Midwives Association of Washington State
prenatal visit with hands on belly
The MAWS eBulletin
Volume 3, Issue 4
October 2010
in this issue
:: Washington Midwives at MANA
:: You Know You Want This Tub!
:: Thank You to our Newest Associate Members
:: Post-MANA Blog Entry from...Women's eNews
:: Maternal Deaths Worldwide Drop By A Third
:: How the First Nine Months Shape the Rest of Your Life
:: American Women: Birthing Babies at Home
:: MAWS Fall Conference and Annual Meeting!
:: Marge Mansfield and Karen Hays Presenting in South Africa
:: Miles for Midwives 2010
:: MAWS New Facebook Page
:: Fish Oil Supplements No Help in Pregnancy
:: Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy and Lactation
:: Nancy Spencer's Book Signing Party
:: A New Monthly eNews from Mother's Naturally
:: Skilled Midwives Essential For Safer Maternal, Newborn And Reproductive Health
:: A Global Call To Action - Strengthen Midwifery To Save Lives
:: Childbirth Connection Webinars
:: Upcoming Conferences & Workshops
Midwives Association of Washington StateGreetings!

Greetings!  It's a wet and wild day, wind and rain whipping at my window-winter seems to have arrived early in Western Washington.  Babies come when it rains, though, so I guess we just have to embrace this wacky weather, because we do love those babies. 

Having recently returned from the MANA Conference in Tennessee, I feel energized and inspired by the vision put forth of a world where every mother can give birth in safety and peace and where midwives are serving as the primary guardians of this sacred and life-transforming event. As na�ve and unattainable as this vision feels at times, I agree with the Israeli novelist and peace activist, David Grossman, who writes, "We need some naivete to continue to believe in the option to change things."  I will therefore not allow myself to wallow in despair about the rising c-section rate or let my spirit be crushed by those who insist that the obstetric community will never be able to recognize or value what the midwifery model of care has to offer.  Every day I see moments of connection, glimmerings of awareness, signs that consciousness may be shifting.  Check out the FIGO statement in this e-news.  Register for the webinars that Childbirth Connection is currently sponsoring as part of their Transforming Maternity Care Project. And please join us at the MAWS conference on Friday, November 5th at Seattle Pacific University.
Register here.


Come hear about the work that MAWS is involved in at both the state and the national level and learn about the innovative collaborative relationships that your colleagues are forming and the opportunities they're cultivating.  Things may still be challenging in the area where you are practicing, but know that there is significant momentum building to create greater understanding and better communication which will enhance the safety of mothers and babies in all birth settings.  Sometimes looking at the big picture is overwhelming-so much needs to change.  And yet, one can draw such strength from participating in efforts to make these changes happen. 

On that final note, I'd like to extend my thanks to those of you who have stepped up to serve on the MAWS Board for the coming biennium-we welcome you and really appreciate your willingness to commit your time and energy to advancing this grand vision.  Let's get to work!   

Audrey Levine, LM, CPM

President

Washington Midwives at MANA

Audrey and Beth - Farm ClinicWashington State was well-represented at MANA 2010, a gathering perhaps even more inspiring than usual because it took place in Tennessee and included a wonderful tribute to Ina May Gaskin and her midwife colleagues at The Farm. Suzy Myers, Jo Anne Myers-Ciecko, Beth Coyote, Colleen Donovan-Batson, and Audrey Levine all participated in a very productive pre-conference forum sponsored by NARM to gather  input about ways to strengthen the CPM credential. 

Audrey and Beth got to spend a full day at The Farm, the famous and still-thriving intentional community, which included a tour, a slide presentation, a delicious vegetarian lunch, and two large group sessions with the inimitable Ina May. 

The MANA conference itself drew a crowd of over 350 midwives and birth activists from around the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  

Particularly gratifying and moving were the plenary session presentations by Geradine Simkins, MANA President, Holly Kennedy, ACNM President, and Bridget Lynch, ICM President, all of whom spoke eloquently about the convergence of our shared goals and the importance of working together to improve care for all women and babies. 

