Homebirth Diaries

A New Beginning

2008-09-01T02:57:00.000-07:00

Homebirth Diaries will shortly be put to rest, so that The LaborPayne Epistles may emerge. Please follow me to my new blog.

A Return to Love

2008-08-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here is what we need to do:

One: Love our bodies as they are.
Short ones, tall ones, fat ones, sleek ones, flabby ones, toned ones- it doesn't matter. We must first make friends with our own bodies. Our culture teaches us to loathe our bodies no matter how they look- we can never quite measure up. That is why we need to stop right now and choose to love our bodies no matter what they look like. I choose to love my chocolate brown skin, my full lips, my gray-speckled hair. I love it all. I find no fault with it. I groom it and dress it up and endeavor to look my best everyday. While I do have a goal to lose weight, I don't give myself negative messages. I make good food choices and work out almost every day. I know if I keep this up, I will lose weight, but I don't care about looking good tomorrow. I care about looking good today. So I buy nice things that flatter my physique as it is today. I must confess I have a great sense of style and I do get compliments almost daily on my appearance- despite the fact that I do not fit the standard of beauty in our culture. To the unobservant eye, I'm an overweight, old, black lady. Yes, I am those things, but to my own eyes, I am also beautiful. I believe that I am- so I project that view out onto the world from the inside of me. Hell, I'm downright sexy. A few rolls of fat can't stop the sexiness from oozing out through my pores. I believe with all my being that I am beautiful, therefore others believe it too. (There is a great lesson here. We cannot convince others of that which we ourselves do not believe .) How do you start to love yourself? Perhaps you have been bombarded all your life with messages that you are inadequate and do not measure up. Start there. Change those messages (at least the ones that come from inside you). Whenever you start to criticize your body, stop and change the words, even if you don't quite believe them yet. Say to yourself, "I accept my body." "I love my body." "I am grateful to my body." Women who do not love their bodies, do not believe in their bodies ability to birth. So let's start there. Love your body.
(You might also read 'A New Earth' by Eckart Tolle)

Two: Recognize that our bodies are not us.
They are the shell we travel this life in. While it is important to love your body, it is equally important not to mistake it for being you. You are a triune being, composed of body, mind, and spirit. Your spirit will live on, your body will age and die. It is all too easy to get caught up in the life of the body. Especially if you are a mom and have little ones at home. But please recognize, dear ones, that you are more, so much more, than today's laundry list of chores and meetings, and doings, and havings. Take time to honor your mind (read a good thinking book, or practice daily phrases of that language you always wanted to learn!) and to honor spirit (light a candle during daily quiet time, make time for prayer, or meditation, or if those kinds of activities don't suit you, dance wildly to music you love and that speaks to your soul, howl at a full moon!) You want a life of balance- well you don't get it by being mired in the body. Get out of the body if only a few minutes a day and pamper the mind and the spirit. You know what makes birth such an amazing experience? It doesn't just happen in the body, it happens to our minds and spirits as well. All the great landmark events of human experience do. We just get distracted with the physicality of birth, yet it is a tremendous mental/spiritual event as well. Make a plan today to honor all aspects of your amazing being- body, mind, and spirit.
(To emphasize these principles, it might be helpful to read Victoria Moran's 'Creating a Charmed Life')

Return to love, dear ones. Do not give in to our culture's condemnation or perversion of the feminine form. We must learn to love ourselves, and then loving birth will come to us.

Birth Prophecy

2008-08-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

For most of my life, I believed I was non-orgasmic. That is, I did not achieve orgasm during intercourse or as a result of intercourse, but only through masturbation. For a long time, this was an issue of great concern to myself and my husband. I read many books over the years, tried many 'techniques' all with the same disappointing result. But we persisted with both faith and creativity and some years ago now, we quite abruptly stumbled upon not 'the right technique' but the flood gate. Once we discovered, through trial and error, what triggers worked for me, we were delighted to find, that not only was I capable of achieving orgasm, but it was only the beginning of new found heights of responsiveness that I had never before even dreamed of. It appears foolish to me now, to think that I or any other woman could be labeled 'non-orgasmic.' The female body (indeed the human body) has amazing capabilities that because of our limiting beliefs and paralyzing fears lie mostly untapped and unknown. The same can be said for birth. We do not know what the body is capable of. We do not know because of the fears others seek to instill or because of false beliefs we choose to embrace. We think the issue is medicated birth vs natural birth, doctor vs midwife, or assisted vs unassisted. But I tell you this, the true lesson is love vs fear, control vs power, knowledge vs wisdom. We can cling to modern medicine to separate us from our own bodies, to relieve ourselves of any responsibility for our births, but the power to birth is within us still. We must fight to reclaim it - knowing it is already ours.

