Mother Friendly Childbirth Forum 2010

Hello from Austin, TX where I am attending the annual Mother Friendly Childbirth Forum organized by the Coalition for Improving Maternal Services (CIMS- pronounced with a K)! There have been some amazing speakers at the event sharing very exciting new and evolving research on improving maternal services and what we can do nationally and in our own community.

CIMS was created in the mid-1990s as a coalition to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and sustainably reduce costs. CIMS has developed the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI) to promote five main principles:

• Normalcy of the Birth Process
• Empowerment
• Autonomy
• Do No Harm
• Responsibility

These principles underlie the Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care that make a hospital, birth center or home birth services motherfriendly. You might want to share this information with your care provider to see how many of the steps they have implemented.

At the conference, Childbirth Connection, based in DC presented on improving the quality of maternity care through research, education, advocacy, and policy. Childbirth Connection has recently published a Blueprint for Action informed by the MFCI, emerging from a multi-year, multi-stakeholder collaborative process called 2020 Vision for a High Quality, High Value Maternity Care System. This groundbreaking work is helping to influence language used in the current healthcare bills being debated in Congress. The document also has very practical and detailed strategies for eleven areas where consumers, care providers, educators can begin to implement some of the findings such as their recommendations for Decision Making and Consumer Choice.

Another important way to help inform maternity care today is to fill out The Birth Survey . This survey was created around the 10 Steps of MFCI and quality indicators, to provide higher transparency in maternity care so that women can share their experience with where and whom to birth with, California is one of the target states for this project, so if you haven't filled out the survey, please do so today! Also, if you are pregnant, check out this searchable database for care in your area. The co-chair for The Birth Survey, shared some of the data collected, with 3008 entries CA tops the list of surveys filled out so far! Let's keep that gathering data from the grassroots so we can do our part to improve maternity care and empower all women to know their options and make informed choices.

Stay tuned for more!
Mora

Our TV Celebrity Moms

We are excited for Heather and Mendy, who were interviewed for a special report by NBC-Bay Area about Placenta Benefits, aired on Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010. Below is a note about the report from Heather and Mendy! Congratulations to both!






Heather's Note:
Hello Moms!

I thought I’d share this link from NBC about a segment they did on placenta encapsulation (for those of you who are pregnant this is a MUST these days!). It aired this last Tuesday night at 11pm. They interviewed the person who does the process (Mendy) and myself right after my son was born in December. It was fun seeing me on TV yet the segment’s message is the most important piece!

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/After_Birth_May_be_Key_to_Bouncing_Back_After_Birth_Bay_Area.html


Below is more information about the process. I HIGHLY recommend for anyone having a baby. It’s fairly inexpensive and so, SO worth it. I agree with everything Mendy says below – there was a HUGE difference between my first and second postpartum experiences (both were c-sections) - my recovery time was a lot less, I had MORE energy (even though there were 2 kids and I was getting less sleep) and I felt great.

Mendy did my encapsulation for me and I can’t say enough good things about her. She was prompt, friendly and professional. I recommend having her do encapsulation. Please pass her name along to others around the Bay Area that you know who are pregnant. She will do a great job for them and/or you!

Much love,
Heather :)


Mendy's Note:

Hello all,

I wanted to share some interesting news about something that I've been doing for the last 8 months.
After the birth of my second babe in December of '08, my midwives prepared and encapsulated my placenta for me to use medicinally. It was incredible for my hormonal balancing to fight the baby blues, and for iron supplementation to battle the fatigue of less sleep and more kids ; )
I was inspired by the profound difference in postpartum healing I had in comparing my experience with baby 1 in '05 and baby 2 in '08.
In April of '09 I trained to become a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist with Placenta Benefits (www.placentabenefits.info; http://www.placentabenefits.info)  I've been providing these services to clients now since June of '09.

The organization I trained with (PBi), recently began doing a lot of national marketing, and last month I was contacted by Bay Area NBC in regards to doing an interview and story about this new (well they think it's new) unique process!

I'm very excited (and a bit nervous) about this interview being aired.  My intention and hope from this experience is that more women will become informed about the use of placenta medicine and this form of healing will become a bit more understood.

I'm so amazed (laughing out loud!) at the thought of watching this on TV, and that I'm even doing this unique work!

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in learning more about placenta encapsulation please feel free to contact me!
mendy@placentabenefits.info, my colleague Traci Moren and I are serving clients all over the Bay Area.  We are also looking to build and train a team of specialists, especially those who are able to serve Northern Marin area, Outer East Bay Dublin/Livermore and Morgan Hill/Gilroy area.

You can also view a couple of interesting video interviews about it on my website at:
http://www.elementsofmagic.com/ElementsOfMagic/Videos_and_Articles.html

Best,
Mendy

KQED report on Pregnancy Related Deaths in the Bay Area and Sandy Caldwell's response

On KQED's FORUM, Thu, Feb 4, 2010, Michael Krasney did a show entitled Pregnancy-Related Deaths on the Rise?

The audio file is available for download at: http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R201002040900

In response to this show, Sandy Caldwell, well loved Doula in our community, has highlighted important information and resources to help us all educate and inform our community about pregnancy and birth. This list was originally posted on the Redwood City Mom's Club. 

Email from Sandy Caldwell (doula):

I work with families during the childbearing year(s). As a birth and postpartum doula, I want to make families aware that we have a very active birth community in our region. These are doctors, midwives, doulas, chiropractors, acupuncturists, herbalists and others who support a mother's choices as much as possible, and who are practitioners who also are committed to mothers avoiding
unnecessary interventions. These people practice evidence-based care.

