Pregnant in America

A new documentary about the state of childbirth in the US is going to be released on DVD on December 16th! Pregnant in America examines

the betrayal of humanity's greatest gift--birth--by the greed of U.S. corporations. Hospitals, insurance companies and other members of the healthcare industry have all pushed aside the best care of our infants and mothers to play the power game of raking in huge profits.
His wife pregnant, first-time filmmaker Steve Buonaugurio set out to create a film that will expose the underside of the U.S. childbirth industry and help end its neglectful exploitation of pregnancy and birth with help from producers Betsy Chasse and Straw Weisman.
Pregnant in America is the controversial story of life's greatest miracle in the hands of a nation's most powerful interests.

Watch the trailer...

Expecting parents: What is a doula?

Since they focus solely on non-medical care, doulas can spend their energy comforting and encouraging the mother and her family and helping them navigate the slew of questions and decisions that often need to be addressed during labor and delivery. “When I’m working with parents as a doula I want my role to be uncomplicated by the clinical aspects of birth,” says Young. “I’m there to meet their emotional needs, physical comfort needs, to help them with information.”

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Home Births are on the Rise

Births in New York’s hospitals, where pediatricians are able to check babies immediately for potentially dangerous conditions, it should be noted, still vastly outnumber those in its homes — in 2006 home births accounted for only one-half of 1 percent of the city’s 125,506 reported births.

But local midwives say they have been swamped with calls and requests in recent months, in some cases increasing their workload from two, three or four deliveries a month to as many as 10. (New York health department statistics for this year will not be available until 2010.) Several certified nurse midwives who have home-birth-only practices said they had gotten so many more requests in recent months that they have begun referring pregnant women to midwives in Rockland County, Long Island and New Jersey.

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Mom's Group at Journey Birth Services

Come to Amy's house and meet other moms on the second Wednesday of each month. Meetings start at 11am and end at 2pm. Bring lunch or something to share. Children are always welcome!

Where:
52 Marshall Road
Glen Mills, PA 19342

When:
Wednesday, November 12th 11am to 2pm
Wednesday, December 10th 11am to 2pm

Journey Birth Services is adding retail!

I am excited to announce that I have added a retail section to my services. Everything I sell is available either at my office in Glen Mills or online. If you are a current or previous customer of Journey Birth Services, you receive a 10% discount on anything you buy - email me for the discount code. Also, 5% of profits from the retail store will go directly to the Rising Moon Birth Fund. Rising Moon Birth Fund seeks to make homebirth a viable option for families with financial obstacles through fundraising, outreach, and education. Clients of any midwives in the Philadelphia and surrounding areas may apply to the Rising Moon Birth Fund. So, feel free to shop! I'm adding new products all the time. If you're looking for something I don't carry, feel free to email me and let me know - maybe I can carry it!

Patient undergoing C-section dies

From the Boston Globe:

The risk of death from a caesarean section is estimated at fewer than 1 in 2,500, according to information on the hospital's website.

That is significantly more than the roughly 1-in-10,000 risk of death during a vaginal birth.

Read more...

Freebirthing on Discovery Health

Freebirthing
Premieres Tuesday, October 21 at 9 pm

Tune In: Freebirthing

A growing movement of women in the US and in the UK are defying medical advice and choosing to give birth with no drugs, no midwife and absolutely no medical support. Supporters claim it's how having a baby was always meant to be. Doctors say this new 'freebirthing' craze carries great risks.

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Maternity-care failings can be remedied with cost-saving fixes

It's a problem seen throughout health care, but it might be of particular concern when the patient is a healthy pregnant woman: the overuse of tests and potentially risky procedures that, at best, might benefit only a limited number of patients, and the underuse of proven techniques with few or no known drawbacks.

Read more...

Having a homebirth?

Are you due in January and are planning a homebirth? If so, check this out - you might be interested.

My name is Zach Marion and I work at Video Arts Studios in Fargo, ND. We produced the series House of Babies for the Discovery Health Network. Under the guidance of master midwife, Sheri Daniels, at the Miami Maternity Center, the show follows couples during their pregnancy and ends with the delivery of their baby. It was very instrumental in raising awareness about non-clinical birthing practices on a national level.

Recently we have been approached to create a one-hour special on unique birthing practices worldwide. We are looking for families that would like to share their story on camera from pregnancy to delivery. Ideal candidates are expecting mothers due in and around early January that are planning to give birth outside of a clinic or birth center. This includes home births and beyond. The point of the show is to raise awareness about the alternative birthing options in the U.S. with the help of a midwife. Hopefully, the special creates a healthy dialogue among midwives, doctors, to-be parents, and the general public. Stories that are of particular interest are those that include interesting traditions during pregnancy and unique backdrops during delivery. For example, a Hindu family that wants to deliver outside or a family of hippies that are pursuing a home birth in a tent.

As you can imagine, access is usually the greatest struggle. Our presence at the birth goes nearly unnoticed. This unobtrusive nature was learned through experience gained while producing 26 episodes of House of Babies.

