waterbirth

VBAC

VBAC conference

March 8 - 10, 2010

NIH has organized a VBAC Consensus conference. Not from the DC area? Consider "tuning in" on-line. You need to register but I did this for the Elective Cesarean symposium a couple years ago, it's quite interesting to watch. You can't jump up to the microphone but you can watch the dynamics, hear the feedback, etc. Circle your calendar and participate.

I give thanks.

I am thankful for all you do to improve birth for women, babies and their families.

Webinar: supporting BF during Flu season

Sign up now for a free Webinar, “Supporting Breastfeeding During Flu Season: Working with the CDC Guidelines in Your Hospital.”

Sponsored by the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) and the US Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA), the Webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, 2009 from 2:00 until 3:30pm EST and is designed for lactation consultants, educators, and health care professionals who work with new families.

The presentation will include information on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the care of mothers and infants in obstetric settings, in addition to positive solutions for implementing protocols that support breastfeeding. To sign up for the Webinar, ILCA webinar. For more information: ILCA Web site

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

While the song is not related to childbirth, I love her voice and I found the lyrics to be motivating - what have I done today AS A CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR to make me feel proud?

Read a little research? Designed a new learning activity? Created an effective visual aid? Updated a marketing tool?

Share - what have you done today to make yourself proud?

Alarming to learn about the chemicals in moms!

I have known Kim Radtke for several years - from the days she was an active belly masker and a speaker at Lamaze, to days she was/is the creator of the birth affirmations I re-sell, to the days she was on the Seattle Midwifery School board and I would donate Trust Birth cards to their fundraising events...and then I moved to Washington and got to know her as the Washington Breastfeeding Coalition leader/facilitator. Our paths continue to cross - she was on a panel of pregnant women at the doula training I was co-facilitating. She recently welcomed her son into the world! (and her partner is also a member of National Park Service so we have a bit more in common...)

She was featured in a study that was reported int eh Seattle Post. The study tested the levels of chemicals in pregnant women. I was surprised by the results as Kim is one of those who does do alot to limit her exposure. After reading the article I immediately thought of all those women who don't look at labels and don't buy organic foods and are naive about chemical exposure in general. What is in their blood? Read this article about the ground breaking study.

Chemicals in mother's bodies

And now your challenge is - how do we address chemical exposure in childbirth classes?

Mega-pelvis

You know I love great, unique visual aids!



Well if you don't know about Gail Tully - it is time you learned about her work! I borrowed these pictures from Facebook (with permission) and you need to friend her and learn about how she used this mega pelvis to cover cardinal movements and hands-off breech for midwives. Or read a more in-depth blog entry written by Gail Spinning babies blog and learn who the "models" are in the photos and more info on the workshop!

Photos were taken by Emme Corbeil CPM.

Gail writes: The box pelvis is three boxes, one for the brim is puzzle-pieced into one going the other way for the outlet and the third, a shoe box, makes the sacral promontary.



She was sharing what she had learned at a recent Breech conference in Ottawa sponsored by the Coalition for Breech Birth Gail pointed me to this book Breech Birth: What are my options by Jane Evans and available at CAPERS bookstore. See the Spinning Babies blog for more book recommendations.

As childbirth educators - you have to keep up with what the current evidence says about breech birth.

Hope you monitor this site!

The 14% is Lamaze. The 17% is others and the 61% is not sure. And I am not sure why everything is not labeled but on the website if you "hover" over them the names come up.
Wiser Pregnancy



26% is location. 20% is recommendation from doctor. 2% is class size. 9% is experience with prior pregnancy.

These numbers will change as more people respond - the first chart had over 575 responses and the second had over 175 at the time I grabbed a screen shot.

"Just gotta have fun..."

Ann Israel - one our newest "Passioneers" - posted this on Facebook and I absolutely love it! It is clever and supports all the work that we try to model at Passion for Birth: Want people to change their behavior - make it fun!

What am I reading?

Just finished reading this book....a historical type novel, easy read with a little insight into wet nursing.