Midwifery & Doula News from SMS
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Greetings!
 Spring has finally arrived in the great Pacific Northwest and SMS is alive with all of its energy and potential.
These are dynamic times, and SMS has been meeting the demands for change through our recent participation in the national symposium, Transforming Maternity Care; by supporting the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives' coalition building for healthcare reform; and by increasing access to education through the creation of the Myers Midwifery Scholarship Fund. And, oh yeah, we are only days away from this year's auction where we will Connect!
Purchase your ticket NOW, and join us for this exquisite evening of tasty treats and exciting auction items.
You can still procure or donate an auction item - but please do that today. In a few days, we'll be compiling our catalog. (You or your donor can even fill out the donation form online this year!)
We can still use a few more volunteers for the day of the auction. Please write to our Auction Coordinator today for more information on supporting us to make this the best auction ever!
Sincerely,
Mary Yglesia
Director
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May Birth Doula Training
There's still time to enroll!
 Did you know that the Simkin School Doula Trainers have inspired nearly 3500 birth doulas since 1988 and are leaders in shaping the doula movement and women's care in birth?
Join us and see why students say the Labor Support Course is a life-changing experience. Four full days May 8-9 & 15-16, 2009. Register now, or for more information, click here.
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| Contact Us |
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info@seattlemidwifery.org
4000 NE 41st Street
Building D, Suite 3
Seattle, Washington 98105
206.322.8834 / 800.747.9433
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You Can Still be a
"Super-Patron"!
Spend the auction night and morning after in luxury at the Pan Pacific Hotel - a queen room for two, in-room massage, and more. Click here for the details on this very special limited opportunity.
Love to be at the auction, but just too far away from
Seattle?
Register as a proxy bidder for an item such as a vacation in the Bahamas for you and 7 of your friends, a Waldorf
Doll for your favorite child, a Workman's Utilikilt for a special
friend, or a Hands-Free Baby Carrying system from ERGObaby. Call (206.322.8834 ext. 0) or send an email to express your interest, and we'll send you a catalog early next week. With nearly 200 items, there's sure to be something you'd love to have.
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"Home Birth Is So Normal, It's Used to Sell Mattresses..."
The green parenting blog, Eco Child's Play, offers their thoughts on a video that has become the latest rage around the birth activist community--a Spanish television ad for a bed that shows a home birth.
Check out their discussion and the video by clicking here.
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TOMORROW! The Good Life: books for better living series presents Nina Planck author of Real Food for Mother and Baby
April 22, 2009 at the Tom Douglas' Palace Ballroom, Seattle
 Nina Planck is an expert on local food, was the force behind New York City's legendary Greenmarkets, and transformed the way we view "traditional foods" in her first book, Real Food. When she got pregnant she found the dietary advice confusing, misleading and full of myths, so she set out to find what is actually true about feeding a pregnant mother and new baby in the most healthy and delicious way. The facts on "real food" will surprise you. Ticket price of $25 per person includes appetizers and a copy of Nina Planck's new book. More information or for tickets>
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News BitsHome Births 'as Safe as Hospital' New study from the NetherlandsThe "largest study of its kind has found that for low-risk women, giving birth at home is as safe as doing so in hospital with a midwife." Read the article in the BBC News>
"The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Office on Women's Health, Office of the Surgeon General, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want your input on a new HHS Call to Action on Breastfeeding."Visit the web site, where you'll find a list of 12 topic areas for which HHS welcomes comments from organizations and individuals.
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Tuition Support for Midwifery Education
 In honor of Suzy Myers and Jo Anne Myers-Ciecko, two of the many phenomenal women whose gifts and talents have been the foundation of this school, SMS leadership is proud to announce the creation of the Myers Midwifery Scholarship Fund. For more information about this scholarship fund click here to visit our website.
Building this fund will be the focus of the fund-a-dream portion of this year's auction; but if you cannot come and you want to be part of this historic event we'll make it easy - just call the school at 206.322.8834 and make your donation over the phone or send a check to SMS, 4000 NE 41st Street, D3, Seattle, WA 98105. Make sure you put a note on the check that indicates it is for the Myers Midwifery Scholarship Fund.
