I just called DAPI, a local school for pregnant teens and they seemed interesting in me teaching a childbirth education(CBE) course once a month. I offered to volunteer my services for free. The director seemed interested. She had me leave a message for the nurse, whom I assume teaches the CBE courses. Of course my approach is it will make *their job* easier and save them money.
It would be a great way to instill confidence and trust in their bodies, their ability to birth. To normalize birth and help them to prepare for birth. I really think we need to start early with girls to teach them about their body's powerful birthing abilities.
I would give outs handouts on the childbirth process, a few articles and show some clips of a few documentaries. Of course also educating about OB's, midwives and doulas. Briefly touch on breastfeeding. I assume the course would last 4hrs I'm guessing. I should hear back from the nurse next week and hopefully we can set up a meeting!!!! Then if any of the teens who take the class I could put them in touch with a doula that would charge them a VERY reduced cost or do some probono births.
More about DAPI here http://www.dapi.org/
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Free *ONE HOUR* Maternity or Newborn Shoot
Hi Ladies!I want to offer a free *ONE HOUR* maternity or newborn shoot to the first 5 people who contact me. This includes ONE free 8X10, if you want pictures beyond that (not required) you will have to pay for them. I would like to do these free sessions during November and December.
I'm new to photography but I plan to specialize in maternity, birth, breastfeeding and newborn photography.
I'm enrolled in a photography progam at DelTech. I'm working on buidling my portfolio. I've done a few sessions and have a few more coming up.
We can do these in the privacy of your own home, park or place of your choice. I'm willing to travel up to an hour.
If you are interested please email me cali4niachef@msn.com.
~ Cindy
I'm new to photography but I plan to specialize in maternity, birth, breastfeeding and newborn photography.
I'm enrolled in a photography progam at DelTech. I'm working on buidling my portfolio. I've done a few sessions and have a few more coming up.
We can do these in the privacy of your own home, park or place of your choice. I'm willing to travel up to an hour.
If you are interested please email me cali4niachef@msn.com.
~ Cindy
Friday, June 5, 2009
Delaware Doulas Meeting
Some of you may have received an email previously about my desire to start an organization for all of the doulas that serve Delaware. I'd like to meet every other month so we could share "tricks of the trade", case reviews, swap books and just offer support for one another. I'd also like to put on an annual conference with speakers presenting topics on massage, lactation, and maternity health care system. These are just some ideas I'm thinking about. Anything is up for discussion.
Our tentative first meeting will be July 18th, saturday in Newark at Panera Bread on Main st. at 6pm.
If that date doesn't work for you please shoot me a message. If I get a lot of people letting me know that date doesn't work for them then we reschedule to the Saturday before or after the 18th.
If you could forward this email to other doulas (including aspiring) I would really appreciate that! If you don't want to be included in the emails about Delaware Doulas please let me know and I will gladly remove you.
I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in the near future!
Our tentative first meeting will be July 18th, saturday in Newark at Panera Bread on Main st. at 6pm.
If that date doesn't work for you please shoot me a message. If I get a lot of people letting me know that date doesn't work for them then we reschedule to the Saturday before or after the 18th.
If you could forward this email to other doulas (including aspiring) I would really appreciate that! If you don't want to be included in the emails about Delaware Doulas please let me know and I will gladly remove you.
I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in the near future!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Another Maternal Death
We need to realize that hospitals are not sanitary and safe as we would like to believe; there is a reason the German word for hospital means "sick house".
Woman Gives Birth, Later Dies From Bacterial Meningitis
BELLFONTAINE, Ohio - Hospital administrators said Tuesday that they were conducting an investigation after two women contracted bacterial meningitis within 24 hours of giving birth.
The women arrived at Mary Rutan Hospital Thursday evening and both delivered healthy babies. By the next morning, the women started to become ill, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.
"Sometime around mid-morning there were complications," said Mandy Goble, president and chief executive officer of Mary Rutan Hospital. "Headaches and a little bit of nausea developed, which is very common with spinal anesthesia."
Later in the day, the women were moved to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. Shortly before midnight, one of the women, Susan Simpson, 30, died.
Goble said her hospital immediately launched an investigation to determine what caused the infection.
