What just happened?!?

Welcome to the middle of the story.

Life is messy. Life is hard. Life is glorious and grandiose and full of shit that happens and times that may bore us to tears. Whatever your life is, mine went completely insane.

As I was contemplating a rebirth, a renewal, a re-energizing of my personal life in Northern California, I found out I was pregnant. (This was early Spring 2014.)  Dang it! I thought I was DONE with the whole birth world and babies and diapers and that whole "no sleep" thing! AND I was away from my support system! This is probably what scared me the most. My parents and In-laws were 3,000 miles away.

Please do not get me wrong: this pregnancy was certainly NOT according to OUR plan; but was this child unwanted? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! This was certainly God's Child. From that point on, I had to put "my plans" on hold and let God have a turn at the wheel. Once the pregnancy was confirmed, I knew I had to find a support system: birth team, church, friends. For an introvert, this was going to be tough!

In December 2013, we moved into a small 120+ year old house in the second floor unit near downtown Petaluma, CA. It was within walking distance of anything we needed! A small Whole Foods was half a block away. A Target, Sprouts, and surrounding shopping center was four or five blocks east of us, while beautiful, downtown historic Petaluma was about a mile west of us. Should you ever wonder, "Petaluma. Should we stop and check it out?" You need to answer, "YES!" It is full of cute little shops for everyone! Loads of restaurants and snack stops, a yarn shop, several well-stocked thrift stores, a natural toy store in the theater district, a well-stocked candy store, and tons of historical architecture! A majority of these buildings were from before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Walnut Park is a great little park with a playground that the girls liked located on the south end of downtown. And look up the long list of movies that were shot in and around Petaluma over several decades! ( here, here, and here )

Our location was fantastic. We found a church relatively close in town called 360 Church of Petaluma.  It was a non-denominational Christian church that felt relaxed, and the girls felt comfortable in their children's programs. This one was full of real people. Thank God!

I started interviewing local midwives. Found two that were about to start their own birth center in a town about 30 minutes north of us. It was a beautiful option! Luckily, they agreed to come do prenatal checkups at our place in Petaluma as we only had one car that my husband took to work an hour south of us.  They attended the homebirth of our son and third child, Wolfgang, in October of 2014. With Hypnobabies home study and their hands-off assistance, this birth was by far the best experience I ever had! My little family was there and Daciana got to hold his hand as he was laying on my belly short after birth. It was beautiful....and another post....

Friends. Having to put on my big girl panties and get out there to meet people - all while managing two growing kids, a tiny home with less than desirable neighbors, a pregnancy that was sucking any energy out of me, later deciding to put the girls into a Waldorf Charter school three blocks away - was more than a daunting task, it was MONSTROUS. Quite leviathan in nature. Jonah's Whale had eaten me alive and spat me on foreign shores.

Ultimately, I did find wonderful friends. Some in the Women's Group at the church. Some I found at a newly formed crafting group that met in various places around town, The Rebel Craft Collective  (Meetup). I even made friends with a couple of Moms at the school (Live Oak) that the girls started attending...we referred to ourselves as Misfit Moms (the three of us were not NorCal natives and never seemed to fit in with the "kool-aid drinkers". Several other people were miraculously scattered around town or my husband's workplace. Also found an excellent chiropractic practice within walking distance of our little place; Praise the Lord!

Insanity runs in my family. Shortly after we moved to NorCal, my parents bought an RV and followed us out, if not forever, but seasonally. They were able to make it for the girls' birthdays, some holidays, and shortly after the birth of our son (little stinker came a couple weeks early). It was an absolute blessing that they were able to make it out!

So...What happened?!? We stayed in NorCal (this is the short version of the story) for almost three years. We made very good friends. Whether it is Wanderlust, Humor of the Universe, or ultimately God's Plan, our souls still haven't settled down. We made it back to Florida and are currently in the Orlando area nearer to our family and original support group. The strong desire for Wolfgang to grow up with TWO sets of awesome grandparents and our adult need to be able to financially support our family (it is CRAZY expensive in California!!) brought us back.

We love our friends on both coasts! We miss everyone. We are thankful for social media to keep in touch. God is good all the time; and all the time, God is good.

The adventure continues.....!