These sling back pumps were made for walking...

2008-08-25T05:11:00.001-07:00

I should clarify. I'm selling my business to my son. He has worked alongside me for two years now, learning the ropes. He is eager to take it over, and 'take it to the next level'. I confess, there's lots of potential for the business, and I know he'll do well with it. Something is happening to me. This business has been my baby, yet I knew in an instant I must sell it in order to grow and move forward. I'm not hesitant, nor even grieving. I'm just eager to get on to the next thing and give it my undivided attention. Today at school, I'll have a panel of postpartum moms, and then the pregs. I'm excited for today and the activities I have planned for my students. I'm also planning my next class and lining up speakers and planning exercises. My goal is to write 3 pages a day and to keep looking for speaking opportunities. I have decided to attend a spiritual retreat called Grace Adventure. It is a huge commitment that will take me away from my family for four weekends over the next 3 months. But I have internal work to do- I can't move forward until it gets done, and I'm chomping at the bit to move forward. I already have someone else to teach my students while I'm away. I will also be applying to NYU for a fellowship in nursing leadership. If I'm accepted, I'll be in NY six times in six months next year. One of my CPR students told me about this and I've been waiting all year to apply. I won't be speaking at AAP in Boston because it's too close to MANA but I did receive an award from them for best abstract (that was pretty cool, it came with a cash prize). It's good to wake up every morning eager to put my feet on the floor.

Fire Sale

2008-08-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm selling my business. I want to free up time to pursue my master's. I really wanted to own my own business. In four years I've grown a successful business- I've done it. Now it's time to move on. I really want to teach. I really want to write. I really want to speak. I'm giving myself permission to follow my bliss- which means, I'm selling my business. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm opening my arms wide to embrace it.

Offerings Upon the Alter

2008-08-18T04:46:00.000-07:00

I have returned from retreat- no new hairdo perhaps, but a new attitude. Every internal belief and mental construct has been challenged. I feel like humpty dumpty- shattered to pieces and in dire need of reconstruction. Yet I am at peace and full of hope and the clarity continues to come to me...

At the retreat, Morningstar had a reconsecration on Sunday night. It was a beautiful ceremony. She renewed her vows as a hermitess nun. One the the things that Morningstar is gifted at is creating ceremony. (She created one for me two years ago when I was pregnant) Folks come to her needing a ritual of celebration or mourning or whatever and she creates it for them at the Holy Land. (She makes alters like most folks bake a dozen cookies or fill a vase with flowers. I've decided to come home and make my own household alter- been wanting to do it for years) Morningstar literally created an outdoor church, hanging banners from her small forest of trees, setting up several alters, and tables for feasting afterwards. Her priest came to consecrate her(he was quite a sight in his long flowing white robes and white hair and beard- he looked like Saint Francis of Assisi in his church of the woods). About 50 people came bearing food and gifts and loving intentions including many of Morningstar's family and a small army of children she midwifed. Morningstar incorporated many of her native Cherokee elements into the ceremony. When she could not find an order that fit her beliefs and culture- she started her own- an order devoted to simple and sacred living. Ten years later she remains an order of one- with a worldwide community of supporters.

It occurred to me watching the ceremony play out, that Morningstar created something where there was once nothing. (her hermitage, her order, her priestesshood, her community) Surely this is what God wants of each of us. To join in and become a part of the creative process for good wherever we are, and where the capacity to perform our soul's work doesn't exist- to create it. This is my task in the work of birth.