"They came in about an hour apart; they were in separate rooms (and) as far as we know they did not know each other previous to the delivery," Goble said. "The only commonality that we have been able to determine is they each have a spinal anesthesia."
The other woman, whose name was not released, remained at the hospital on Tuesday. Her family and friends told 10TV News that she was in the hospital's intensive care unit, Mallett reported.
The women's babies were in good condition at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The Ohio Department of Health told 10TV News that the Logan County Health Department was also involved in the investigation.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/05/26/story_meningitis.html
Did you know...that the United States ranks behind at least 40 other nations in maternal mortality rates according to the World Health Organization. In 2005, the United States reported 15.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 7.5 per 100,000 in 1982.Did you know...that black women in the United States have 4 times the risk of dying from childbirth or childbirth related complications. Hispanic women in the United States, similarly, are 1.6 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die from pregnancy-related causes.
Did you know...that the Centers for Disease Control estimated in 1998 that the US maternal death rate is actually 1.3 to three times that reported in vital statistics records because of underreporting of such deaths.
Did you know...that reporting of maternal deaths in the United States is done via an honor system. There are no statutes providing for penalties for misreporting or failing to report maternal deaths.
Did you know...that the Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than half of the reported maternal deaths in the United States could have been prevented by early diagnosis and treatment.
Maternal Mortality Fact Sheet
The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current maternal death rates, as well as to the gross underreporting of maternal deaths in the United States, and to honor those women who have died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982.
The Project is the vision of Ina May Gaskin, midwifery pioneer and author of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and the classic Spiritual Midwifery, who has been instrumental in bringing this issue to the public light.The QuiltThe quilt is made up of individually designed squares; each one devoted to a woman in the U.S. who has died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982. One quilt square is designed and dedicated to each mother's memory and may mention the date and place of death and the name of the woman. The Safe Motherhood Quilt is the voice for women who can no longer speak for themselves.
To be honored and remembered on The Safe Motherhood Quilt:
The woman died as a result of a complication of pregnancy or birth
The woman's death occurred since 1982
The woman died within a calendar year after the end of her pregnancy (documented by an obituary, death certificate, relative's or witness' account).
Do you know of a woman's story you'd like to share? Get more information on how to prepare your quilt block and submit it for inclusion in the Safe Motherhood Quilt.
For More InformationThe Safe Motherhood Quilt Project149 Apple Orchard LaneSummertown, TN 38483 InaMayGaskin@GMail.com
More here Remember the Mothers
Woman Gives Birth, Later Dies From Bacterial Meningitis
BELLFONTAINE, Ohio - Hospital administrators said Tuesday that they were conducting an investigation after two women contracted bacterial meningitis within 24 hours of giving birth.
The women arrived at Mary Rutan Hospital Thursday evening and both delivered healthy babies. By the next morning, the women started to become ill, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.
"Sometime around mid-morning there were complications," said Mandy Goble, president and chief executive officer of Mary Rutan Hospital. "Headaches and a little bit of nausea developed, which is very common with spinal anesthesia."
Later in the day, the women were moved to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. Shortly before midnight, one of the women, Susan Simpson, 30, died.
Goble said her hospital immediately launched an investigation to determine what caused the infection.
"They came in about an hour apart; they were in separate rooms (and) as far as we know they did not know each other previous to the delivery," Goble said. "The only commonality that we have been able to determine is they each have a spinal anesthesia."
The other woman, whose name was not released, remained at the hospital on Tuesday. Her family and friends told 10TV News that she was in the hospital's intensive care unit, Mallett reported.
The women's babies were in good condition at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The Ohio Department of Health told 10TV News that the Logan County Health Department was also involved in the investigation.
Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/05/26/story_meningitis.html
Did you know...that the United States ranks behind at least 40 other nations in maternal mortality rates according to the World Health Organization. In 2005, the United States reported 15.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 7.5 per 100,000 in 1982.Did you know...that black women in the United States have 4 times the risk of dying from childbirth or childbirth related complications. Hispanic women in the United States, similarly, are 1.6 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die from pregnancy-related causes.
Did you know...that the Centers for Disease Control estimated in 1998 that the US maternal death rate is actually 1.3 to three times that reported in vital statistics records because of underreporting of such deaths.
Did you know...that reporting of maternal deaths in the United States is done via an honor system. There are no statutes providing for penalties for misreporting or failing to report maternal deaths.