Knee-jerk reaction

I have a knee-jerk reaction to all things Mama related: pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, child-rearing...  Every time I hear another mother being oppressed or told misinformation, my first reaction is to fight someone!  Or let loose a barrage of tips to the Mother, "Have you tried...?" or "Did you know...?"  But I must refrain, and find just one or two things - helpful and doable - for that Mother to say or do to get control back in her life. 

I JUST WANT TO SAVE THE WORLD!!

...or just a reasonable portion of it...

But the truth of the matter is: there IS a revolution happening...we just aren't physically feeling it yet...It is only online, on the internet, on Facebook, on Twitter...we are socializing without shaking hands or hugging...or kneeing someone....

I don't know if that is better or not, but different from those in the past.

Follow-up to "My 3-hour-tour..." 2009

Last year, I gave birth to my second daughter.  It was beautiful and wonderful!  And it was at home!  My midwife discovered a vaginal cyst and it was decided to go to the hospital for quick removal and then back home....three days later (!) we left the hospital.  Read my postpartum story here. 

Go ahead.  I will wait.  Get yourself a drink and read it if you haven't before.

Why did I have elevated liver enzymes?  They never could figure it out...  I went to another GI doc as an outpatient and he wanted me to have more tests done...SCREW THAT!  I never had it done.

Then today I came across this article on shower curtains and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  And I remember reading something many months ago (1, 2, and 3 different articles - I can't find what I did read originally) about how VOCs can cause a variety of problems, including elevated liver enzymes. 

The key element in this is that I bought two new shower curtains - one for my shower and one for my bed - for the birth.  I had been exposed to VOCs without even knowing it!  And that, I believe, raised my liver enzymes, causing an unnecessary problem of me being in the hospital for three agonizing days!!  It kills me because I carefully chose a no-VOC paint to use in the bathroom just shortly before the birth.

I currently have a shower curtain from IKEA that is either low- or no-VOC, so I hope I don't have to worry about that....just wish I had time and energy to clean my bathtub ;)

Next year

I plan on changing the look of this blog to something else...not sure what, but I think it needs to be done.  Right after bathing the dag ;o)

I may also start another blog for Space Coast BirthNetwork, which used to be Brevard BirthNetwork, but that is a story for the future....

My "3-hour tour" after Daciana's birth...

After my beautiful 4 hour homebirth on Feb 25, 2009, my midwife discovered a small vaginal cyst that was only visible because I tore. After much discussion, it was mutually agreed that I go to the hospital to have it removed, stitched up and sent home to enjoy my new family. Simple, right? Of course not! Hold on to your butts...you are going on a ride through our "Great American Health Care System".

My doula drove my husband, our 2 hour old newborn, and me to the hospital (not the one that was actually closer to us because that one was not covered by our insurance). My midwife called ahead and told them our situation. I think she also faxed over my records. She said to go to the ER and tell them that we were expected. Of course they were confused by us telling them that we just had a baby at home, I needed a cyst removed and to be stitched up. (BTW, this is what hospitals are for!)

We got to a triage room pretty soon (after I was put in a wheelchair of course...) They took quite a lot of blood for "admission into the hospital" and because you can't go to a hospital without them sucking you dry (in more ways than one!). The ER staff were all friendly and seemingly unbiased about homebirth. Finally the on-call OB comes in, we tell her what we want and she mumbles something about "that's why we shouldn't do homebirths..." What the ?!?!?! Okay, we know what side of the fence she is on...

So (several hours later) I am in the pre-op room getting prepped. They want me to sign all sorts of things and I only make it longer trying to understand it all. I know I do not need to be put under general anesthesia for just such a simple operation but they keep trying to push it on me! All I need is a local anaesthetic (lidocaine) and to be sent home...

Then my blood work comes back...and my liver enzymes are elevated.

"What does that mean?" I ask. "It could be late-onset preeclampsia. We would like to keep you for observation and put you on magnesium sulfate."

Okay. With my first birth, I had preeclampsia (and I promise to write that birth story soon!) and my midwife thought well, maybe, it is possible. But having no other symptoms throughout pregnancy or labor (seeing spots, dizziness, high blood pressure, swelling, protein in the urine), I thought it was weird. But I trust my midwife. This is what the doctor/OB is for. So because of my history, I let them hook me up to mag sulfate..."for 24 hours" they said...they couldn't find me a room in the maternity wing until late afternoon...I would have to be there with my husband and new baby overnight...

ACK!

By the way, Anastasia (my 3 yr old) went with my parents (Thanks Mom and Dad!) to stay the night...thinking that we would all be together the next morning........