Dangerous Mind

2008-08-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, yesterday I did something totally out of character. I was reading my book, minding my own business, when out of the blue (seemingly) I had a thought that I should go to the Holy Land (no, not that Holy Land). My hermitess nun's retreat center in central Missouri- she calls it the Holy Land. This thought came into my brain about 1:32. At 3:06, I was packed and on the road to Lake of the Ozarks. I left kids and husband for 3 days of silence and solitude. I didn't plan it, I just got up and went. I paid the mortgage, made dinner, arranged my kid a ride to soccer, gased up the van, called my husband at work to tell him what was up, and then I left on a 3 hour drive. I've never done anything like this, not sure why I did it now. But I felt an urgent need to get away from my life for a little while and process things. The Holy Land is beautiful. It's a little meadow nestled in between foothills on all sides (you can't make a cell phone call from there). Sr. Morningstar has many scultures and well tended gardens, along with her cottage, the retreat cottage and a small chapel. Folks also camp out in the meadow, or stay in the teepee, that's been erected on the land. Except for Morningstar and her dog, I am alone on the land. I read, write, pray, meditate, do chores I'm given (Morningstar says work can be done as a meditative practice- she tells me to imagine my old self being transformed as the wooden bench is transformed as I clean and oil it- I bet she learned that from Mr. Meyagi- 'Daniel son, wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off...') and gaze in wonder at the beauty all around me. I am in silence but it is not quiet. The sounds are constant, but not like city noise. In the relative quiet, I can hear my own voice. Not sure if this is an epiphany or descent into madness -it's sometimes difficult to tell the difference. My heart feels at peace, but my mind is all ablaze. Mostly I'm here to experience God(ness) and re-create my life and refine my mission. Tall order for 3 days in the sticks... I kinda feel like Moses ascending into the mountain wilderness. We'll see if I emerge in 3 days with an ethereal glow and a spiffy new hairdo (if Charlton Heston can get one, why can't I?)

Conversations With Myself

2008-08-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

I've been reading 'Conversations With God.' Stole it from my 17 year old- he wants it back, but I must finish it. So intriguing, so conflicted. I want to believe it- it makes so much sense to my way of thinking, yet it conflicts with everything I've ever been told is true. It's a spiritual dilemma in the making- I feel my middle giving way. One of the by-products of reading this book, is that my work as a birth advocate seems complete in light of it. I used to think, oh I'm just a birth advocate, it's not like finding a cure for cancer or brokering peace in the Middle East, but its my little contribution to the world. I even used to think my vocation was not 'spiritual enough.' After reading (only half of) CWG, I see what I do in a much larger context. I already knew birth work was what I was born to do- I just didn't see it as being essential to the world- I didn't see my presence as being essential to the world. Now everything is being shot to shit and I'm forced to delve deeper... to answer questions I don't know if I should be asking...

Calling All Pregs...

2008-08-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well not all pregs, only those between 6 and 9 months- in the Kansas City area. I need 4 pregnant ladies to volunteer for my upcoming nursing class on Aug. 25th. The students will measure and feel bellies for fetal positions. It will take about an hour of your time. Please contact me at laborpayne@yahoo.com if you are interested.

As if I don't have enough to do...

2008-08-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got an email from the doula list serve that said the doc and midwife will resume seeing patients on Wed. I suppose this is a victory, but I still have'nt got the whole story-which is why I delay in relating it. I'll try to go straight to the source for some input.

I heard through the grapevine Dr. Phil is asking for input for a show on homebirth. I sent an email- don't expect anything to come of it. (I like the good doc, but I do think he's biased and runs his own agenda. That could spell trouble for the person supporting the view he's opposed to- since he's not shy about bullying and berating.)

Check out this article from Time magazine on homebirth. I like that the topic is getting press. It lays out the pros and cons without drawing any conclusions and mentions the epic battle here in Missouri.

Just got the news this week- I'll be speaking at MANA (Midwives Alliance of North America), on the topic of healthcare blogs no less! I'll have to spend some time getting back on the circuit and finding some new birth blogs to cite. If you know of some you really like, let me know please. MANA will be in Traverse City Michigan (beautiful place!) in October. I attended a MANA there many years ago and loved it. The resort served cherries in every meal (thats what they are known for there) and I stole a quiet moment to walk the shores of Lake Michigan. I took my baby with me, who is now 14. Ironically, I was interviewed for a video production on homebirth at this conference when I attended in 1993, and it will be premiered at this year's conference (yes, it took fourteen years to complete- so I'm doing well going on year two of my production!). The producer, Sage Femme has amazingly kept in touch with me all this time (we see each other at MANAs) and has been an enthusiastic supporter of my work. I'll let you know when the video is out. I use her video, "My Baby, My Body, My Birth" to teach my nursing students. Last year was my first time to present at MANA. I'm looking forward to doing so again. I may be presenting at this year's AAP conference (American Academy of Pediatrics) as well on the topic of 'lactation in the African-American community'. Its in Boston near the same time as MANA so I don't know if I can work it out- but I have been invited.

