Midwifery

Homebirth Witness

2008-07-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Found this on Craigslist. A good place to search for this type of event.

I will be applying to Birthingway Midwifery School this fall with the intention of becoming a Homebirth Midwife. As part of my own personal due diligence I am looking for a woman that would feel comfortable with me witnessing her home or water birth.

I would be honored to be a part of your birth at any level you choose. I can stay in the shadows, take photos, or be a working part of your birthing team.

In trade I would love to offer my services as a post-partum Doula (non-certified) and assist you with anything from running household errands, to assisting with breastfeeding (I will be acquiring my Labor Doula Certification in late September).

If you're curious or have any questions, please contact me. All my life I've searched for my passion and I believe I've found it, and just to be sure I would like to witness a homebirth. Thanks you so much for even considering providing me with this opportunity. Happy Birthing.

Childbirth Organizations and Resources

2007-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Organizations and groups involved in womens health, natural childbirth, and the care of babies and moms.

Academy of Certified Birth Educators

American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth

American College of Nurse-Midwives

College of Domiciliary Midwives

Association of Labor Assistants & Childbirth Educators

Association for Pre- & Perinatal Psychology & Health

Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nursing

Attachment Parenting International

Birthworks, Inc

Center for Perinatal Research & Family Support

Childbirth Solutions

Doulas of North America

The Farm

Global Maternal/Child Health Association

International Cesarean Awareness Network

International Childbirth Education Association

International Lactation Consultant Association

La Leche League International

Lamaze International

Midwifery Today

Midwives Alliance of North America

Ministry of Midwifery

National Association of Childbearing Centers

National Association of Postpartum Care Services

North American Registry of Midwives

Virginia Friends of Midwives

What is a midwife

2007-09-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational program that is duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery. The educational program may be an apprenticeship, a formal university program, or a combination.

The midwife is recognised as a responsible and accountable professional who works in partnership with women to give the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct births on the midwife's own responsibility and to provide care for the infant. This care includes preventive measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, accessing of medical or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of emergency measures.

The midwife has an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the woman, but also within the family and community. This work should involve antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and may extend to women's health, sexual or reproductive health and childcare.

A midwife may practice in any setting including in the home, the community, hospitals, clinics or health units

Source: According to the International Confederation of Midwives (a definition that has also been adopted by the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics), Wikipedia

Motherhood day was a success!

2007-09-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Despite the drizzling rain and cold wind, Motherhood Day turned out well. Our classes had decent attendance and the moms, dads and nurses who participated learned about breastfeeding, childbirth issues, midwifery, the legislative process of midwifery in our state, the Bradley childbirth method, as well as the new CIMS initiative in which Ina May Gaskin is leading our nation.

We learned about Ina May's quilt being the first attempt on the part of a concerned midwife to alert the public to the unfortunate and highly preventable problem of maternal mortality in our country. The quilt stretched from one side of the large classroom to almost the other end. Sadly, this quilt will continue to grow and we will support Ina May in walking with this quilt through the nation's capital some day.

We had many pioneering vendors who braved the cold for the morning outside and ended up cozy and warm with other vendors inside by the afternoon. We owe everyone a big thanks for their participation and effort and we look forward to seeing the same faces again next year.

Dr. Warren Johnson, Dr. Dallas Cooley and Deborah Snarr, R.N., M.S.N, N.P. were honored at our first annual award ceremony that evening. We were pleased to offer them hand-tossed and glazed pottery from a local potter with the MOM emblem on the front. A local Irish dance school put on a fabulous show for the evenings light entertainment and we were blessed to hear Ina May speak once again of the importance of autonomous midwifery and how our group CAN change the laws in our state.

(We have to mention the *delicious* Indian food that a Stephens City restaurant made for us that evening --- if you are ever in Stephens City, stop by the convenience shop on Main St. and be prepared for a mouth-watering treat!)

Motherhood Day has given the MOM group more inspirational energy to tackle the upcoming year and we will take with us the memory of this first, special event to inspire our next event. Thank you to everyone who made it possible! All of the hard work was appreciated.

Previous information for those looking for Midwifery information from VirginiaMom.org

Midwifery Information

2007-08-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

This information if from the previous VirginiaMom.org site:

Virginia MOMs is a group of midwives, mothers and childbirth activists that formed out of concern over the lack of birth options and the barriers to midwife practice in our state. When we first began our dialogue in early 2001, we identified a few problems.

The mothers of Virginia noted that it was extremely difficult to find any alternative to a routine, medically-managed birth with a doctor in a hospital. Finding a doctor who would support a natural, low-intervention approach to birth in the hospital was hard enough. Finding a midwife who could legally attend a home birth, finding a birth center not attached to a hospital, or even finding a midwife with her own practice were nearly impossible in most areas of the state.

The midwives gave their perspective as well. There were Certified Professional Midwives (CPM's), who are not able to legally practice under Virginia law, despite their documented experience, safety, and credentialing by independent national midwives' groups. These midwives have the ability and skills to meet many of the homebirth needs of Virginia families, yet every time they attend a birth, they must do so illegally. These midwives have difficulty in obtaining support or help from doctors and hospitals when it is needed, such a lab work, emergency medicines, or medical advice when questions arise with a pregnancy or labor.

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM's), who are legally licensed in Virginia, reported a different set of problems. Virginia is one of only 12 states with a law requiring “physician supervision” of CNM practice. Thus, a CNM with a legal home birth practice, a birth center, or even a hospital practice, is dependent upon having an OB-GYN "supervisor". Lack of satisfactory "physician supervision" has caused a number of birth centers and home birth services to close, and remains an ongoing concern for the CNM's who do remain in practice. CNM's with hospital practices are dependent upon the OB-GYN as well, since hospitals refuse the midwife privileges unless she is employed by or contracted with a doctor, and the midwife may not admit her own patients under this arrangement. Midwives fully recognize the need to cooperate and consult with doctors for problems outside the normal scope of midwifery practice; but requiring this type of supervision only limits the practice of normal birth and decreases safety.

The answer to the problems, as we identified them, became clear: to improve birth options, to increase safety, to improve midwife practice in our state, we need to:
1.) Legalize Certified Professional Midwives… and
2.) Remove Physician Supervision from Virginia midwifery law.