By 6 pm they hook me up to that crap...er, I mean mag sulfate...which means that I would be there at least until 6 pm tomorrow!!!

We had our baby at home THEN went to the hospital...I think we did it backwards ;o)

Throughout the entire night and day, my BP had never been lower in my life! I felt like crap because that is just what mag sulfate does. And I had to eat hospital food full of refined carbs and sugars and HFCS and the occasional GMO fruit...

...again, ACK!

I had such a wonderful diet during pregnancy - whole foods, organics, NO HFCS (well, maybe a tiny bit that one cannot escape in this day and age) - and they expect people to get better on this sh!t? I hope Health care reform also includes hospital food reform!

It was NOT preeclampsia. But my liver enzymes were still high. They kept sticking needles in my arm to draw blood several times during my stay. Then they wanted to do a sonogram of my guts, which involved me fasting for 8 HOURS! (I thought this was ironic because it was the Friday after Ash Wednesday ;o)

...again, ACK!

A new mother that needs to breastfeed having to fast?!?! Maybe it was better than eating that cr@p food ;o) Eight hours actually turned into 10 hours because the ultrasound room was understaffed that night and slammed for what ever reason. Of course! They found very little 'wrong' but also did not talk to me during the procedure...yes, I did ask questions...I do have gall-stones...whatever that means...

They ruled out 'late-onset preeclampsia' and the GI doctor had no clue either as to what made my liver enzymes so high. That second night there I had a feeling that they wanted to keep me much much longer so I decided before I went to bed that we - Patrick (who was sleeping on those damn 'Dad' beds), Daciana (who was nursing and sleeping very well and did not seem phased by any of this) and I (who was quite ready to literally kick some butt) - were going home. We could not just leave because of the fear of the insurance not covering any of the hospital stay. I told God I wanted to be home by noon on Saturday.

From the first moment I awoke from a restless nights sleep, I was a very squeaky wheel. I wanted some grease and lots of it!! "I want to go home today. Where are my discharge papers? When can I go home?" is all I said to anyone. The only way they were going to let me go is if I agreed to become an outpatient and be referred to another GI doctor (this I suggested).

To speed the story up, I ended up staying in the hospital for 3 days! And for what? No one knows...but by 11:30 almost noon, I got my discharge papers: we were going home!!!! Thank you GOD!!

Now I am going through my itemized bill for the hospital, trying to see where they are nickle and diming me. After the insurance covered their portion, somebody thinks I still owe over $2000! Patrick is already working overtime and taking on a couple of paying gigs on the weekends just to make ends meet. We are not living beyond our means or overspending on things we think we should have. The last time I bought new clothes for myself was a couple of maternity items and before that maybe eight months without having new things. I have been wearing the same pair of shoes everyday for over a year, have not gone shoe shopping since Jan 2008 and before that probably when I was pregnant with Anastasia in 2005! We spend money on good food for the family, gas for Patrick to go to work (2 hours driving to and from work 5 days a week...), electric bill, water, and mortgage (this is what is killing us...can't sell because the market is cr@p right now)

Sorry about the rant and rave there...we, like many of you, are living paycheck to paycheck. Whether one or two incomes per family, and tightening our belts every month, it doesn't seem like enough. I believe the only reason the doctors and the hospital kept us there as long as they did was because we have insurance. If we didn't, they would have patched us up and kicked us to the curb.

Wish me luck on interpreting the paperwork and disputing it!

The Birth of Daciana

I awoke just before 4 am on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. I had to pee, just like every other night for the past few months. As I was on the toilet, I had a hard contraction. It was noticeably different than those I had been having for 2 1/2 weeks before - that wonderful prodromal or early labor. It felt really like a bad menstrual cramp. I made it back to bed and had a few more hard contractions. I sat on the edge of our bed, rocking through the next few, my husband Patrick and our daughter Anastasia both fast asleep. The contractions lasted about a half an hour and did not go away. I nudged Patrick, told him to wake up, and that I have been having contractions. I got into the shower (probably the last one for a while :) and stood there, contractions continuing. The hot water felt good. At one point, I needed to be on my hands and knees. That's when I plugged the tub and let it fill with water. Contractions where getting stronger. "Patrick, call my Mom and call Amy (midwife)." I think this was the last thing I remember saying. I stayed in the bath for a while until the water got cold. I wanted to get to the bed - made it as far as the toilet. Patrick knelt in front of me, he counted through the contractions for me... "it's been 30 seconds, you are doing awesome..."

