hands Midwifery
ACLU of Florida
Gainesville Doulas and Co
Spirit of Life Midwifery
Amma Midwifery
Amnesty International USA
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
National Women’s Law Center
Florida Justice Institute
Florida Institutional Legal Services
Midwives Association of Florida
Catalyst Miami
Equal Justice Institute

i Health care for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women and adolescent females. Committee Opinion No. 511.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2011;118: 1198–1202
ii U.S. Dep’t. of Justice, Nat’l Inst. Corrections, Correctional Health Care: Guidelines for the Management of an
Adequate Delivery System 233 (2001), at http://www.nicic.org/pubs/2001/017521.pdf.
iii Latina Advocacy Network, New York Letter of Support. (April 2009). Some of the facts and references herein are
borrowed from this letter.
iv Jennifer G. Clarke, Megan R. Hebert, Cynthia Rosengard, Jennifer S. Rose, Kristen M. DaSilva, Michael D. Stein,
Reproductive Health Care and Family Planning Needs Among Incarcerated Women, Am. J. Pub. Health, 834-839
(2006).
v The Supreme Court has held that prison officials have an obligation under the Eighth Amendment to ensure
humane conditions of incarceration and to protect inmates from substantial risks of harm to their health or safety.
See, e.g., Hope v. Pelzer, 536 U.S. 730, 738 (2002).
vi Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee: United States of America, 87th Sess., ¶ 33, U.N. Doc.
CCPR/C/USA/CO/3/Rev. 1 (2006); U.N. Human Rights Comm., Conclusions and Recommendations of the
Committee against Torture, ¶ 33 CAT/C/USA/CO/2 (July 23, 2006).
vii Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, U.N. Doc. A/CONF/1Annex 1, E.S.C. res. 663C, U.N.
ESCOR, 24th Sess., Supp. No. 1, U.N. Doc. E/3048, Rule 33(c) (July 31, 1957).

Thanks to You, Breastfeeding is Getting Easier...From: U.S. Breastfeeding Committee

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:20:00 GMT

Reprinted from U.S. Breastfeeding Committee Mon, Dec 12 supporters News Blast...To View the full list of accomplishments from 2011 use this link Recent USBC Activities and Accomplishments

We Thought that this was great news and wanted to share it with the community. Please use the information at the bottom of this post to donate and do your part!

As 2011 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the year's journey...and what a journey it has been! Breastfeeding has celebrated unprecedented successes and triumphs, thanks to your support. Our supporters and fellow advocates have played a pivotal role in the progress made to ensure that all moms are supported to reach their personal breastfeeding goals. Every story you've shared, every email sent or action alert forwarded, every resource offered, and every dollar so generously contributed has led us to where we are today.

Here are just a few examples of how we are making a difference, together:

The Actions: You Spoke, We Amplified Your Voices…

The Results: Breastfeeding is Getting Easier!

It is only because of your incredible display of support that we are able to celebrate these improvements in the policies and systems affecting breastfeeding mothers. The USBC is also proud to share a number of additional accomplishments and highlights of the past year.

Thank you for helping to make all of this happen! Your actions have had a meaningful impact on the landscape of breastfeeding support, and families are already reaping the benefits. Just ask Jennifer. A mom and USBC supporter, Jennifer told us: "I always knew I wanted to nurse my babies even though it was a 'new concept' to my family. The first line of support I had was watching two co-workers dedicated to nursing and pumping for an entire year. It really provided me with the strength to know that I could do this too."

The USBC has had a busy year breaking down the barriers to breastfeeding success, so that moms like Jennifer are supported to reach their breastfeeding goals. But there is more work to be done as we follow the Surgeon General's "roadmap" and chart a course for each of the 20 recommended actions.

So before you face the long lines at department stores, please consider making a donation to the USBC on behalf of someone on your holiday shopping list! You'll receive an instant certificate that can be used as a greeting card insert to acknowledge your gift. Plus, for every donation of $25 or more this holiday season, you'll receive a limited edition USBC Car Magnet as a "thank you" gift.

Make your holiday gifts count toward creating lasting change in the lives of families across our nation. Your support is truly appreciated.

Thank you—and from all of us at the USBC, best wishes for a wonderful holiday season.