Did you know...that the Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than half of the reported maternal deaths in the United States could have been prevented by early diagnosis and treatment.
Maternal Mortality Fact Sheet
The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current maternal death rates, as well as to the gross underreporting of maternal deaths in the United States, and to honor those women who have died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982.
The Project is the vision of Ina May Gaskin, midwifery pioneer and author of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and the classic Spiritual Midwifery, who has been instrumental in bringing this issue to the public light.The QuiltThe quilt is made up of individually designed squares; each one devoted to a woman in the U.S. who has died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982. One quilt square is designed and dedicated to each mother's memory and may mention the date and place of death and the name of the woman. The Safe Motherhood Quilt is the voice for women who can no longer speak for themselves.
To be honored and remembered on The Safe Motherhood Quilt:
The woman died as a result of a complication of pregnancy or birth
The woman's death occurred since 1982
The woman died within a calendar year after the end of her pregnancy (documented by an obituary, death certificate, relative's or witness' account).
Do you know of a woman's story you'd like to share? Get more information on how to prepare your quilt block and submit it for inclusion in the Safe Motherhood Quilt.
For More InformationThe Safe Motherhood Quilt Project149 Apple Orchard LaneSummertown, TN 38483 InaMayGaskin@GMail.com
More here Remember the Mothers
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Birth Plan Trap
The Birth Plan Trap
By Emily Jones March 31, 2008
A current fashion is the birth plan. Women write a birth plan with the intention of familiarizing themselves as well as protecting themselves from unnecessary interventions. Birth plans are encouraged as a sort of insurance policy against unwanted procedures.
There are some benefits to making a birth plan. It enables the woman to look at what all her choices are and find out for herself why she might want (or not want) a certain choice. It also may be a good idea to give the doctor a “heads up” to the mother’s intentions. Birth plans can give women a sense of empowerment and encourage them to be more vocal about what they will or won’t accept in the management of their labors.
But there are flaws with this concept. First of all, there is no guarantee that her wishes will be honored. The birth plan is typically addressed to the doctor, who will not be one she will have to answer to in labor. The doctor will sometimes not show up until the woman is ready to push, so she has no real ally in him (or her) throughout the rest of her labor. And as is standard practice in many large practices today, there is not even the guarantee that her doctor will be the one on rotation that day.
When a woman enters the hospital in labor, she must deal with the nurses and staff that happen to be on shift that day. These nurses do not know this woman, and are not aware of any agreement or discussion she has worked out ahead of time with the doctor. Nurses are often very reluctant to contact the doctor, as doctors are typically so busy that they discourage being contacted for “trivial” questions, such as questions about routine procedures. So typically, a laboring woman must argue with nurses and staff who insist on certain procedures because it’s “policy” and can’t be changed without the doctor’s permission (which they are unwilling to get).
When (and if) the doctor appears during the woman’s labor, there is still no guarantee that he or she will respect the woman’s wishes. Agreeing to a birth plan in his office and adhering to it in an unpredictable labor on his own turf are two different things. Doctors typically have the attitude of, “Well, that’s nice, but we’ll see what happens.” There are literally hundreds of different scenarios that a doctor can present that will negate her original birth plan. For some reason or another, the doctor WILL find a reason to insist she has some procedure or test performed contrary to her birth plan.
Besides the practical problems with a birth plan, there are psychological problems with writing a birth plan as well. In reading the book Birthing from Within, written by Pam England and Rob Horowitz, I came across the following passage:
In writing a birth plan, a woman focuses on fending off outside forces which she fears will shape her birth. This effort distracts her from trusting herself, her body and her spirituality. Rather than planning her own hard work and surrender, her energy is diverted towards controlling the anticipated actions of others. There are no unique birth plans. While your birth plan is unique to you, it won’t seem that way to your hospital or doctor. All women ask for the same thing: respect, dignity, support to birth naturally with minimal routine intervention and no unnecessary separation from the baby. Trying to change the medical system risks creating defensive, resistant, and hyper-vigilant mindsets. You may feel a sense of power during this process, but it’s an illusion, and more importantly, a distraction from developing genuine personal power. This fear-based, externally directed preparation (”I don’t want this,” “I don’t want that”) flows unproductively through the mind-body connection; it’s harder for your body to let go when your guard is up…Another hidden danger is when an authority “accepts” a birth plan during pregnancy. At that point, there’s a strong tendency for women to stop worrying, stop exploring, and stop accessing personal resources
Making a birth plan can create a false sense of confidence for women, as if their fighting is over once the plan is written and discussed, when in fact, the birth plan is simply the first of many battles.