I think this is when I slipped into the zone, or as I teach in my BIRTH classes, the Ebb & Flow of Labor™. It was awesome! I had my eyes closed and let labor happen. Each one quickly rolled into the next, not sure when one ended but knew that another one had begun. I was preparing myself for a long and hard day of labor, thinking that the contractions were going to get stronger, more intense, and also thinking, "Don't I get a few minute break between them??"

I only opened my eyes if I needed to see where I was going - from the bathroom to the bed. I caught glimpses of who was there at different times: Patrick, my Mom, Amy and Erica, Terri R, my doula...

Anastasia was in our bed, where she had slept the night before. I made it to Anastasia's bed - which is next to ours - while someone put plastic on our bed (I had the birth bed prepared for about 2 weeks but got annoyed by the plastic and removed it 2 days before...). By this time I was moaning loudly with each wave into a pillow, hoping not to wake Anastasia. I got into my bed and was fully into the Flow of the event, each one coming so quickly...

I wanted to go bad to the bathroom to use the toilet...the waves were getting harder...
When I got off to go back to bed, I made it as far as the sink and had to lean on it and rock and sway...heard someone say there was bloody show in the toilet...got into bed...

This was the point that I opened my eyes, wondering where Anastasia was, thinking was she still asleep? or was she awake? Lo and behold, there she was right next to me in my bed still asleep! And I was not quiet at all! Those moans were loud! They needed to be. Never did she stir...

And then Amy said something about pushing with the next contraction... Was she serious?!? It seemed too early! I couldn't be THAT far along...could I? "Hold your breath and bear down!" someone said. I felt pressure like Amy was stretching my perineum... she was asking for more olive oil... "Chin down to your chest and hold your breath and push your baby here..."

I came out of my zone to find Patrick kneeling on the floor to my right, Amy at the foot of my bed. Feeling the urge to push and everyone saying "push," I proceeded to, well, push. I pushed...Amy said something about breaking my bag of waters... I had mentioned my wish to Patrick (sometime well before birth) to birth the bag of waters intact if possible or at least let it break on it's own. When Amy mentioned breaking the BOW, Patrick told her what I had said (my hero! sorry I had never mentioned it to you Amy :) and she responded jokingly with, "Then we are going to get a bath!" (When the BOW did finally break, Amy said that it wasn't that bad, but Patrick got the fluid down his leg...what a trooper!)

Then came the Ring of Fire...I don't think I ever had a feeling of "I can't do this" or "this is too hard," it really happened too fast to have these thoughts... but the Ring of Fire did seem to last quite a while...I pushed the head out and it still burned..."Look at these linebacker shoulders!" (She gets those from Patrick...) She felt like a big one when she finally slid our and oh my God relief! I breathed in that relief and relaxation and peace...and no crying...hmm, babies are supposed to cry, right? Anastasia did and she was born at 31 weeks (although with the steroid shot to develop her lungs early...) I looked down, Amy said "Talk to your baby"...I called her name "Daciana! Daciana!"...Amy was vigorously rubbing her back, then laid her down at my feet and put what looked like an oxygen mask on her and pumped air into her seeming to clear leftover mucus or fluid from her lungs...she cried a little and got a really good color on her skin.... straight to my chest for our first moments...

Our first glorious moments! I did it! I birthed at home in my own bed without any interventions! With people I knew and trusted and hired to keep me healthy and safe... and it only took about 4 hours! Daciana Guinevere was born @ 7:55 am on February 25, 2009. She weighed in at 9 lbs 12 oz, with a 14 inch head and 14 inch torso (which is why the Ring of Fire lasted as long as it did), 21 inches long and wonderful baby fat everywhere! I got her to the breast withing 20 minutes (I think) and left the placenta attached for the Lotus Birth.

And Anastasia slept throught the whole thing!!! She started to wake up at one point and almost got her foot in the placenta bowl :P This is when Patrick picked her up, woke her and said to her, "Look who is here!" (meaning Daciana) She saw my Mom first, "It's Grandmama!" Patrick said, "Well, yeah, and look who else!" She looked over to me, saw the baby and exclaimed, "It's Daciana!" She smiled so big as joy grabbed a hold of her and probably wonderment as well...

This experience was awesome, exciting, fulfilling, rewarding, healing, and - I have to admit - easy!

