Birth Matters Virginia

Christiane Northrup: A Woman's Nation: Reclaim Your Right to Birth Right

On October 16, 2009, Christiane Northrup published an article in the Huffington Post about women's rights to birth in their own way.

The times have truly changed. According to the newly released The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything, women now make up half the work force for the first time in written history! This means that our voices and skills are impacting all areas of society more than ever before. The Shriver Report also found that for both men and women, health is their number one priority! Since women make the vast majority of healthcare decisions in their families--and have the buying power to do it--we women are in a very powerful position to influence the future of healthcare in America. Nowhere is this more critical than in the area of pregnancy and birth.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christiane-northrup/c-section-or-natural-birt_b_323422.html

Read more of Christiane's articles here.

Breastfeeding Across the World: Philippines

As the World Health Organization hands out more and more citations for violations regarding aggressive formula marketing, mothers are fighting back and demanding that breastfeeding be recognnized as a right, as well as the best source of nutrition for their children.

From Time Magazine:

Philippines Kicks Off Global Mass Breastfeeding

By Madeleine Fitzpatrick Friday, Oct. 02, 2009

Mothers promote breastfeeding in Manila in 2006

Jay Directo / AFP / Getty

 

"Through events like Friday's Synchronized Breastfeeding Worldwide, advocates like Henares-Esguerra have helped make the Philippines, which has one of Asia's highest birthrates, one of the leaders in the international legal effort to support women's right to breastfeed. Aimed at controlling aggressive marketing of formula-milk companies, particularly in developing nations, pro-breastfeeding laws target corporate practices like sponsoring maternity-related events, giving out formula samples to new mothers, and indicating on labels and advertising that their products make babies smarter. "Breastfeeding can save the lives of both mothers and infants. It may be the single most important intervention for promoting Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 [reducing child mortality and improving maternal health]," says Grace Agrasada, professor of pediatrics at the University of the Philippines, Manila, and the country's first International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (Henares-Esguerra is the second)."

 

Read the full story from Time here. 

You can also read the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes here.

Birth Centers will save $47 MILLION!!!

A note from the American Association of Birth Centers:

We have Good News for Healthcare Reform.  The Congressional Budget Office has evaluated the Birth Center Medicaid Reimbursement Act (HR 2358 and S 1423) and says:

 

It will SAVE at least $47 million over the next 10 Years!

 

If your Representatives and Senators are not co-sponsors of the Bill, you need to ACT NOW. 

 

1) Meet or call the staff at your legislators' district offices.  Invite them to your birth center.

 

2) Call their Washington, DC offies and ask to speak with their Health Legislative Assistant.

 

3) Tell them about our bill to add the birth center to Medicaid services.  Let them know if they will co-sponsor and help pass this bill, that it will Save Healthcare Dollars!!

 

4) Make sure that the staff will commit to calling you back with an answer. If they will not co-sponsor-find out why. 

This is a nonpartisan issue about the health of mothers and babies, access to care, and saving federal dollars.  Let's add as many co-sponsors as we can this month!

 

We are asking you to make your calls today!!

Learn more about how you can make a difference at www.birthcenters.org.

ICAN Fundraiser

Help support the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN)!  It's quick and easy!  Spread the word to help ICAN help women, babies, and families everywhere!

Raise Money for ICAN!

 

$1.50

Now you can help raise money for ICAN without buying or selling anything! Instead of writing a check, you can raise money by writing online reviews of local businesses you already use on insiderpages.com. Each review you write earns up to

 

$1.50. If you post the 2nd - 4th review of a business, Insider Pages will donate up to $0.50! Reviews of chain stores or chain restaurants do not count towards our Fundraiser.

Dates:

08/08/09 - 08/29/09.

How to Participate:

1.

Sign up at http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraisers/International-Cesarean-Awareness-Network

2.