There is something inherently wrong about having to ask permission to not be abused or taken advantage of. Although there may be doctors and nurses who respect the birth plan, and women for whom the birth plan worked in achieving their goals in a hospital birth, it just doesn’t seem appropriate for a woman to have to protect herself from the system.
It is like meeting a man who has a prior conviction for domestic violence, and agreeing to date him if he signs an affidavit promising not to lay a hand on you. Does the affidavit excuse his past behavior? Or even guarantee his future behavior?
Along the same lines, I am hearing suggestions to bring gifts or treats to “bribe” the nurses and staff on shift when you enter the hospital, to encourage them to be more amenable to conceding to your wishes. Again, it isn’t appropriate for a woman to have to resort to bribes to protect herself during the most vulnerable time in her life.
Birth plans have their place. A birth plan can be as important for the person who writes it as the person for whom it’s intended. For many women, a birth plan is their first exposure to hospital procedures, and helps many women to understand what is and isn’t necessary in a normal labor. I think a birth plan is an excellent tool for self-discovery, and education about the labor and delivery process. However, I think birth plans should be made with caution: mothers should make the birth plan with the understanding that the birth plan is more symbolic than anything, and that she herself must be proactive in actually getting the choices she desires.
I think overall, birth plans are counterproductive and ultimately do not result in any real positive effect in hospital routine and policy. I think doctors and nurses are generally disdainful of birth plans, and view them as a woman’s security blanket and subject to change in labor. There are the rare professionals who view a birth plan with respect and appreciate a well-informed patient, but I believe these to be the exception rather than the rule.
Women should not birth in a hospital at all if they are concerned about their rights being violated, as there is no guarantee, not even the birth plan, that their rights will be preserved. However, if you feel that you have no choice but to birth in a hospital, and a birth plan is your only option for protection, I have some suggestions for you:
1. Don’t get too complicated and long with your birth plan. The longer it is, the more likely the doctor is to simply gloss over it and not concern himself with the details. Put the most non-negotiable issues in to be sure they are seen. Also, doctors and nurses view a longer, more complicated birth plan as a ticket to disaster, as they perceive the woman who writes it as “unrealistic” in her birth expectations.
2. Know why you are requesting/refusing certain procedures and tests. Some nurses often don’t know why procedures are done, or even that they can be harmful. They are simply following the rules. If you are armed with the correct information, you can educate, as well as be taken more seriously as an informed consumer.
3. Make three copies of your birth plan and have your doctor sign each one. Leave one with your doctor, put one on file in the hospital, and keep one on you to bring with you to the hospital when you go into labor. Nurses are a lot more likely to acquiesce to your requests when they see you already have signed permission from your doctor to go contrary to hospital procedure.
4. Be prepared to fight. Your fight for your rights just begins when you enter those doors. If you don’t know if you can argue during your labor, bring someone who knows your birth plan and will fight for you.
Good luck with your birth plan. I’m not convinced that using a birth plan will result in better outcomes for laboring women, but I hope that they might. We need all the help we can get.
Written by Emily Jones · Filed Under Editorials
http://www.truebirth.com/2008/03/the-birth-plan-trap/
By Emily Jones March 31, 2008
A current fashion is the birth plan. Women write a birth plan with the intention of familiarizing themselves as well as protecting themselves from unnecessary interventions. Birth plans are encouraged as a sort of insurance policy against unwanted procedures.
There are some benefits to making a birth plan. It enables the woman to look at what all her choices are and find out for herself why she might want (or not want) a certain choice. It also may be a good idea to give the doctor a “heads up” to the mother’s intentions. Birth plans can give women a sense of empowerment and encourage them to be more vocal about what they will or won’t accept in the management of their labors.