Workshops presented by Suzy Myers, Jo Anne Myers-Ciecko, Beth Coyote, Audrey Levine, and Kristin Effland were well-attended and generated great questions and discussion.  We are so fortunate here in Washington State to have all three pillars necessary for a thriving midwifery profession: education, regulation, and association. Midwives and advocates from other states continue to look to Washington as a model for what is possible.


La Bassine Birthing Tub

You Know You Want This Tub!
MAWS Conference Raffle


Your Water Birth will be an exhibitor at next weeks conference and is donating a La Bassine birthing tub. We will raffle off the tub during the day of the conference, so be sure to buy a raffle ticket (or a few) for a chance to go home with this lovely tub! 


Thank You to our Newest Associate Members

The following list contains our newest Associate Members (those who have joined since the last eBulletin) who are supporting MAWS at the $100 level. Click here to find out how you can help support MAWS by recruiting your favorite providers to become Associate Members. You will find these Associate Member listings in the MAWS online directory under "Midwife-Friendly" Providers:

European Sperm Bank USA
is the Seattle laboratory of the European Sperm Bank, located across from UVillage. They are licensed by the FDA, CLIA, and Washington State.

Greg Moga
4915 25th Avenue NE - Suite 204
Seattle, WA  98105
www.europeanspermbankusa.com

Puget Sound Hypnotherapy
Birth Hypnosis Training for expectant mothers and their partners. A comprehensive program for a relaxed, calm, satisfying birth for mom and baby. Shortens labor, reduces pain and decreases complications.

Kathleen Boehm, RN,CMS-Cht, BHE
2905-A Hewitt Avenue
Everett, WA  98201
www.pugetsoundhypnotherapy.com

Post-MANA 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>

Maternal Deaths Worldwide Drop By A Third - New Report From World Health Organization

(9/15/10) The number of women dying due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth has decreased by 34% from an estimated 546 000 in 1990 to 358 000 in 2008, according to a new report, Trends in maternal mortality, released by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Bank.

The progress is notable, but the annual rate of decline is less than half of what is needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by 75% between 1990 and 2015. This will require an annual decline of 5.5%. The 34% decline since 1990 translates into an average annual decline of just 2.3%.

Click here to read the full release from WHO>

Click here for an overview of and access to a downloadable pdf of the WHO publication, Trends in maternal mortality: 1990 to 2008>

TIME Magazine Article
How the First Nine Months Shape the Rest of Your Life

What 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>
TIME Magazine Article
American Women:
Birthing Babies at Home


Each 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>

Register Now for the MAWS Fall Conference and Annual Meeting!

Coming next week!
Register now or send us an RSVP if you plan to register at the door.

Click here for the conference agenda and click here for information about the VBAC Safe Table.
The VBAC Safe Table is an important community event that we hope you will make every effort to attend. We want the voices of as many professional MAWS members as possible for this facilitated session. Please RSVP for the safe table (MAWS Professional Members only) as well.

Marge Mansfield and Karen Hays Presenting in South Africa

Marge and Karen will be presenting at the International Confederation of Midwives conference in South Africa next June about the MAWS Quality Management Program. Click here for more information about the ICM conference.


Miles for Midwives 2010

miles for midwives pic

MAWS was excited to work with the local ACNM chapter on this year's Miles for Midwives. Together, we grew the event and brought in lots of sponsors and exhibitors. This year's Miles for Midwives Fun Run/Walk took place at  Seward Park on Saturday, October 9, and MAWS midwives and our supporters were out in full force. MAWS and ACNM will be sharing the proceeds.

See the Miles for Midwives web site for a full list of all our sponsors, and check out the MfM Facebook page for fun photos of the morning's festivities.  As the web site notes, "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!"