There's so much I could share on this topic but want to get some key information to you on what you can do to take care of you during your childbearing year so I will not say more than my original intent for this email, now.

Besides keeping yourself healthy, one of the key things that make a difference is whom you choose as your care provider. My feeling is that when a birth is 'easy' almost anyone could be your care provider, however, when a birth is more challenging, that is when whom you've chosen makes a world of difference. Some care providers are much more skilled at keeping a challenging birth not only safe but with as few interventions as possible.

Of course, I (perhaps many of you), are truly grateful that these same interventions are available when truly needed.

Since there are so many, I share a few of the main ones, primarily to ensure that you have what you need while you are birthing your child:

LOCAL:
Bay Area Birth Information (chapters on the Peninsula and the South Bay)http://www.bayareabirthinfo.org/

Blossom Birth Services (Palo Alto)http://blossombirth.org/

Harmony Birth and Family (Campbell)http://www.harmonybirth.com/

NATIONAL:
Coalition for Improving Maternal Serviceshttp://www.motherfriendly.org/

Helpful documents from CIMS here:http://www.motherfriendly.org/downloads.php

Articles:

Things to do to avoid a cesarean:http://www.ican-online.org/pregnancy/things-you-can-do-avoid-unnecessary-cesarea\;
n

Additional resources are on my links page:http://doula-la.com/Links.html

Taking this to another level, one of the things we, who work with birth everyday, know, is that the most powerful changes happen in the US when consumers (parents) get passionately involved and vote with their dollars and with their legislative votes.

This news is an opportunity to help make powerful changes in California and the US.

One thing you can do if you have given birth since 2005 is complete survey about your birth at The Birth Survey. The Birth Survey is a nationwide project to increase transparency in maternal health care. Go here to complete the survey:http://thebirthsurvey.com/index.html

If you are pregnant you can use the survey results to learn about the care your doctor or midwife has provided to others, too.

Another thing you can do it inform yourself regarding midwives (home and hospital-based). Midwives are trained in 'normal' pregnancy and birth. In general, they practice what is known as physiological birth.

Today, most midwives (whether practicing at home or hospital) are not totally integrated into our health care system. This limits their freedom to practice and their incomes. Home birth midwives are available in the region.

One place to find them is on home birth midwife Ronnie Falcao's websitehttp://www.gentlebirth.org/local/midwives.html.

There is also the California Association of Midwives:http://www.californiamidwives.org/

And, there is the Midwives Association of N. America:http://mana.org/

Currently there are midwives practicing at Mills Peninsula, Kaiser Redwood City, El Camino (Mountain View and Los Gatos). In all but at Kaiser, there are only 1-3 midwives in each of the other locations.

Hope this helpful and would love to hear others' thoughts as well.

I would be happy to speak or be a resource to the group on birth or postpartum topics such as this at any time.

Sandy Caldwell
www.doula-la.com

Breastfeeding & The Working Mom

I recently received an email from one of my doula clients asking about pump rentals for after the birth of her baby.  Like so many women these days, she is planning to return to work following her maternity leave, but still hopes to feed her baby breastmilk.  Studies have shown that breastfeeding strengthens babies’ immune and digestive systems and reduces the number of childhood allergies.  Breastfeeding also reduces the risks of breast and ovarian cancer in mothers.  But perhaps the biggest reason mothers choose to breastfeed is for the simple pleasure of bonding with their babies.  While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least six months, maternity leave in America is often only about 12 weeks.  So what’s a working mom to do?   

Another of my clients who has been back at work for the last two months says that she started out at home renting a pump through her insurance from Kaiser.  However, when she went back to work, she found that the hospital pump was a bit unwieldy to carry back and forth.  She was able to obtain a Madela Pump n’ Style, which she now uses two-to-four times a day at the school she works at.  

When I asked Michelle Paul-Vogel, an IBCLC certified lactation consultant and Blossom instructor, for some advice, she said that going back to work can cause significant amounts of stress and so moms tend to experience a decrease in milk supply.  The best things that they can do are to be prepared and get organized.  Michelle’s new class at Blossom, Breastfeeding and the Working Mom (next class:  Feb 21, 1-4pm), will address this issue as well as how to pump and store breastmilk and how to nurture yourself as you make the transition back to work.  This class is for new parents, and you’re more than welcome to bring your baby, too!

In addition to the Breastfeeding and the Working Mom workshop, Blossom also offers a wide variety of lactation services, including Breastfeeding Basics (for pregnant moms/couples), a Breastfeeding Support Group (Wednesdays, 1:30pm) and a La Leche League International Lunch Group (Second Fridays, 12:30pm).  We also sell Momma’s Milk Tea through Sweet Herb Medicinals to help increase and support breastmilk production.  

If you’re looking for more personalized support, check out our lactation consultants on our online providers list, or in our provider binders (located in front of the yoga room).  Our lactation consultants are available to meet with you at Blossom or at your home.

And of course, you are always welcome to come in to Blossom and breastfeed your baby!  We have a quiet space, big, comfy couches to sit on and a scale to weigh your baby.  We’re hoping to expand our lactation services even further in 2010, so keep checking back for new offerings!

Light,

Audrey Muto

Blossom Staff

Love A Local Business Delivers Grant to Blossom Birth

Love A Local Business Delivers Grant to Blossom Birth

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