But there are flaws with this concept. First of all, there is no guarantee that her wishes will be honored. The birth plan is typically addressed to the doctor, who will not be one she will have to answer to in labor. The doctor will sometimes not show up until the woman is ready to push, so she has no real ally in him (or her) throughout the rest of her labor. And as is standard practice in many large practices today, there is not even the guarantee that her doctor will be the one on rotation that day.
When a woman enters the hospital in labor, she must deal with the nurses and staff that happen to be on shift that day. These nurses do not know this woman, and are not aware of any agreement or discussion she has worked out ahead of time with the doctor. Nurses are often very reluctant to contact the doctor, as doctors are typically so busy that they discourage being contacted for “trivial” questions, such as questions about routine procedures. So typically, a laboring woman must argue with nurses and staff who insist on certain procedures because it’s “policy” and can’t be changed without the doctor’s permission (which they are unwilling to get).
When (and if) the doctor appears during the woman’s labor, there is still no guarantee that he or she will respect the woman’s wishes. Agreeing to a birth plan in his office and adhering to it in an unpredictable labor on his own turf are two different things. Doctors typically have the attitude of, “Well, that’s nice, but we’ll see what happens.” There are literally hundreds of different scenarios that a doctor can present that will negate her original birth plan. For some reason or another, the doctor WILL find a reason to insist she has some procedure or test performed contrary to her birth plan.
Besides the practical problems with a birth plan, there are psychological problems with writing a birth plan as well. In reading the book Birthing from Within, written by Pam England and Rob Horowitz, I came across the following passage:
In writing a birth plan, a woman focuses on fending off outside forces which she fears will shape her birth. This effort distracts her from trusting herself, her body and her spirituality. Rather than planning her own hard work and surrender, her energy is diverted towards controlling the anticipated actions of others. There are no unique birth plans. While your birth plan is unique to you, it won’t seem that way to your hospital or doctor. All women ask for the same thing: respect, dignity, support to birth naturally with minimal routine intervention and no unnecessary separation from the baby. Trying to change the medical system risks creating defensive, resistant, and hyper-vigilant mindsets. You may feel a sense of power during this process, but it’s an illusion, and more importantly, a distraction from developing genuine personal power. This fear-based, externally directed preparation (”I don’t want this,” “I don’t want that”) flows unproductively through the mind-body connection; it’s harder for your body to let go when your guard is up…Another hidden danger is when an authority “accepts” a birth plan during pregnancy. At that point, there’s a strong tendency for women to stop worrying, stop exploring, and stop accessing personal resources
Making a birth plan can create a false sense of confidence for women, as if their fighting is over once the plan is written and discussed, when in fact, the birth plan is simply the first of many battles.
There is something inherently wrong about having to ask permission to not be abused or taken advantage of. Although there may be doctors and nurses who respect the birth plan, and women for whom the birth plan worked in achieving their goals in a hospital birth, it just doesn’t seem appropriate for a woman to have to protect herself from the system.
It is like meeting a man who has a prior conviction for domestic violence, and agreeing to date him if he signs an affidavit promising not to lay a hand on you. Does the affidavit excuse his past behavior? Or even guarantee his future behavior?
Along the same lines, I am hearing suggestions to bring gifts or treats to “bribe” the nurses and staff on shift when you enter the hospital, to encourage them to be more amenable to conceding to your wishes. Again, it isn’t appropriate for a woman to have to resort to bribes to protect herself during the most vulnerable time in her life.
Birth plans have their place. A birth plan can be as important for the person who writes it as the person for whom it’s intended. For many women, a birth plan is their first exposure to hospital procedures, and helps many women to understand what is and isn’t necessary in a normal labor. I think a birth plan is an excellent tool for self-discovery, and education about the labor and delivery process. However, I think birth plans should be made with caution: mothers should make the birth plan with the understanding that the birth plan is more symbolic than anything, and that she herself must be proactive in actually getting the choices she desires.
I think overall, birth plans are counterproductive and ultimately do not result in any real positive effect in hospital routine and policy. I think doctors and nurses are generally disdainful of birth plans, and view them as a woman’s security blanket and subject to change in labor. There are the rare professionals who view a birth plan with respect and appreciate a well-informed patient, but I believe these to be the exception rather than the rule.