{Pictures shall come soon! Oh! and the story is far from over... but that is a blog for another time...}

and the word of the day is...

PRODROMAL: a premonitory symptom. Something that indicates something is going to happen...eventually...in the future....could be hours, days, weeks........and when applied to labor (also called pre-labor) 'cabin fever' also applies...or patience, waiting, annoyance...or faith, trust, warm-up...

This is what I am in right now - prodromal labor or pre-labor. It used to be called 'false labor' but there is nothing 'false' about it! Getting mild to moderate contractions throughout the day, for a week or more at a time, wondering 'is this it?' or 'am I going to be pregnant for ever?'

Of course, I am only just barely at 39 weeks, so there should not be any rush really... God knows the last pregnancy was so short and we made it thus far...and God never stops trying to teach me patience... 'Tis my lot in life! God also knows I have not patience for cooking potatoes or rice. Pregnancy is just another thing for which I must learn patience!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3, 5-6

Re: Lotus Birth Challenge...

"But how does your husband feel about this?"

After he said "ew gross," he said, "If we do this, you have to let me go to Megacon..."

Apparently he has been announced to be on a panel of filmmakers for the Indie Film Expo.

[From the website:] As part of Megacon's "Indie Film Expo" program, a panel discussion on filmmaking will be hosted by "Students of the Unusual" publisher Terry Cronin on Saturday February 28th. This will feature guest filmmakers and actors including guests Patrick Algermissen, Lear Bunda, Pat Martin, Brian Pulido, Steven Shea, Todd Thompson, and Bill Williams(FMPTA). Other surprise celebrity guests and filmmakers are expected. Cronin relates that "this is a unique opportunity to meet and discuss independent filmmaking with the filmmakers themselves."

Of course it is only if we have had birthed by this time! (Feb 27 &28, 2009...two weeks from now...)

Talk about a CHALLENGE!

CHALLENGE!!

Change a new idea you have heard of to something that you can accept and even do!

The idea I recently came across is that of a "Lotus Birth."

[from the website:]
Q: What is Lotus Birth exactly?

A: The practice of neonatal umbilical intactness - nonseverance of the umbilical cord - and absence of any
potential portal of navel infection. The birth practice of the early American pioneers who produced some of the hardiest children known in American history... and valued everything they had. Also called "Umbilical
Nonseverance." The baby, cord, and placenta are treated as one unit, as they are all originate from the same cellular source (egg and sperm).

Of course I say 'recently' but I actually heard about it maybe a year ago I think on a MySpace page...can't remember where or who, sorry.

I looked through the website and after the initial "ew gross!" I thought, "Why not?" I am still pregnant (although I did have bloody show on Monday and am having light contractions even as I type now ;o) and can still make this decision before birth. I have not told my midwife yet, and I hope she is cool with this idea...I don't even know if this thing happens in my part of the world.

Here is another site about Lotus Birth, just to get all the facts.

Support you local BirthNetwork!

Top 10 Reasons to Join a Birth Network

10. Education is essential! Many Birth Networks offer continuing education and training opportunities, often at a discount for members.

9. It’s all about networking… a Birth Network, that is. Discover how to promote your business through this new outlet.

8. Help expecting moms in your area find doulas, childbirth classes and fitness programs by sending them to your Birth Network’s referral list.

7. Do you or one of your clients feel disheartened by a recent birthing experience? Learn how to effect change in maternity care by becoming active within your Birth Network.

6. Has your two-year-old worn out his welcome in your current play group? Find out what your Birth Network has to offer.

5. Learn more about the hottest new book on birth or breastfeeding through your Birth Network’s resource list.

4. Earn brownie points and be “in the know” by referring new parents to your Birth Network for a list of local lactation consultants, parenting classes and pediatricians.

3. Everyone needs a night out—make it educational by attending a speaker’s event, movie screening or fundraiser at your local Birth Network.

2. Who isn’t looking to save a buck in this economy? Many Birth Networks offer discounts and perks at local shops or online partners.

1. Finally, a place to meet other people who are crazy about birth!

If you can’t find a Birth Network in your area, consider starting one of your own. Visit the Lamaze Web site to find tools, tips and resources, including information on how to apply for a mini-grant to support your Birth Network.

And now...your moment of Zen:

"The 'normal' way that women in the United States give birth -- laying prone in a room full of strangers -- is not the natural way."