Are You on Facebook? "Like" the Midwives' Association of Washington State!

We've decided to move from a Facebook "group" to a Facebook "page," so if you're on Facebook, visit us and "like" our page. We want to make better use of this tool to stay in touch with our members and supporters!

facebook

Fish Oil Supplements No Help in Pregnancy, Study Says

Fish oils -- especially one known by its chemical acronym DHA -- have important roles in neurological, immune, and heart health. Pregnant women have been encouraged to increase their intake by eating more fish or by taking fish oil supplements, even though research has been mixed on the benefits.

Click here to read more>

Implications of Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy and Lactation

A clinical commentary from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Click here to download a pdf of this review and recommendations.

MAWS Members at Nancy Spencer's Book Signing Party
Nancy Spencer's Book Signing Party

Left to right: Audrey Levine, Nancy Spencer, Laura Hamilton, and Gretchen Jones celebrating Nancy's book, Heaven in My Hands: A Midwife's Stories of Birth and Life.

Click here for more information>

A New Monthly eNews from Mother's Naturally

Here's a new consumer newsletter you may want to share with your clients.

"Mother's Naturally, an online source for information about natural pregnancy and natural childbirth, offers answers to common pregnancy questions and the latest natural pregnancy research. They are now offering a free monthly e-newsletter which speaks to you with a midwife's voice and caring.
 
Each month you will receive an inspirational e-newsletter with messages that celebrate the journey of pregnancy and cherish your natural ability to nourish a healthy pregnancy and birth. You will find information that will help you make healthy decisions regarding your pregnancy, and assist you in creating a birth environment where you will be supported physically and emotionally. With a focus on becoming a family, ways to nourish your spirit, and little tidbits about how your baby is developing inside the womb, you will love our celebratory approach to pregnancy!"

Click here to go to the Mother's Naturally site for more information>

'Skilled Midwives Essential For Safer Maternal, Newborn And Reproductive Health,' Says FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics)

A statement was released from FIGO for 2010 International Day of the Midwife.  The statement included:

"FIGO's stance: Putting the case for midwives  

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) is the only global organisation representing gynecologists and obstetricians, with member associations in 124 countries/territories. It strongly believes that there are very good reasons for obstetricians and gynecologists, as individuals and as societies, to collaborate closely with midwives to help strengthen midwifery associations..."

Click here to read the full statement>


A Global Call To Action - Strengthen Midwifery To Save Lives And Promote Health Of Women And Newborns

"We pledge to join forces with governments, civil society, and other partners to continue supporting implementation of World Health Assembly Resolution 59.27 on Strengthening nursing and midwifery and initiating a global movement to strengthen midwifery services. This will ensure rapid progress in achieving MDG 5 and contribute to the achievement of MDGs 4 and 6 (to reduce child mortality; and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases). In response to the UN Secretary General's Joint Action Plan for Women's and Children's Health, we call on all governments to increase investments in midwifery services now and to make this a high priority at the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2010 and beyond."

Read the joint statement developed at the June 2010 "Women Deliver" Conference in Washington DC.

Childbirth Connection Webinars

Childbirth 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"

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND 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
March 4, 2011 - Tacoma, WA. More information>

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>


See the MAWS web site for ongoing continuing education opportunities.

Simkin's Comfort Measures DVDBUY PENNY SIMKIN'S NEW COMFORT MEASURES FOR CHILDBIRTH DVD & PENNY WILL DONATE 10% TO MAWS!

This 90-minute interactive DVD contains more than 40 techniques for reducing and managing the pain of labor contractions. Christiane Northrup, MD states, "Comfort Measures is wonderful. I suggest that it be required viewing for all pregnant couples and childbirth professionals." Use this link to buy it now or click here to read more about it.

 
This is your newsletter.  Please send any feedback or suggestions to Kristin Effland.  We welcome suggestions for future topics, popular articles or research to include.