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Hot off the presses from the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington
The signing of HB 1596 will take place tomorrow, 4/22/09 at 11:00AM in the Governor's Conference room, 2nd floor of the legislative building. Children are welcome. As Governor Christine Gregoire signs the bill we will gather behind her for a photograph and copies will be available for $5.00 each. Click here for parking information: see a pdf of the "detailed map" at the bottom of the page
"Oh, Baby! Mining The Maternity Survey Data Motherlode"Canadian Journalist and blogger, Ann Douglas (parentcentral.ca) writes extensively about the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey. "Based on interviews with 6421 Canadian moms, the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey is the first large-scale national maternity study to be conducted in Canada." Click here to read the blog>
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 Midwives and Doulas Represented in Washington, DC
As reported in our January SMS enews, SMS faculty members Penny Simkin (pictured here on right with Debra Pascali-Bonaro) and Suzy Myers participated in several workgroups of the Childbirth Connections 90th anniversary symposium Transforming Maternity Care: A High Value Proposition. On April 3rd in Washington, DC the 5 stakeholder workgroups presented their findings to an audience of 230 invited guests representing multi-disciplined maternity care providers, policy makers and insurers.
The energy of the symposium was palpable and direct-entry midwifery and doula care was well represented not only by Penny and Suzy, but by allied midwifery organizations including the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) (represented by Mary Yglesia), the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM), Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) and Citizens for Midwifery (CFM) to name just a few.
The stakeholder workgroups will now finalize their reports and recommendations and craft a Blueprint for Action which will be published in the fall 2009 issue of Women's Health Issues. The issue will be widely distributed with the intention that it be used to drive the efforts of all of us toward improving the state of maternity care in this country. Please stay abreast of this important work and ready to mobilize your efforts when called on. Visit the Childbirth Connection web site for more information.
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Check out all our auction goodies! Follow us on Twitter, watch for our catalog coming soon.
 Join Twitter and follow smsAuction for regular updates on our exciting auction items. Not on Twitter yet? It's simple to sign up and fun, too!
Click here, for a list of many of our donors/items.
Remember, our venue is more intimate (it's going to be a great party!) this year, so please buy your tickets today.
Thank you, SMS 31st Annual Auction sponsors, for your support!
Midwives Association of Washington State
The Next Step Physical Therapy & Sports Performance
Seattle Home Maternity Service & Childbirth Center
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Upcoming Conferences & Workshops
The Miracle of Birth: Uniting Ancient Wisdom & Modern Science
Association for Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health (APPPAH) Congress
April 24-27, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, CA More information and to register>
Midwives Association of Washington State Spring Conference
Friday, May 15 at Bastyr University. More information and to register>
Reflective Parenting Workshop
Tuesday May 19, 7-8:30 pm at Mosaic Coffeehouse - 4401 2nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA with Margaret Bergmann-Ness, MA, LICSW. Suggested donation $5. More information on the SMS Calendar.
ACNM Annual Meeting & Expo in Seattle
May 21-27 Sheraton Hotel & Washington Convention Center. More information and to register>
Basics of Breastfeeding for Doulas
Two dates available. Thursday, June 4 and Thursday, July 16, from 1-4pm at Birth and Beyond. More information and to register>
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Pregnant in Seattle? - Panelists Needed
The Simkin School is seeking pregnant women in their third trimester to be
panelists for our popular Birth Doula Labor Support Course.
It's a lot of fun and a great chance to help aspiring doulas learn
about the emotions of pregnancy. We need panelists for May 8 and June 24, 2009 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Honorarium offered. Contact us by email or call Annie Kennedy at 206.322.8834 x115 for more information.
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We've truly appreciated the feedback you've given us on the SMS eNews. Please keep it coming. We welcome your input and, certainly, any news that affects women, babies and families in the childbearing year. You can write to us by simply replying to this email. And please share this with your friends by using the "forward email" link, which will give them the benefit of the graphics and photos. They will not be automatically subscribed to the list, but they can sign up if they like!
Sincerely,
Seattle Midwifery School
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