[Read a good article on the Orgasmic Birth movie here.]

Homebirth! This comic from 'Mama Is' says it all! We are also planning a homebirth for our second daughter in Feb 2009. It will be a different experience than last time, but we are going for a more positive birth this one around.

Somethings I did differently this pregnancy:

• Took Prenatal Yoga
• Chiropractor visits at least once a week
• Midwife (not an OB)
• Much healthier diet (Brewer Diet)
• Am not mowing the lawn
• TRYING to take it easier....(with a 3 year old, makes things more challenging...)

"pushed birth. what to expect. really."

For the truth on birth - definitions, information, etc - and learning about how NOT to have a 'pushed birth,' my favorite blog/website is the one by Jennifer Block. She has researched the American birth world and written a book, called "Pushed." A totally necessary bit of reading material for all women planning on birthing in America.

And now...your moment of Zen:

[The following is an excerpt of an interview from GivingBirthNaturally.com]

"...in the UK, midwifery is the standard of care. A pregnant woman would not go and even see an obstetrician unless he was high risk to begin with, or having some sort of complication later in the pregnancy that the midwives identified and then felt that you needed to be seen by a specialist. The obstetrician is really seen as a specialist rather than as the primary caregiver for that pregnant woman. "

Holding my breath...

Just to let you all know, I am in my 30th week of pregnancy. Why does this matter? Because this time in my last pregnancy I had developed severe preeclampsia, had to get admitted to the hospital for observation and try to get my BP down with magnesium sulfate (not fun), then be told three days later I had to deliver my daughter at 31 weeks in order to survive. [For the birth story according to my husband, click HERE. It really is a good read! There are pictures, too.] I do intend to write my own version of that birth one day... I think I am waiting to see how my second birth experience goes.

This time around, however, I feel fantastic - well, for a pregnant woman ;o) I have gained an appropriate amount of weight, I do not feel like I am wearing a fat suit I cannot take off, I do not look like a melting wax figure, and I have a fantastic midwife who comes to my house for checkups instead of being shuffled through a doctor's office and having to spend an ungodly amount of time in a crowded waiting room...

So much I have learned from that pregnancy to this one. So much has happened. I became a Childbirth Educator for BabyBodyBirth, a Co-leader for Brevard BirthNetwork, I breastfed my DD until her third birthday, and a much more educated woman/mother/human.

My favorite movies now include 'Business of Being Born,' 'Orgasmic Birth,' 'Born in the USA,' and I hope to see 'Pregnant in America' soon!

So, the day after Christmas will be one day past 31 weeks...the longest I have ever been pregnant. I believe I will make it!

p.s. I am due in late February 2009. I hate specific 'due dates.' It really should be a 'due week' or 'due month'......

SUPPORT BIRTH CENTERS!

[Also posted on MySpace page:]

Take action now - support birth centers!

FYI! Take action now and support birth centers no matter where you gave or plan to give birth.

Happy Holidays!

--Eva Algermissen
Co-leader Brevard BirthNetwork, FL
"It's your birth, know your options"
BrevardBirthNetwork.org
and
Certified Childbirth Educator BabyBodyBirth
"Love your baby, Nourish your body, Cherish your birth"
www.BabyBodyBirth.com
and
Mama Eva - USA blog
mamaevausa.blogspot.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Victoria Macioce-Stumpf
Date: Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Subject: [bnncoleaders] fw: URGENT: ACTION ALERT for Birth Centers
To: bnncoleaders@yahoogroups.com, birthnetwork-board@googlegroups.com


Grassroots Network Message 812059
URGENT: ACTION ALERT for Birth Centers

Dear Friends,
I know we are all really busy, but below is a really important ACTION ALERT from the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) to help Birth Centers. Your 3 phone calls are a gift you can give to mothers and families that costs you nothing more than a few moments of your time.

Read AABC's Alert below for very straightforward instructions. Phone calls are needed before December 22. Make your calls even if you have nothing to do with Birth Centers support this midwife/mother friendly option for all women.