I've officially applied to the master's program at the same nursing school I did my undergrad. I could finish my masters in nursing education in 1 year. (I already have a million hours from changing my major twice already- first CNM, then healthcare administration- so all I need it the educator specific courses). I'm excited to think I'll be finishing my masters soon. I'm more activist than academic, so I don't know how any employer will interpret my 'extracurricular activities'. It will probably be like L&D nursing- I'll probably lose a lot of jobs! But it makes for good storytelling!

Birth Activism 101

2008-08-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

So here's what happened. I got an email a couple of days ago off the doula list serve that a local DO and her partner CNM had their privileges suspended at a local hospital. This is a group that is highly regarded and recommended in the community. The were the first doctor midwife and midwife for this particular hospital. I don't know the circumstances for the suspension (the community is abuzz with speculation) but no one really knows because they are not supposed to speak about it. This action is not based on a consumer complaint (these women are well loved and respected). A local homebirth midwife called a letter writing campaign to support them and hopefully get their privileges reinstated. We did the letter writing thing last night, about 25 moms and a couple of dads got together at our local birthing center (which just recently reopened) and wrote all these nice letters. The homebirth midwife and I will deliver them to the hospital this morning, as the big meeting with the DO and CNM is tonight- of course its a closed meeting.

This makes me so angry. Another CNM under attack by her own facility. I've seen so many CNMs in this city tiptoeing through practice in order not to upset the apple cart. Sometimes even being sabotaged by their own success. Physicians complain if their practices grow too big or too fast. Babies born in a squat on the floor instead of on the bed, well we can't have that. The list goes on and on. Those few practitioners who doggedly try to make changes in the hospital setting have to constantly watch their backs for things like this. Even their labor nurses will rat them out if they deviate from 'the norm.' Its difficult to be an agent for change, whether you are on the inside or the outside. My challenge right now is to keep the bigger picture in mind- it's not just about these two practitioners, its about all the women they serve. All the women due right now, who will have to be delivered by 'the physician on call' if they go into labor this week, or find a new care provider at term. This is untenable. This is unethical. Women deserve better than this.

So I'll put a smile on my face, be nice, and deliver the letters, and hope they get read, and responded to. If not, we may have to kick things up a notch...

World Breastfeeding Week

2008-08-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

As promised my (edited) letter to the editor in my local paper. Going for the Gold

My so called academic life...

2008-08-03T05:43:00.001-07:00

Now that my class is over, and I have some time to reflect (two whole days before my second summer class starts) I'm amazed at how quickly I've become attached to this teaching thing. I'm also itching to get back to my writing. I need to get back to work on my homebirth book and I'm rethinking and tweaking the breastfeeding book. I plan on starting work on my masters again in September. I'm seriously thinking of changing from Nurse Executive Practice to Nurse Educator. I can see myself doing this. I can see it as a better jumping off place for my writing. Wow, I didn't think a part time gig would change me so much. I'm amazed that there is this much change in me. I feel so focused and sharpened, like I know what I want, and how to go get it. I've decided to continue teaching part time, finish my masters (about 2 years) and get out my books and documentary. More than enough to keep me busy over the next 2-3 years. I think I've accidently stumbled upon my life.

Living my life like it's golden...

2008-07-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

It's time to send my little darlings out into the world... Not my kids, my students! I finish up with this OB class for RNs on Friday and start OB for LPNs next Monday. I am dead dog tired but with a smile on my face. I hope I've given my students food for thought when it comes to women and birth and breastfeeding. One of their final assignments is to write a short essay on what the class meant to them. I'll ask their permission to post some of their responses on the blog. There are some terrific future nurses in this bunch and I'm so proud to have been a part of their education.

World Breastfeeding Week is upon us! (Aug. 1-7) I just emailed my customary annual letter to the editor about it this morning. They usually print it. I'll post a link to it if it goes up. Life is a mad rush of creating a 100 question final for my OB students, getting ready for our Sat WBW event (I got the mayor's wife to come speak- she used to be a doula, and some food donations from some catering friends of mine), and getting my kiddos ready for school. We have eye appointments, haircuts, clothing shopping, school physicals and shots, and instuments to get into playing condition (blow the summer dust off of them). If I live through this week- you'll hear back from me!