Megan E. Renner
Executive Director

United States Breastfeeding Committee
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800 ♦ Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/367-1132 ♦ Fax: 202/367-2132
E-mail: office@usbreastfeeding.org

Midwives Alliance of North America 2011 MANA Conference

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:45:00 GMT

In November, I attended the Midwives Alliance of North America's 2011 Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The conference theme this year was —North American Midwifery: Beyond Boundaries—and this speaks to value we place on diversity and multiculturalism, and also on shared knowledge, skills, stories, and strategies. Midwives, students, maternity care professionals, and midwifery supporters from across North America attended to receive information and inspiration for achieving many of our collective goals. One of the speakers at this year's MANA conference was Naoli Vinaver Lopez and her presentation was entitled On Curiosity and Love: The Ins and Outs of Birth

Naolí Vinaver is a Mexican midwife who combines traditional birth practices with a profound interest in and respect for the physiology of natural birth. She has been attending both waterbirths and births in traditional styles and positions since 1990. Naolí has enjoyed three pregnancies and homebirths of her own in the company of her family. She has written and illustrated children’s books about life, pregnancy and birth, produced birth videos for education, and devoted many years to teaching midwifery both in her home in Mexico as well as around the world while continuing her homebirth practice in both rural and urban Veracruz State, Mexico. She is currently living in Brazil, from where she teaches and travels and is writing a birth book and articles for midwifery magazines.

2011 was a monumental year for professional midwifery in Mexico. A new law passed the Mexican Senate 99 to 0, recognizing midwifery as a profession, and including professional midwives in the public health sector. With Seguro Popular, the universal health care coverage, women can use third-party reimbursement to get free midwifery services at CASA (Center for the Adolescents of San Miguel de Allende) in Guanajuato. A recent study by Robbie E. Davis Floyd at the University of Texas, Austin, showed that services offered at CASA have a lower incidence of maternal and infant mortality than their obstetric counterparts. However, CASA is unique in Mexico and this video emphasizes the need for humanized birth across Mexico, to care for the health of women and their babies

In this following video, Anne Wilson, President of the Canadian Association of Midwives, gives her views on the Canadian maternity system. This was recorded at the CAM/MANA/ACNM joint conference November 2011.

While Canadians are among some of the healthiest people in the world, many Canadian Aboriginal people cannot say the same. For various reasons, Aboriginal people do not enjoy the same health status as their peers. In fact, Aboriginal people are over-represented in many negative health statistics. For example, rates of diabetes are three times higher in First Nations and Inuit populations, and rates of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, and arthritis/ rheumatism are all higher than Canadian rates (First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Survey, 1999; Kinnon, 2002). Sexually transmitted infections, particularly HIV/AIDS, is a growing concern with Aboriginal people representing 15 per cent of new cases of HIV/AIDS (Health Canada, 2000a). Also of concern is the maternal and child health of Aboriginal populations. It is reported that Aboriginal women experience perinatal and still birth rates that are twice the national average and 2.5 times greater in Inuit communities

The National Council of Aboriginal Midwives represents a “nation” without a singular legislated territory in terms of midwifery legislation and regulation. Rather, it represent a spectrum of geographies, Aboriginal backgrounds, traditions, and models of practice. NCAM works in diverse legislative and regulatory environments across Canada in various states of recognition, implementation, and growth. The reason for their existence and the vision that binds these midwives together is the commitment that they share as Aboriginal midwives to support each other in the greater goals of improving the standard of health of Aboriginal women and babies, “returning safe quality birthing practices back to our communities and families” and the retrieval and preservation of traditional knowledge and care. As an umbrella organization under CAM, NCAM encourages dialogue between Aboriginal and other Canadian midwives. For example, the elder Inuit population holds the skills of traditional midwifery within an Inuit framework and that knowledge is needed within the community. For so many years, these skills were bypassed in favor of contemporary western medicine. And now finally, the skills of the Inuit midwives and the knowledge of traditional birthing practices are returning to the North. Emphasis on recording traditional Inuit elders experiences with birthing have already begun to preserve the knowledge that the Inuit women held (Pauktuutit). http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/health/Inuit-Birthing-Practices.html

Home Birth Collective Semi-Annual Picnic - Sunday November 13, 2011

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:12:00 GMT

Food, Laughter, Friendship & Fun

Vegan Options Available upon prior reservation

An MAF Fundraiser

Sunday November 13th, 2011 at 1:00 PM

Greynolds Park, Pavilion 5 Near Playground

17530 West Dixie Highway
North Miami Beach, FL 33160

$10.00 Adults plates - $5.00 children plates—before Nov 1st

$12.00 adults/$6 children—after Nov 1st

For more information and to reserve a spot

Web: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118374414937051

To pay via paypal send to corina@bellymamamidwifery.com

3rd Semi-Anual Home birth Collective Picnic
Sunday November 13, 2011
1:00 Pm
Greynolds Park
17530 West Dixie Highway
North Miami Beach, FL 33160
$10.00 Adults plates - $5.00 children plates