Write reviews of any local businesses or services that you have used within the last 2 years. Just writing 20-30 reviews is a great step towards reaching our goal of $9,000.00

Check out this list of businesses to help you get started:

Health & Fitness Home & Garden

- Doctor - Plumber

- Dentist - Electrician

- Pediatrician - Contractor

- Gym - Cleaning Service

Financial Services Beauty & Spa

- Accountant - Day Spa

- Tax Attorney - Hair Salon

- Bank - Nail Salon

- Mortgage Company - Dermatologist

Child Care Pets & Animals

- Preschool - Animal Hospital

- Day Care - Pet Sitter

- Summer Camp - Groomer

- Tutor - Pet Store

3.

Recruit friends and family to participate. Just direct them to our fundraising page here.  Anybody over 18 can write reviews and help us reach our goal.

Questions?

Contact the Insider Pages Fundraiser team at [email protected]. Remember to put "International Cesarean Awareness Network" in the subject of the email.

We've got 3 weeks to raise as much as we can. Let's get started!!!!

Thanks!

Melody T.

The Big Push!

85% of American women will give birth at some point in their life.  Having a midwife attend her birth, in the safety and comfort of her home, should be an option to any woman experiencing a low-risk pregnancy.  If you've ever wondered, "What's the big deal?  Why are midwives so important?" check out The Big Push and watch the video!  Access to care is half the battle!

HR 2358

News from the American Association of Birth Centers!!!

HR 2358 - The Medicaid Birth Center Reimbursement Act

U.S. Reps. Susan Davis (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the Medicaid Birth Center Reimbursement Act to ensure Medicaid birth center facility fee payments to states.     Today, President Obama announced that health care leaders have pledged to save the nation $2 trillion in the next 10 years.  Birth centers are part of the solution to our soaring maternity care costs, and they also provide a safety net for Medicaid women.  This is not the time to be discontinuing payment to facilities that provide safe, cost-effective care for healthy women with Medicaid   All or our work is paying off, however, we still have much to do to pass this legislation.   NEXT STEPS 1) Call your U.S. Representatives and Senators Ask your Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 2358 The Medicaid Birth Center Reimbursement Act. Ask your Senators to sponsor a Senate Bill Click here for information on How to Contact Your Legislators in 6 Easy Steps.      2) Continue to spread the word/collect signatures for the Consumer Letter We are over half way to our goal of 10,000 signatures by May 31st. Let's keep the momentum going.  Spread the word via email, facebook, put the letter in your waiting rooms, on your websites.  Make our voices heard!   Download the letter to put in your waiting room or anywhere else people gather.   Sign on the letter on the web.   Put a link to the letter on your website: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XGO2ZxaqKojCOGBg_2fBVxWg_3d_3d   3) Continue to collect signatures for the Physician Letter from our friends in the medical community.  Legislators want to know that we have support from physicians.

We need EVERYONE to take action and ensure that our bill is passed as soon as possible!   Sincerely, Jill Alliman, CNM, MSN Chair, Legislative Committee American Association of Birth Centers

Breastfeeding Advocacy Day!

The DC Breastfeeding Coalition, in partnership with the District of Columbia and Virginia chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is leading the local lobbying efforts to promote the reintroduction of the Breastfeeding Promotion Act.  You are invited to a Breastfeeding Advocacy Day in Washington, DC on Wednesday, June 10, 2009.

Register Now!

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 would provide a unified national policy to promote breastfeeding in the workplace.  The Act includes four provisions:

1.  Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding women from being fired or discriminated against in the workplace.

2.  Provides tax incentives for businesses that establish private lactation areas in the workplace.

3.  Provides for a performance standard to ensure breast pumps are safe and effective.

4.  Allows breastfeeding equipment and lactation service to be tax deductible for families.

We will start the day with advocacy training information about Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's Breastfeeding Promotion Act.  Lunch will be provided, and in the afternoon, participants will visit their representatives in the House and Senate to encourage them to support the act.  Details on appointments with your representatives will be sent once you have registered your intent to participate. 

The deadline for registration is Monday, June 1, 2009.  Registration will be limited to 80 people, so sign up now!

District of Columbia Breastfeeding Coalition

P.O. Box 29214

Washington, DC 20017

Phone: (202) 470-2732

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.dcbfc.org

Birth Centers Need Your Help!!!