Women should not birth in a hospital at all if they are concerned about their rights being violated, as there is no guarantee, not even the birth plan, that their rights will be preserved. However, if you feel that you have no choice but to birth in a hospital, and a birth plan is your only option for protection, I have some suggestions for you:
1. Don’t get too complicated and long with your birth plan. The longer it is, the more likely the doctor is to simply gloss over it and not concern himself with the details. Put the most non-negotiable issues in to be sure they are seen. Also, doctors and nurses view a longer, more complicated birth plan as a ticket to disaster, as they perceive the woman who writes it as “unrealistic” in her birth expectations.
2. Know why you are requesting/refusing certain procedures and tests. Some nurses often don’t know why procedures are done, or even that they can be harmful. They are simply following the rules. If you are armed with the correct information, you can educate, as well as be taken more seriously as an informed consumer.
3. Make three copies of your birth plan and have your doctor sign each one. Leave one with your doctor, put one on file in the hospital, and keep one on you to bring with you to the hospital when you go into labor. Nurses are a lot more likely to acquiesce to your requests when they see you already have signed permission from your doctor to go contrary to hospital procedure.
4. Be prepared to fight. Your fight for your rights just begins when you enter those doors. If you don’t know if you can argue during your labor, bring someone who knows your birth plan and will fight for you.
Good luck with your birth plan. I’m not convinced that using a birth plan will result in better outcomes for laboring women, but I hope that they might. We need all the help we can get.
Written by Emily Jones · Filed Under Editorials
http://www.truebirth.com/2008/03/the-birth-plan-trap/
Monday, May 25, 2009
BIRTH GODDESS
BIRTH GODDESS
I am a birth goddess.
My body, the holder of life; cradled and caressed in my womb.
I am a birth goddess.
My skin radiates and glows,my breasts full of milk so magical that man nor nature can duplicate.
I am a birth goddess.
My belly grows beyond boundaries seemingly impossible,
to accommodate this little stranger growing within.
I am a birth goddess.
Just as I know how to breathe, I know how to give birth.
I need not of your modern medicine or techniques,
they only interfere with the wisdom of my body.
I am a birth goddess.
My body and baby are perfectly in tune, only they know the moment when birth will begin.
Not a minute too soon, not a minute too late.
I am a birth goddess.
My wonderful womb will bring down my baby, on it's own time; it does not adhere to clocks.
I am a birth goddess.
My body knows when and how to push, even if I have never given birth before.
My intuitive birthing ability has been passed to methrough thousands of years and billions of women;they are my sisters in birth. I need no aide of your devices.
I am a birth goddess.
Bright lights only blind the very sensitive eyes of my baby, loud noises scare him.
Have reverence for new life and a new mother.
I am a birth goddess.
My chest as warm as the sun,waiting and ready for my baby.
My body alone can warm my baby to the perfect temperature.
I am a birth goddess.
My baby is ready to suckle,I offer my breast.
My body possesses all the nourishment my baby will need.
I am a birth goddess.
I trust my body, I trust birth.
I believe birth is safe and sacred.
I am a birth goddess.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Midwifery and Lactation Education
I presume most of you know that I'm studying to become a homebirth midwife and I've been working on the accreditation process of becoming a Le Leche Leader and starting a group in Delaware. Currently there isn't an active LLL group in Delaware. Well I started attending Delaware Tech Community College this past semester and I am enrolled in the nursing program.