Leaving Las Vegas

2008-07-25T18:34:00.001-07:00

I haven't written about Las Vegas yet- so here it is. I spoke to a small but enthusiastic audience about maternal-infant care after a disaster. The audience were institutional, municipal, state, and federal emergency management planners. I talked to them about the special needs of pregnant, laboring, and lactating women, before, during, and after a disaster. I knew this was information that probably didn't even come onto the radar screen for most of these folks. I spent a large portion of my time on the importance of lactation during a disaster. They seemed particularly enthralled with the concept of 'giving birth in place'- not a planned homebirth exactly, but giving birth wherever a woman happens to be by necessity (think Katrina- hospital not functioning or can't get to it). The ACNM website has lots of info on it: http://www.midwife.org/. The folks I spoke to have to plan for every possibility as well as contingency plans. They have to designate possible shelters and were intrigued by the idea that women might be giving birth or breastfeeding in their shelters- oops didn't think to plan for such a thing. It was very satisfying to give this presentation. There were emergency planners there from as far away as Delaware. I'm glad I could give them new information, and I learned a lot from them as well. Las Vegas was- interesting. My mother and visited the strip twice. We walked through several of the hotel/casinos. We didn't gamble- all those slot machines with the lights blinking and and pinging sounds were kind of headache inducing. Each hotel has it's own personality- some were cheesy/quasi-sleezy, others were more elegant than I ever would have imagined. We ate meals in lush surroundings, and enjoyed a lovely afternoon respite on the most elegant hotel veranda in the presence of a waterfall and lush wooded area (all transplanted to make you forget you were in a desert- it worked). Nice trip, but I was glad to get back home- to my family, and my students. I didn't like leaving them in the hands of another instructor. My kids on the other hand, were in the hands of my DH and MIL so I knew they were fine-- I just missed seeing them.

2008-07-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my long hiatus. I've become enmeshed in this new venture of teaching nursing. I love it, I absolutely love it. Slowly but surely I'm clearing my schedule to accommodate this grand experiment. I really thought this was just a part time gig for extra money. I didn't think about it being an opportunity to convert 13 people to midwifery care, or opening 13 people's eyes to birth inequities, or change 13 minds about the delivery of healthcare to birthing women. I've gotten to teach OB nursing exactly the way I would want to teach it. We have visited both the navelgazer's blog and the baby catcher's blog. They sat in raptured awe as my friend Mary told us about her experience being foster mother to an HIV positive child, we thrilled to the stories of my midwife as she told of her struggles and challenges in trying to practice her trade. I watched them giggle as they tried to steady themselves on the birthball the way the doula had showed them. I thrilled to hear their comments about what they saw and heard in clinicals- I knew I had gotten to them before they were enculturated into 'normal hospital birth.' I love watching their minds change right before my eyes. I taught them about the seven types of childbearing loss and watched their eyes grow big as they realized that they had experienced their own losses, but no one had called it that. We've discussed maternal and infant mortality, healthcare in third world systems, unorthodox family structures, healthcare policy and the impact of politics. (Now to be fair, we've also learned how to read a fetal monitor strip, how to assign apgars and difference between a first degree and fourth degree tear- you know the textbook stuff. ) I've tried to focus my skill building on good communication, and critical thinking, two skills indispensable to nurses. I don't think I've ever done anything so difficult that I loved so much.

Living La Vida Loco

2008-07-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, Dear Reader
You have been abandoned. Between my new teaching gig and getting ready for Las Vegas on Monday, I have not had a spare moment to write. I really like teaching, but as I assign my first grades, I'm seeing the down side. I've been using the Navelgazer's blog to teach them about midwifery. Writing curriculum has consumed me. On top of all that, my business is booming. I'll have to see if really have the intestinal fortitude for success. My mother is going with me to LV. I'm looking forward to 3 days with her. I have to return early because I have classes to teach, but it will be nice to get away if I can refrain from worrying about my nursing students, and my baby, and my business, and my clients, and my husband, and... (okay, maybe it won't be so nice- but collecting a check for speaking will be. I'll be talking about maternal/child health during a disaster. Did I mention I haven't finished my powerpoint...