The federal administrative judge ruled against birth centers in the Texas Medicaid case. The federal government (CMS) is not required  to pay the state their federal match for birth center facility fees.     So far CMS has disallowed payments to Alaska, South Carolina, Texas and Washington state for birth center facility charges. The Texas appeal would have directed CMS to continue paying the 42 Texas birth centers their facility fees - as it had for over 20 years.   The nationwide implications of this ruling for birth centers could be catastrophic.  This decision applies to all states.  Without payment of the birth center facility fees, birth centers in all states will be pushed to the brink of closure.  We have already seen centers close in the state of Washington.   We have been proactive in finding a permanent solution for centers nationwide,  and are actively lobbying for legislation that would mandate the birth center facility fee payment to the states in Medicaid. Representative Susan Davis (D) from California and Representative Gus Bilirakis (R) from Florida are set to introduce the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.   HOW YOU CAN HELP 1) Spread the word and gather signatures for the Consumer Letter  Many of you are already spreading the word via email and putting the letter in your waiting rooms - that's great!   Download the letter to put in your waiting room or anyone else people gather.   Sign on the letter on the web.   Put a link to the letter on your website - Here's the html code: <a href="Click'>http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XGO2ZxaqKojCOGBg_2fBVxWg_3d_3d">Click Here to sign the Consumer Letter</a>   2) Call your U.S. Representatives and Senators The House Bill has both a Democrat and Republican lead sponsor.  Now, we need the same in the Senate.  Ask for their support of this legislation.  Download to "Pregnant Women's Access to Care Threatened" for some talking points. Our future depends on it!   3) Continue to collect signatures for the Physician Letter from our friends in the medical community.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to get our birth center legislation introduced and passed!   Sincerely, Jill Alliman, CNM, MSN Legislative Chair  American Association of Birth Centers

NARM needs your help!

Dear Friend of Midwives,

Only three more days to add your name to the NARM petition in support of all routes to midwifery education.  NARM’s hope is that this amazing response will send a clear message to the ACNM that the time has come to end internal strife and work together to move midwifery forward.  By Wednesday, NARM will close the petition and prepare to present it to the ACNM Executive Committee at the end of the week at the annual ACNM convention in Seattle. If you haven’t signed it yet, NOW is the time.  If you have already signed it, please ask any additional family, friends, and colleagues to sign on.  Let’s hit 5000 names!  Sign the petition here.

NARM has taken a stand in support of all routes of midwifery education, including a formal, structured apprenticeship.  We would like to be able to inform you of our progress with influencing the ACNM to change its Position Statement against apprenticeship education.  We also know that as we work to make more CPMs available to more women, we will continue to face opposition to our training, our standards of individualized and woman-centered practice, and our very existence as a viable profession in the US.  Your voice is what gives us the power and authority to demand a seat at the table over health care reform, access to quality maternity care for all women, and implementation of programs on the state and federal level that will enable more women to have the choice to hire CPMs for their care.

If you would like to be notified of the results of this petition, please take a moment to register your contact information into a protected database controlled by NARM that will allow us to directly contact you with this information and other opportunities to take similar action at the state and federal level for midwifery. You will be able to select areas of interest to you and also remove yourself at any time from our subscription list.  NARM pledges to never share your name with any commercial entity and to only use your contact info for the purpose of direct notification of urgent issues and updates regarding promotion of the CPM credential.  Again, thank you for your continued support and for helping us to preserve apprentice based midwifery education in the US.

Join NARM’s protected advocacy list here.

Midwives and Students! One more way to get connected is through the new NARM Forum.  This forum is for open discussions about all things related to CPMs and the women they serve.  Please join us!

http://narm.org/forum  

Thank you!

The NARM Board

Transparency in Maternity Care

CIMS is calling for all members and supporters to join their effort to educate the public about the need for transparency in maternity care.  This is especially important during International Cesarean Section Awareness Month, and at a time when our nation's C-section rate is 31.8% - more than double the  World Health Organization's recommendation of 15%. 

Here are 2 easy ways you can help:

• Forward the press release to media outlets.  Click here to find local outlets.
• Join CIMS as an individual member.