October 2010
| Volume 8 No 6
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Greetings!
We are pleased to be writing to you this autumn from our new offices on the gorgeous Kenmore campus of Bastyr University. It's true!
Staff and students are all settling comfortably in with the generous help of colleagues here at Bastyr. The Department of Midwifery has a beautiful new classroom that looks out on a courtyard and right around the corner from the scrumptious vegetarian cafeteria!
Simkin Center feels like a gathering space, with art, chairs, a small library for visitors. You'll feel right at home when you see former SMS historic photos and beautiful art work in the halls. If you are in the area, please come visit us on the fourth floor!
Mary Yglesia
Preceptor Coordinator/Program Supervisor
Department of Midwifery
Annie Kennedy
Director
Simkin Center
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Simkin Center faculty and founding mother Penny Simkin is co-author on the updated 4th edition of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn  Penny's co-authors are Janet Whalley, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham and April Bolding. To date, PCN has sold over 1.2 million copies. Penny writes, "The new, completely redesigned edition of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn is finally out after years of work revising it. We're joining the 21st Century with this edition, and it will be connected to a website, PCNGuide where people can go for more in-depth discussions, downloadable materials, and other tools. Christiane Northup, MD, has reviewed the new PCN and says,"This is the ultimate guide to all aspects of birthing. It is a must for all pregnant women and those who love them!" Congratulations Penny, Janet, Ann, Janelle and April!
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Professional Education in Breastfeeding and Lactation  Make a difference in the health of mothers and infants and add to your professional credentials. This comprehensive 6-day course is taught by expert, board-certified lactation consultants. Next course Feb 7-9 & 11-13, 2011. More information>
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| Contact Us | | midwifery@bastyr.edu
simkincenter@bastyr.edu
14500 Juanita Drive NE
Kenmore, WA 98028
telephone: 425.602.3000
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Calendar Notice
| | An Evening at Bastyr
11/4/10
Bastyr Open Hourse
1/15/11
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Applying to the Midwifery Program If you plan on applying for Fall 2011, there is no time like the present to get working on your application! Bastyr is now accepting applications online for the Master in Midwifery Program. You can start the application process and have access to the essay questions, letter of recommendation forms and other important application material. Most of the application be submitted online. Click here for more information. If you have any questions about the midwifery program or applying, please contact the admissions advisor for the midwifery program at mwadvise@bastyr.edu.
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Myers Midwifery Scholarships Awarded
We are thrilled to announce the first ever scholarship awards made from the Myers Midwifery Scholarship Fund. Three awards totaling $10,000 were made to truly deserving midwifery students. Congratulations to Helen Cotter (2011), Merka Martin (2012) and Emi McLaughlin (2012).
"I am so honoured to be one of the first recipients of the Myers Midwifery Scholarship Fund. I think it is incredibly appropriate that these two remarkable women, who have given and continue to give so much of themselves to this school, now have a fund established in their name. This award will make it possible for me to graduate with a Master's of Science in Midwifery, something that I never imagined was possible when I set out on this incredible and challenging journey in 2008. I hope that this fund will continue to support other students for many years to come." ~ Helen Cotter, 2011
Click here to learn more about this scholarship fund and to learn how you can help.
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Simkin Center Leadership Fund AwardsSimkin Center Leadership Fund (SCLF) merit scholarship program goal is to provide tuition reduction support to emerging leaders in the Allied Birth Vocations. The intent of the program is to increase the number of childbirth professionals with the desire, knowledge, skill and community membership or involvement to practice successfully in underserved ethnic, cultural, socio-economic and geographic communities. SCLF Fund awards nearly $4500 annually. One of the latest recipients, Suzanne Wilson, wrote, "I intend to practice as a doula in rural regions of East Africa for women who often labor essentially alone in poorly staffed maternity hospitals or in the home. Although there are traditional birth attendants, after having lived in Kenya for nearly 6 tears, I have found the majority of women that I came in contact with knowing very little about the birth process and receiving very little support during their pregnancy, labor and beyond. I would like to enhance access to quality pregnancy related information in Kenya, and provide doula support to these women throughout their pregnancy and delivery."
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Anti-racism Visioning Work Gains Momentum Tim Callahan, Senior Vice President and Provost, announced in September the formation of an important new committee. The Diversity Committee will be responsible for designing and promoting a university-wide series of courses, workshops, and conversations on the topics of diversity, cultural competency and anti-racism. These topics have the potential to stimulate meaningful conversations throughout society at large but they are especially important areas of focus in institutions such as ours that propose to "educate future leaders in the natural health arts and sciences."
Click here to learn more about the results of visioning team project, workshops offered and next steps in this vital project. |
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Post-MANA Conference Blog Entry from Women's eNews
 "Shirley had just returned from the Midwives Alliance of North American conference in the Nashville, Tenn., area and she was buzzing. Her energy was infectious. And while we are both involved with maternal health issues across the board, as two black women we are also particularly concerned about the issues in our community. So the questions began to roll. Could midwives be key to helping reduce the high pre-term birth and low birth-weight baby rate that continue to plague black women of all socioeconomic levels? Could midwives help reverse the high exceptionally C-section rates among black women and reduce the shamefully rising maternal mortality rates among black women?"
Read the full blog post by Kimberley Allers Seals>
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Miles for Midwives 2010
 The Bastyr Department of Midwifery and the Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations were both proud to be supporting sponsors for Miles for Midwives. This year's Miles for Midwives Fun Run/Walk took place at Seward Park on Saturday, October 9, and proceeds benefit the Midwives' Association of Washington State and the Washington Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives.