Legal in Missouri

2008-06-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Article from my local paper:

Missouri law delivers good news to midwives
By JASON NOBLE
The Star’s Jefferson City correspondent
JEFFERSON CITY Missouri midwives, who for decades risked prison time to deliver babies in their clients’ homes, can now do their work openly and without fear of prosecution.
The state Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed a lower court ruling and upheld a 2007 law allowing midwifery in the state. Missouri was one of about 10 states that didn’t allow the practice unless the midwives were certified nurse-midwives — registered nurses who worked with a doctor.
“This is a victory for Missouri families,” said Anita Woods, a certified professional midwife from Leavenworth, Kan. “This has been a hard-fought battle for something that Missouri families have deserved for decades.”
The law allows midwives who have earned certification through a nationally accredited organization to practice in the state. Previously, midwifery was a class C felony and carried a seven-year prison term.
The exception was the certified nurse-midwives who usually deliver babies in hospitals. They could do home deliveries, but only if they had a collaborative agreement with a doctor. The majority of Missouri doctors don’t agree to that arrangement, according to the Missouri Midwives Association.
Midwives and their advocates cheered the 5-2 decision, while doctors groups mulled their options for a challenge.
The law in question, which allows certified midwives to provide prenatal, delivery and post partum services, was slipped into a larger bill concerning health insurance in the waning days of the 2007 legislative session. Gov. Matt Blunt signed it into law before most people realized it was included.
Once it was discovered, several state physicians’ groups sued to block it, arguing that doctors could be held legally liable for cooperating with midwives who lack professional licenses.
In August, the Cole County Circuit Court ruled in their favor, throwing out the midwifery language on constitutional grounds.
The state constitution limits each bill passed by the legislature to a single subject that is clearly expressed in its title. Including the midwifery language in the larger health insurance bill violated that law, the circuit court said.
The Supreme Court took up the case earlier this year. The opinion handed down on Tuesday reverses the lower court, ruling that the physicians’ groups lack the legal standing to sue. Without proper standing, the court ruled it could not consider the facts of the case.
Judge William Ray Price Jr. issued a dissenting opinion, in which he said the doctors did have standing and agreed with the lower court’s constitutional interpretation.
Lawyers for the doctors’ groups are deciding how to proceed, said Jeff Howell, general counsel for the Missouri State Medical Association.
Price’s dissent clearly shows the doctors’ arguments were legitimate, he said, if only they had the right to argue them.
“I really think we were denied our day in court,” Howell said.
The doctors’ groups have 15 days to apply for a rehearing.
Sen. John Loudon, the St. Louis County Republican who originally slipped the midwifery language into the 2007 bill, said the decision — even if appealed — marked an opportunity for further discussion between doctors and advocates of midwifery.
Before the ruling, doctors refused to negotiate on the matter, believing they had the upper hand, Loudon said. Now things are different.
“At this point, the table is level, and it’s time for everybody to sit down and negotiate a bill we all can live with,” he said. “That’s always been my desire.”
Some midwifery advocates, however, interpreted the decision as a firm scolding for the health care industry.
“The real significance for both Missouri and nationally is that this tells big medicine — or organized medicine — that it has no legal right to speak for the consumer,” said Debbie Pulley, director of public education and advocacy for the North American Registry of Midwives.
Midwives and their supporters have waited for this day for decades, said Mary Ueland, the grassroots coordinator for Friends of Missouri Midwives.
There aren’t a lot of certified midwives in Missouri now, although with their services legal, Ueland said midwives from across the country could soon make their way to Missouri.
“I’ve heard from a number of midwives in other states that grew up here and got training elsewhere…,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of people across state lines waiting to come back to their home state if they can only practice.”
Home births account for between 1 and 2 percent of all births, although the numbers vary greatly from place to place, Pulley said. There are more than 1,400 certified midwives nationwide. Numbers specific to Missouri are harder to come by because midwives cannot advertise their services openly.
Woods, the Kansas midwife, said the ruling brought the state into line with the rest of the country.
About 40 other states, including nearby Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma allow midwives to practice.
“In Arizona, New Mexico and Washington State, you can open the yellow pages and find a page and a half of midwives,” Woods said. “I’m so happy Missouri has stepped into the 21st century where that’s possible for the average Missouri family.”

Petition

2008-06-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

There is a petition to support homebirth has been started in response to AMA and ACOG. You can sign it here.