The only reason I'm enrolled in the nursing program is because my GI Bill isn't approved for DEM (direct-entry midwife) distance learning programs. Since September 2007 I've been trying to figure out a way to get the DEM programs approved with no luck. I am having great difficulty with the nursing program. It is so difficult for me to do well in something I have NO interest in and that I feel isn't going to help me at all with being a midwife. I secured a preceptor, a seasoned midwife who trains new midwives, over a year ago but obviously the timing isn't right with having two young boys. Nevertheless I've been trying to figure out a way to use my GI Bill in such a way that it will give me skills that will me as a midwife. A couple weeks ago I learned of an on-line program in human lactation taught through Wichita State University(WSU). My GI Bill is approved for WSU. The program normally consists of nurses and those that are working on their masters or doctorate. All others are approved by a case-by-case basis. I've written one of the instructors and heard back from them. I told them about my clinical experience with breastfeeding and the great IBCLC's (international board certified lactation consultant) that I worked with. Great news I was approved for the program and was told I would be well suited for it!!! I am thrilled beyond words. I have also figured out which pathway I can take to become an IBCLC. I have over 500hrs+ breastfeeding counseling. A year as an LLL Leader accounts for 500 more hours. I'm hoping to become a leader by the end of summer. I already have a meeting room reserved at a nursing home. I'm on it like white on rice! Just want to clarify I'm not becoming a LLL Leader to become an IBCLC. I want to be both! In fall I will be taking the Human Lactation course at WSU and a sociology course at the local community college.A couple weeks ago I was thinking I might attend a massage therapy school until I FINALLY figured out a way to use my GI Bill for midwifery education. Let me explain this as simply as possibly. In august a new brand of GI Bill will become effective, it's called the Post 9/11 bill. It pays for ALL of your education of an approved program, a yearly $1,000 stipend for books & supplies and a monthly BAH (housing allowance). From my understanding regardless of how many credits I'm taking I still get the BAH. So I will stay enrolled at Delaware Tech and come fall apply for the new GI Bill, take one class per semester and then use my BAH to pay for midwifery school!
Wahla! I'm looking into Ancient Art Midwifery Institute(AAMI), the reviews are great by current students and the whole program is around $3500. I will enroll in AAMI in Januaray. I am still planning to learn prenatal and infant massage eventually.So while attending the local community college part-time I will simultaneously attend AAMI. I'm also going to take Sociology and Infant & Child Development because those courses are recommended (not required) to sit for the IBCLC exam. I already I have taken nutrition and psychology, currently I'm in anatomy & physiology courses.
Then I will use the rest of my GI Bill up by taking courses in Spanish :O)
Until I'm a midwife I've decided I'm going to be a doula (labor support), I will attend my first birth in July as a doula! I'm going to be offering belly casting and placenta encapsulation as an extra service. I'm very excited about this!
The only reason I'm enrolled in the nursing program is because my GI Bill isn't approved for DEM (direct-entry midwife) distance learning programs. Since September 2007 I've been trying to figure out a way to get the DEM programs approved with no luck. I am having great difficulty with the nursing program. It is so difficult for me to do well in something I have NO interest in and that I feel isn't going to help me at all with being a midwife. I secured a preceptor, a seasoned midwife who trains new midwives, over a year ago but obviously the timing isn't right with having two young boys. Nevertheless I've been trying to figure out a way to use my GI Bill in such a way that it will give me skills that will me as a midwife. A couple weeks ago I learned of an on-line program in human lactation taught through Wichita State University(WSU). My GI Bill is approved for WSU. The program normally consists of nurses and those that are working on their masters or doctorate. All others are approved by a case-by-case basis. I've written one of the instructors and heard back from them. I told them about my clinical experience with breastfeeding and the great IBCLC's (international board certified lactation consultant) that I worked with. Great news I was approved for the program and was told I would be well suited for it!!! I am thrilled beyond words. I have also figured out which pathway I can take to become an IBCLC. I have over 500hrs+ breastfeeding counseling. A year as an LLL Leader accounts for 500 more hours. I'm hoping to become a leader by the end of summer. I already have a meeting room reserved at a nursing home. I'm on it like white on rice! Just want to clarify I'm not becoming a LLL Leader to become an IBCLC. I want to be both! In fall I will be taking the Human Lactation course at WSU and a sociology course at the local community college.A couple weeks ago I was thinking I might attend a massage therapy school until I FINALLY figured out a way to use my GI Bill for midwifery education. Let me explain this as simply as possibly. In august a new brand of GI Bill will become effective, it's called the Post 9/11 bill. It pays for ALL of your education of an approved program, a yearly $1,000 stipend for books & supplies and a monthly BAH (housing allowance). From my understanding regardless of how many credits I'm taking I still get the BAH. So I will stay enrolled at Delaware Tech and come fall apply for the new GI Bill, take one class per semester and then use my BAH to pay for midwifery school!
Wahla! I'm looking into Ancient Art Midwifery Institute(AAMI), the reviews are great by current students and the whole program is around $3500. I will enroll in AAMI in Januaray. I am still planning to learn prenatal and infant massage eventually.So while attending the local community college part-time I will simultaneously attend AAMI. I'm also going to take Sociology and Infant & Child Development because those courses are recommended (not required) to sit for the IBCLC exam. I already I have taken nutrition and psychology, currently I'm in anatomy & physiology courses.