According to the Miles for Midwives web site "With over 200 registrants, a kaboodle of children and weather that stayed clear until most of the walkers got to the finish line, this was the most successful Miles for Midwives ever!" And our own Penny Simkin was the official starter of the event. Check out photos of Penny, along with students and graduates who attended and see all the merriment of the day on the Miles for Midwives Facebook page, and plan to join the fun next year.
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From Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies News: Preemie Act in US Senate
On September 29, legislation was introduced by US Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to reauthorize the PREEMIE Act (Public Law 109-450). The reauthorization would continue and enhance federal support for research into the causes and prevention of premature birth and to reduce infant mortality caused by prematurity.
The legislation was originally enacted in 2006 and brought attention and resources to research addressing the issue of premature birth. The reauthorization of the bill will ensure continued federal support for scientists and doctors who are studying the causes of premature birth and how they can be prevented.
PREEMIE is an abbreviation for the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who Delivery Infants Early Act. For more information visit this page on the March of Dimes web site.
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Simkin Center Faculty Published in the International Journal of Childbirth Education
 Kim James, CD(DONA), CD(PALS), ICCE, LCCE, instructor for Simkin Center's Birth Doula Skills Workshop had an article published in the International Childbirth Education Association's journal.
You can download Kim's article, "Teaching What is Possible vs. What is Probable: A Mid-Career Educator Examines Her Childbirth Philosophy and Values and Challenges You To Do the Same," by clicking here.
Congratulations Kim!
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Prolonged and Exclusive Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Infectious Diseases in Infancy
"Researchers in the Netherlands examined the associations of duration of exclusive breastfeeding with infections in the upper respiratory (URTI), lower respiratory (LRTI), and gastrointestinal tracts (GI) in infancy. The study found that exclusive breastfeeding in the first four months and partial breastfeeding thereafter significantly reduced respiratory and gastrointestinal morbidity in infants. The study, "Prolonged and Exclusive Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Infectious Diseases in Infancy" by Duijts et al, was published in the journal Pediatrics.Click here to read full study.
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Transforming Maternity Care
 Jo Anne Myers-Ciecko, Executive Director of the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) and former Director and faculty member at Seattle Midwifery School is presenting at the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting in Denver, CO (November 6-10). Her presentation will provide a glimpse into how a national grassroots network, Midwives and Mothers in Action (MAMA), was mobilized to influence healthy care policy.
Click here to learn more.
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Welcome Class of 2013!
We have seated another stellar class of midwifery students - 16 in all. They come from Canada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and of course, the Puget Sound. Please click here to learn more about them.
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TIME Magazine Article
American Women:
Birthing Babies at HomeEach year, some 25,000 American women opt to deliver their babies at home. Although that accounts for fewer than 1% of all births in the U.S., the figure is probably on the rise. From 2004 to 2006, the most recent year for which estimates are available, home birthing in the U.S. increased 5% after having gradually declined since 1990, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read full article >
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New Federal Law Mandates Break Time for Nursing Mothers
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA"), which took effect when the PPACA was signed into law on March 23, 2010 (P.L. 111-148), amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require employers to provide break times for nursing mothers. Employers must provide a place other than a bathroom, shielded from view, and free from intrusions from coworkers and the public for mothers to express breast milk. Mothers have the right to express breast milk as often as needed for the duration of one year.
Click here for more information.
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VBAC Resource for Expectant Families Available from Lamaze A Woman's Guide to VBAC - Navigating the NIH Consensus Recommendations. This online resource guide is available on the Lamaze International Giving Birth with Confidence blog. Click here to read and share this!
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TIME Magazine Article
How the First Nine Months Shape the Rest of Your LifeWhat makes us the way we are? Why are some people predisposed to be anxious, overweight or asthmatic? How is it that some of us are prone to heart attacks, diabetes or high blood pressure? Read full article >
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Childbirth Connection WebinarsChildbirth Connection is offering a series of webinars on Transforming Maternity Care Project topics, taking place at noon on one Tuesday each month. Visit the Childbirth Connection web site here for more information and to register or listen to past webinars. Next two webinars:Tuesday, Nov. 2 @ 12 noon (Eastern): "TMC Topic: Performance
Measurement and Leveraging Results"
Tuesday, Dec. 14 @ 12 noon (Eastern): "TMC Topic: Payment Reform to Align Incentives with Quality"
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Bastyr Admissions Events
Bastyr admissions advisors will be visiting college fairs and hosting information sessions around the country. There are also several events on the Bastyr campus in the coming months that will allow prospective students to learn more about the midwifery and other programs. Please take time to check back to the events page frequently to see if an information session or Evening at Bastyr fits your schedule. Upcoming events include an Evening at Bastyr on November 4 and the Bastyr Open House on January 15.
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Community Events
Parent Trust's Mad Hatter Tea Party
November 6th, 2010 - Seattle, WA. More information>
Open Arms Perinatal Services - Short and Sweet Annual Auction
November 30th, 2010 - Seattle, WA. More information>
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Upcoming Conferences & Workshops
Midwives' Association of WA State, Fall Conference & Annual Meeting: Keeping Home and Birth Center Birth Safe and Accessible
November 5, 2010. Seattle Pacific University. More information>
Birthing The World Conference : Enfanter Le Monde Conference on best practices in perinatal care: an interdisciplinary reflection on the early
stages of life.
November 25 - 26, 2010. Quebec City, Canada. More information>
National Multicultural Conference & Summit (NMCS) 2011
January 27 & 28, 2011 - Seattle, WA. More information>
The 2011 Reache Conference
Reframing Birth and Breastfeeding: Moving Forward (CIMS Annual 2011 Forum in collaboration with UNCG's Center for Women's Health and Wellness and UNC's Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute)
March 11-12, 2011 Chapel Hill, NC. More information>
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We truly appreciate the feedback you continue to give us on the 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, Department of Midwifery and Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations, Bastyr University
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