Must Read

2008-06-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

You must read Navelgazing Midwife's post on her response to the updated ACOG statement against homebirth. It's a marvelous read. She lays out 11 suggestions for MDs for wooing women back to hospital birth. I love her suggestions. It also made me realize that if OBs are fighting this hard, they must see homebirth as a real threat (not to public safety as they claim, but to their political status). The victory in Missouri also reminds me that Goliath doesn't win every battle. Am I feeling the beginnings of a shift in attitude about birth that I've long waited for, or is it just last night's burrito testing my intestinal fortitude?

It's a Wrap

2008-06-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

According to Families for Missouri Midwives, the MO Supreme Court overturned the ruling yesterday that outlawed the new midwifery law- so CPMs are now legal in Missouri! I can scarcely believe it. This has been such a long time coming- more than 20 years in the making. Go to FOMM to read the details. This is a huge victory for the families of Missouri and for MO midwives. The Supreme Court found that AMA (American Medical Association) had no standing in the case and set aside their appeal that blocked the new law. Wow. How this will all play out, I have no idea, but this decision is huge. You can also read about it at Big Push. Now the real work begins: how will CPMs be regulated, and by whom?

AMA - WTF?

2008-06-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I grieved for all of three days. The rest of this time I've been prepping for my summer job- teaching OB/Peds nursing at a local college. This should be an adventure. I'm also finishing my powerpoint for next month's presentation on Maternal Child Health During a Disaster. I'm looking forward to visiting Las Vegas, but I'll be stressing about my students since school will have started. Anyone hear what the AMA (American Medical Association) is up to in regards to homebirth? I would love to see some documentation on this if anyone has some links.

Flying from the nest...

2008-06-08T08:17:00.001-07:00

We are having some great dialog on pay scales for midwives. I especially appreciated Molly's point. Consumers are mostly shielded from the true cost of healthcare by third party payers, so when something comes out of pocket (like homebirth fees) it feels like a lot more than it really is. I'll chime in a bit more later in case there are other comments. Right now I'm having a sad week because my 20 year old has left the nest. He caught a plane yesterday to Washington DC to do his summer internship. When he returns in August he will be attending college about 2 hours away. I miss him terribly already. His siblings are expressing their grief by moving into his old room already (he's only been gone 24 hours!). Let me lick my maternal wounds and I'll be back shortly.

Calling all midwives...

2008-06-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

A commentor has got me thinking. She mentioned how midwives are compensated less than physicians, which got me thinking- should this be so? What parameters are used by midwives (of all types) to set their fees. Is it years of education, years of experience, the going rate for your community? The reason I ask is because I get the impression that doulas, midwives, childbirth educators and the like are expected to get less than 'market value' for their services.
So Dear Readers, who fall into these categories, don't leave me to my ignorant guessing. How do you feel about clients asking you to reduce your fees or even asking you to serve them for no fee at all? What criteria do you use to set your fees. Do you feel that you get fair compensation for the work you do? Midwives, should you be making less than your physician collegues? (I once saw a 60 minutes segment where nurse practitioners made a compelling case for charging the exact SAME fees as physicians.) Do you feel your service is valued by the community you serve and is that value reflected in the fees you recieve? (What about that good 'ol Americanism, 'you get what you pay for' where a higher value is assigned to a higher price tag?) Do you feel yours is a spiritual calling and therefore don't feel right taking money for it at all? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Then perhaps I'll chime in from a nurse's perspective, but for now, the floor is yours.

I'm Baaaack...

2008-05-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

The conference went swell. My presentation was well attended and well recieved. I love doing this (the horrors of flight notwithstanding) and look forward to my next speaking gig in Las Vegas in July. My mother wants to go with me, which will be great. She'll get a kick out of watching me speak, and I'll have someone to film me. (I need some footage for my website.) I got some good feedback after my talk and look forward to seeing my evals for the session. Doing this presentation, and collecting a check for it, makes we want to do it more and more. I tweeked my website since I've been back, and have read two books on building a consulting business. I would love for my speaking to branch into consulting. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my human baby was cared for just fine, and my business baby also did fine as well. I have to give my son his props- he held down the fort just fine. (Although I confess, I called home twice while I was away, but I called about the business about 3 times a day.) I also had it impressed upon me that I need to finish a book- any book, for the sake of needed promotion.