I found this lovely little slide show with audio.  http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~tm322203/Midwife/

Simul-posting at all my blogs.

Central Iowans have an opportunity next month to see an awesome film about childbirth in America – The Business of Being Born is a movie about the business of childbirth in this country. In the film, actress and former talk show host Ricki Lake and filmmaker Abby Epstein draw on their personal experiences in exploring The Business of Being Born.

This 85-minute long documentary follows clients of NY midwife Cara Muhlhahn as they consider their birth choices. The film includes interviews with well-known advocates for physiological birth including: Dr. Michel Odent, an OB/GYN and author of The Caesarean; Susan Hodges, President of Citizens for Midwifery; and Dr. Robbie Davis-Floyd, PhD in Medical Anthropology and author of Birth as an American Rite of Passage.

The Business of Being Born debuted in April 2007 at the Tribeca (NY) Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation, and will have a very limited release in 11 large cities. You can bet Des Moines is not one of those cities. BUT! You can catch a sneak preview hosted by ICAN of Central Iowa.

Schedule for the evening

6:00 PM: Doors open for a meet and greet and book signing with Jennifer Block author of Pushed. (Books will be available for sale–cash or check only–for $20)

7:00 PM: “The Business of Being Born”

8:30 PM: Comments and Question and Answer session with Ms. Block

Location: Varsity Theater!

Ticket Information
Advanced tickets will be $8 each (two for $15). To order tickets in advance:

Click HERE for a mail-in form (paying by check, money order or cash).

Or click HERE to order online (paying by credit card or Paypal).

Or you can purchase tickets from me.

All orders have a will-call pick up option or may be mailed to you.

Tickets at the door the night of the show will be $10 each.

For more details

Please visit the following sites for more information on the movie “The Business of Being Born” and the author Jennifer Block:

“The Business of Being Born” website

Author Jennifer Block

Jennifer Block’s Book Pushed

Amy Murphy, local Bradley teacher and doula.

April is Cesarean Section Awareness Month.  Last year, over 1 million c-sections were performed in the United States.  The c-section is now, sadly, the most common surgery performed in the U.S. 

The hundreds of thousands of unnecessary c-sections have been shown to have no benefit on maternal-child outcomes, while putting an additional strain on our already overburdened medical and insurance industries. 

To help fight the growing casual attitude toward the cesarean, we ask you please consider forwarding this bulletin to your friends, neighbors and relatives.  A big thank you to ICAN member Sara Gammel for creating and sharing this email with us. 

A cesarean is now the most common major operation performed in America.

April is…

The CDC reports:

• The National Cesarean rate for 2004 is 29.1%
• The rate is up from 27.6% in 2003
• Iowa's 2004 Cesarean rate is 26.8%, up 3.75% from 2003
• U.S. cesareans have risen 40% since 1996
• First-time cesareans are at an historical high of 20.6%
• VBAC rates fell to 9.2%, even though studies show that over 70% of mothers can give birth vaginally after a cesarean
• Since 1996, the VBAC rate in the U.S. has plummeted 67%.

More than 300 hospitals across the country, including over 30 hospitals in Iowa, have banned vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) based on cost concerns & fears over liability. 

The United States lags far behind other industrialized countries in maternal-child health outcomes.  A new report by the World Health Organization published in the Lancet identifies complications from cesarean surgery and anesthesia as the leading causes of maternal death in developed countries, including the United States.

The International Cesarean Awareness Network is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary  cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC).

For more information contact: www.icaniowa.com or http://www.ican-online.org/

Consumer Reports Questions Cesarean Frequency

Consumer Reports has named cesarean section number three on its list of “12 Surgeries You May Be Better Off Without.” The recommendation, based on research at the non-profit Rand Corporation, encourages consumers to “check out safer alternatives” before having any of the 12 listed “invasive procedures.” See http://www.consumerreports.org/mg/free-highlights/manage-your-health/needless_surgeries.htm

I just finished Peggy Vincent’s Baby Catcher. What a great book! I highly recommend it for ANYONE!

This book is like a breath of fresh air, the perfect antidote to A Baby Story or to mainstream birthing friends! Peggy talks about her career – starting from when she was a student nurse at Duke helping a young black woman birth her baby her own way, despite Peggy’s inexperience insisting that the woman lay down on her back and be quiet!

She discusses the hundreds of births she attended as a shift nurse at a Berkley hospital, her growing awareness of the beauty of normal birth, then her desire to learn about midwifery and become a CNM. She remained as a hospital midwife for several years before finally deciding to strike out on her own, then finally opened her own office to see patients independently. Her career ended with her back as a hospital shift worker, which was not her ideal situation, but she did admit that having regular hours and benefits again was a nice change!

Most of the book, though, is filled with birth stories – wonderful, normal births. Homebirths and hospital births, and even a few births in cars on the way to the hospital. Some births didn’t end happily, and some ended up in a hospital unexpectedly, but Peggy’s calm and laid-back attitude prevails throughout.

Peggy seems to take a very laid-back approach to birth. She doesn’t coach – she just waits, and makes sure everything is normal and safe. She catches the baby, or supervises the catching of the baby, weighs, measures, makes sure everything is OK, then excuses herself.

She also talks some about the effects her career has on her family. Rushing off to births in the middle of birthday parties, or Christmas. Always talking about placentas and ovaries at the dinner table. Having photo albums of women giving birth around the house. Her son driving her car to school – with a Midwives Do It At Home bumpersticker and the license plate that reads MITWIFE.

All in all, this is a WONDERFUL book, though it does end in kind of a downer, as Peggy is forced to return to hospital shift work. I won’t give away the details.

Run out and read this book today, especially if you’re facing disagreements from friends and family over your decision to home birth or to use a midwife. It’s easy to start doubting yourself, or to believe all the negativity you get from others. This book is a great morale booster!!

 Incidentally, there is a collection of Peggy Vincent’s essays and articles on her website.