Then I will use the rest of my GI Bill up by taking courses in Spanish :O)
Until I'm a midwife I've decided I'm going to be a doula (labor support), I will attend my first birth in July as a doula! I'm going to be offering belly casting and placenta encapsulation as an extra service. I'm very excited about this!
Friday, May 22, 2009
My Trip to Denmark!
I just returned Monday the 18thfrom a conference put on my Midwifery Today in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a 5-day long conference. There I took workshops on breech birth, shoulder dystocia, 1st & 2nd stage difficulties, 3rd stage & hemorrhage, placenta medicine, birth models that work, postpartum care, pursuing the birth machine, birthing women-sacred ground, etc. There I met Marsden Wagner, Ina May Gaskin, Robbie-Davis Floyd, Cornelia Enning, Michel Odent, Jan Tritten, Gail Hart, Enedya Spradlin-Ramos and other local Denmark midwives.
There were about 100 women in attendance from 32 different countries. It was so very interesting to learn about midwifery in Europe, it is SOOOOO different then it is in the states! In Europe the government pays for you to attend a 3yr program, after completion of the program the midwife can work in hospital, birth center or home. I befriended a Danish midwifery student and at the hospital she is doing her clinicals at they have a 15% c-section rate, they do breech, twins and vbac births! I told her she doesn't know how lucky she is! VBAC is becoming banned in most hospitals these days in the states, vaginal twins are rarely heard of and breech birth is a thing of the past. Even some homebirth midwives are afraid to do twins and breech, it's really too sad we've let peer pressure affect the way we advocate for women and babies. If we are practicing based on fear are we really serving mothers and babies?
It was so wonderful to meet other midwives and student midwives, what a sense of sisterhood! I really bonded with an Irish midwife named Claire and the Danish midwifery student I mentioned earlier name Caja. Claire and I did lunch often and did dinner a few times. One evening I met Caja after work, we went to a coffeehouse and then back to her flat to make some dinner. We chatted for hours over beer and chili, we had so much to share with one another.
Michel Odent was quite funny and not as hard to understand as I anticipated. Michel has a new book called The Function of Orgasms. Robbie Davis-Floyd is a terrific speaker. I got her new book Birth Models That Workthat was co-authored with Jan Tritten, I had them both sign it. Cornelia Enning, author of Placenta: The Gift of Life, blew my mind! Her class on placenta medicine was so enlightening. I knew that placenta encapsulation was good for PPD(postpartum depression), PPH (postpartum hemorrhage), fatigue and milk supply. I had no idea it has anti-aging effects, good for colic, cosmetics, circulatory for the heart, and good for memory. Really really fascinating! I also purchased a book called Survivor Moms: Women's Stories of Birthing, Healing and Mothering After Sexual Abuse. I myself have not endured sexual abuse but I know women I will be serving as a doula, lactation consultant and midwife have been; I feel it is prudent I learn how to handle the delicate situation. I want to be very mindful of that.
I'm really looking forward to attending the Philadelphia conference next year in April and the Scotland one in fall!
One thing the conference did do was motivate me more to be more of an activist within my own community. Sure we can talk the talk but can we put our money where our mouth is? So I have some plans to advocate more for midwifery, doulas and birth. I'm going to start an organization of doulas that serve Delaware. I want to meet every other month and host an annual conference. I already have ideas for speakers and topics for the annual conference. I'm also going to submit an article to my local community newspaper on "5 Tips to Achieve a Normal Natural Birth" and then later an article on legalizing midwifery in the state of Delaware and submit it to the state news. Then maybe later an article to a national mainstream pregnancy magazine publication about the status of our maternity health care system that has been part of my driving force to become a homebirth midwife.
In addition I'm working on becoming a Le Leche League leader and starting a group in Delaware, there currently isn't any. I will be taking a course in Human Lactation in the fall, thus becoming an IBCLC.
While I was away from my 14mos old I pumped four times a day to keep my supply up. I donated all the milk I pumped to a client of a midwife that was attending the conference. She was 2wks PP and was hospitalized due to a bacterial infection and was working on re-establishing her milk supply.
Here are some pictures from the conference, enjoy!
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