Business of Being Born

Well, all of the receipts and thank you notes have been sent out, and I think life may get back down to normal after a very successful opening event for the BirthNetwork of Northwest Arkansas, a benefit screening of "The Business of Being Born." Click on the movie above to see a slide show of pictures from the event.

We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to our local sponsors, Birthroot Midwifery, Café of Life Chiropractic Wellness Center, and Advocating Birth made the majority of our marketing, printing, and hosting of guests possible. Additionally we received 35 silent auction items from 26 birth or parenting-related businesses, which brought just over $1,000 in donations for our Transparency Project initiative.

We are proud to report that 248 people attended the screening, including many expectant parents and birth professionals. Before the screening, we held a VIP reception where we were able to make some great contacts with consumers and professionals enthusiastic about improving the awareness and availability of mother-friendly maternity care in Northwest Arkansas.

We were proud to host an excellent panel of local birth experts, which included doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, a family practice doctor, labor and delivery nurses, and parents who had experienced many kinds of birth, from homebirth to cesarean to VBAC. The panel did an excellent job of discussing the current state of maternity care in Northwest Arkansas.

We have received many notes of praise, gratitude, and enthusiasm about the evening and about our upcoming initiatives, including the Transparency Project and our series of free Parent Topic Nights. It is evident to us that there are many, many people here in Northwest Arkansas who care deeply about the way babies (and mothers) are born.