Do any clients spring to mind that might want to be a part of this project? Any and all contact leads are much appreciated. Feel free to contact me by phone with inquiries or information. I am available during weekdays between 8 and 5 CST. Thank you for your time.


Sincerely,

Zach Marion
Video Arts Studios
1440 4th Avenue North
Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 232-3393
zach@videoartsstudios.com

Vaccine Talk in Downingtown

Vaccines: Controversies and Choices at the Downingtown Town Library on October 23rd at 6:30 pm, with Nicole and Russ of Bailey Family Chiropractic. It will last about an hour and be very informative. Please let Nicole Bailey know if you plan on coming.

Divas N Babes

When I was pregnant with Henry, I bought a Mei Tai from Divas N Babes. Tonjia was WONDERFUL to work with and her carriers and clothing are just beautiful - check her out! Anyways, she's going to be on WHYY's "Delaware Tonight" segment at 5:30pm. Be sure to tune in! OH, and if you check out her site, you can even see me and Henry (when he was 4 months old!) modeling the Bosom Buddies shirts... now I know you'll be headed over there!

Facebook

Journey Birth Services is now on Facebook! Feel free to come and check it out - you can be automatically notified of events through Facebook.

Mom's Group at Journey Birth Services

Come to Amy's house and meet other moms on the second Wednesday of each month, beginning in October. Meetings start at 11am and end at 2pm. Bring lunch or something to share. Children are always welcome!

Where:
52 Marshall Road
Glen Mills, PA 19342

When:
Wednesday, October 8th 11am to 2pm
Wednesday, November 12th 11am to 2pm
Wednesday, December 17th 11am to 2pm

Free Lecture on Vaccination Choices and Controversies (Media, PA)

Please join the Delaware County chapter of Holistic moms Network for our monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 7pm at Ohm Chiropractic Center, 327 N Middletown Road in Media. This month we will have Dr. Jeanne Ohm from Ohm Chiropractic Center present her lecture Vaccinations - Choices and Controversies.

We had such a great turn out and follow up requests for information on this topic when we presented it back in June that we decided to offer the presentation again for those of you who may have missed it before. Dr. Ohm specializes in prenatal chiropractic care for expectant mothers and their infants. In addition to her time in the office, Dr. Ohm travels internationally and speaks about Vaccinations - Choices and Controversies. She is on post-graduate faculty for numerous chiropractic colleges and is the Executive Coordinator of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. (As always, children are welcome at our meetings, but as an FYI, this presentation will run longer than our typical HMN meetings and will include a PowerPoint presentation shown in the downstairs lecture room at Ohm Chiropractic.)

Placenta Encapsulation

From Placenta Benefits.info:

Women who take placenta capsules report fewer emotional issues, have more energy and tend to enjoy a faster, more pleasant postpartum recovery.

Find a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist near you here.

Postpartum Support - Chat with an Expert

Postpartum Support International, or PSI, is offering free, anonymous chat sessions with licensed mental health professionals.

This is a safe place where you can feel free to ask questions you would like to have answered. Having a baby is a major emotional and physical adjustment. It’s normal to wonder:

“Is It Just the Blues?

“Am I the only one who feels this way?”

“What can I do to help my daughter, friend, niece, wife?”

This is a place where Moms, family members, support people for moms, or professionals can find some answers.

For more information and the chat schedule, click here.

Childhood Vaccination: Questions All Parents Should Ask

There will be a free talk in Philadelphia Tuesday Sept 9th, at 7pm at the office of:

Dr George Rhodes
2409 Waverly St (near Fitler Square)
Philadelphia PA 19146
215 546 1977

If you have questions please contact his office, or email Kate Rhodes.

Babies most in need are not being breastfed

While the CDC recently reported that more moms than ever give breastfeeding a try, a new national study shows most moms do not stick with it as long as they should.

Although 77 percent of moms nationally start to breastfeed, the new Brigham Young University study found that only 36 percent of babies are breastfed through six months, well short of the federal government’s goal to hit 50 percent by 2010. The American Association of Pediatricians recommends continued breastfeeding through the first year.

Read more...

The Birth Survey

An announcement from the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services:

The Birth Survey is Now Available!

For years, consumers have enthusiastically shared online reviews of movies, restaurants, products and services, but readily available information about maternity care providers and birth settings was nearly unattainable-no longer. As part of the Transparency in Maternity Care Project, CIMS developed The Birth Survey as an online resource for sharing consumer reviews of doctors, midwives, hospitals, and birth centers, learning about the choices and birth experiences of others, and viewing data on hospital and birth center standard practices and intervention rates. The Birth Survey is now accessible online nationwide in the United States.

TIME: Giving Birth at Home

For most pregnant women, a key part of their birth plan involves how they'll get to the hospital. But more and more moms-to-be are skipping that step and planning to deliver at home. Old-school birthing is back in style, with well-read women forsaking obstetricians for midwives and epidurals for warm baths. These women want to give birth in their own bed or tub, with none of the medical interventions that have become staples of modern childbirth, like contraction-inducing medication and C-sections, which now serve as the grand finale in nearly a third of U.S. births.

Read more...