Some background: Birth centers around the country are owned and staffed by all kinds of midwives, and are one place where CPMs and CNMs frequently work together. Birth Centers provide an excellent alternative to the hospital setting and should be available to everyone. Medicaid does not specifically cover birth centers, so even where the midwife professional services are covered, there is no mandate to cover the "facility fee" the costs of the birth c enter itself, and insurance coverage typically follows Medicaid rules. Some state medicaid programs have opted to cover this cost, but recent actions at the federal level threaten this coverage because birth centers are not specifically named in the relevant federal statute. Without medicaid and insurance coverage for birth center facility fees, most if not all birth centers will be unable to continue operation, depriving all of us of this option. The only solution is to get federal legislation to specifically include birth centers in medicaid. This is the effort that the American Association of Birth Centers is spearheading; the first step is to get Senators and Representatives to sponsor the bill AABC is developing. ALL of us are needed to help achieve this goal! For more detailed background information, see the link in AABC's Legislative Alert message below.

When you call your Congress people, do tell them that you are a mom/midwife/doula/etc., and you can say that birth centers are a vital birthing option to which all women should have access. (If you work/own/birthed at a birthing center, great, tell them that, but you don't need to have had a birthing center experience20to support this action.)

Read AABC's ALERT below, and make your 3 brief calls today!

Sincerely,
Arielle Greenberg Bywater and Susan Hodges, "gatekeeper"


American Association of Birth Centers
Legislative Alert


URGENT - Make Calls before December 22nd!

We are making progress with education of the House and Senate about the need to add the birth center facility to Medicaid covered services! But, many Representatives and Senators have not yet had a call from you or your clients. We must have sponsors from both parties! We are also targeting key people who will vote YES or NO whether our bill will get out of committee and to the floor -- once we have introduced the bill.

For background information click here


Please make calls to congressional health staffers this week before the holiday recess!

1. Click here
to get the names and phone numbers of the Washington D.C. offices of your two Senators and your Representative.

2. Ask the name of the healthcare staffer and ask to speak to them.

3. Write down their name and phone number.

4. Tell them you own/direct/work at/are a consumer of/care about the services of a birth center.

5. Tell them that a bill will be introduced soon to add birth centers to Medicaid. [NOTE: the bill does not yet have a bill number.]

6. Ask for their support and sponsorship of our bill to add birth centers to Medicaid. That's all you need to say--we'll do the rest.

7. Then call or email AABC's lobbyist Karen Fennell (301-830-3910,karenfennell50@yahoo.com or me (423-253-4455, jkalliman@yahoo.com to tell us what they said. We will follow up.

NOTE: We do not have a bill number because it is not yet introduced, but we want to introduce the bill in January and need sponsors now. We can send them the draft bill language if they are interested in sponsoring the bill.

This is urgent if we want to sustain birth centers in the United States. Please call today.

Please pass this on to your Friends of the Birth Center groups and ask them to call too.

Sincerely,

Jill Alliman, CNM, MSN
Legislative Chair
American Association of Birth Centers

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No Big Deal...

Birth should be no big deal. It should be as simple and straightforward as perhaps putting on pants. Of course there was a time where women could not wear pants without thoughts of scandal..."Oooh, ankles!!"
And breastfeeding should also be no big deal. It is as normal as anybody else in public eating..."Oh my God! She's eating with chopsticks!!"
So, there are several really good movies about birth, and ABC's 20/20 is doing a story (finally) on one, called "Orgasmic Birth." "OMG! What does sex and birth have to do with each other?!?"
Anyway, after reading the media hype about homebirth and such on the ABC page, please visit this one which tells a more balanced story about midwives.

Birth movies

FYI! If anyone out there is ever planning on having a baby, already has a baby, or has family who does, you really need to be educated on the current birth world. Those shows like "A Baby Story" are not ever accurate about the realities of birth. The best and latest movies on birth include:

• The Business of Being Born
• Pregnant in America
• Born in the USA
• Orgasmic Birth

I happen to have all of these and a few more. Which is my favorite? They all have their good points and minor drawbacks but are all far superior to the shows on TLC or the Health channel and such. I would LOVE to have a film festival with these in this area because it is so very much needed! If anyone is willing to help with this, let me know!! It is totally do-able, just with more than one person and perhaps with a year of planning.

And now...your moment of Zen:

“Healthcare is the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the safety in our environment, having shelter. That is healthcare.

Medical care is surgery, pharmaceuticals, invasive procedures and tests; that is medical care, not healthcare. There is an important book called Expecting Trouble: The Myth of Prenatal Care in America, written by Thomas H. Strong JR. M.D., obstetrician, neonatologist from Prescott, Arizona. In his book, he points out that the poor outcomes increase in direct proportion to how much “prenatal care” the woman receives.”