Call to Action on Breastfeeding!

Don't delay in letting your comments be heard! From the US Breastfeeding Committee:

We are seeking comments from individuals and organizations about breastfeeding in the United States. We welcome your suggestions about policies, activities, or other initiatives to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding that need to be considered for inclusion in our national action plan for the next decade. We are especially interested in new ideas that will increase equity in breastfeeding rates among all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Ideas should build on programs and policies that are recognized to be effective or evidence-based. In addition, we welcome suggestions to adopt, expand, implement, research, or improve existing strategies.

Visit this link to submit your comments (deadline is May 31, 2009):
http://www.blsmeetings.net/owh_call_to_action_on_breastfeeding/index.cfm

April: Cesarean Awareness Month

This month be sure to view the BirthNetworkNWA calendar of events for opportunities to support Cesarean/VBAC awareness.

Among the activities:

• Cesarean Awareness Month Reception, the 11th
• Washington Regional Medical Center March, the 17th
• Northwest Medical Center Protest, the 24th
• Willow Creek Protest, May 1st
• Mercy Protest, May 8th

For more information about VBACs in Arkansas, please visit BringBackVBAC.org.

Going BOLD

BirthNetworkNWA provides a unique opportunity for women in the area to come forward, share their birth stories and enjoy theatrical birth experiences through all the offerings associated with our BOLD Red Tents and the play "Birth" by former Arkansan Karen Brody.

Tell Your BOLD Birth Story under The BOLD Red Tent!

BE BOLD and join in the global movement "Birth On Labor Day" as women around the world gather during the month of September to inspire their communities to create childbirth choices that work for mothers.

When and Where:

Saturday, Sep 13th at the Fayetteville Farmer's Market from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

and

Saturday, Sep 20th at the Bentonville Farmer's Market from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What:

1. Tell your birth story! - Stories have the power to reach into our hearts and minds, impart truths, and transform lives. Share your knowledge, wisdom and birth experiences with other women under the red tent.

2. Buy your tickets to a production of Karen Brody's play "Birth", debuting at Fayetteville's Teatro Scarpino on Friday, September 19th. (Tickets available online or at the Fayetteville Red Tent)

3. Henna Body Art - Bring your pregnant belly (or your beautiful non-pregnant body) and experience the beautiful, nurturing art of henna painting. Choose a design that expresses your unique personality as well as the universality of womanhood and motherhood.

4. Learn about Free Local Birth Resources - Get connected with representatives from BirthNetwork NWA, La Leche League, the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), and DONA International (a doula organization) about how we can support you throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

5. Win Great Prizes! - Enter your name in a drawing to win some great prizes from the following businesses

• Binsi Birth Skirt
• Moby Wrap from Terra Tots
• Natracare New Mama Pack
• Chanel "Allure" Perfume Gift Pack

And we don't want you to miss the

local performance of a play by Karen Brody

"Birth"

Friday, September 19th, 2008

at

Teatro Scarpino in Fayetteville.

Birth is part of the BOLD (Birth On Labor Day) Movement. Every September, Birth is performed in cities around the world, uniting women's voices calling for change in a maternity-care system that is broken--

For example:

• One in three women in America give birth by undergoing major abdominal surgery.
• In Northwest Arkansas, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is banned in most hospitals.
• In our area, few women have access to professional nurse-midwifery care in a hospital and there are no freestanding birth centers.
• The American Medical Association just adopted a resolution that would seek to ban homebirth in every state.

But there is a movement to promote a model of care that is evidence-based and centered on mothers and babies. It's called "Mother-Friendly" Maternity Care. BirthNetwork NWA promotes this model of care through education, advocacy, and support. Please join with BirthNetwork NWA and BOLD to raise money, raise awareness, and raise the energy of a movement that will empower women take charge of their births and give them options that work.

Tickets are on sale now. Click here to access ticket sales through BirthNetwork's "Events" page. Please don't wait, because we do expect a "sell-out" of the play. Even if you can't come, please consider becoming a consumer member of BirthNetwork NWA. Your name and your voice as a consumer means something, and we must have broad consumer support to encourage doctors and legislators to listen.

As we make strides to improve our state's maternity care system, making it more mother-friendly, we want everyone to know we value our mothers and our children. This is just another step we are taking . . . one of the first of many to come.

The Birth Survey is up and running!

Last night I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. taking The Birth Survey, a new online survey where women can share information and reviews of their maternity care providers.  I was amazed at the depth and breadth of the survey.  It took me about 30 minutes to complete, but I felt that it was time very well spent--especially if other women can gain insight from my experiences and choose a care provider who was as wonderful as mine was. 

 

For years, consumers have enthusiastically shared online reviews of movies, restaurants, products and services, but it has been nearly impossible to find such information about maternity care providers and birth settings .  No longer! As part of the Transparency in Maternity Care Project, CIMS developed The Birth Survey as an online resource for sharing consumer reviews of doctors, midwives, hospitals, and birth centers, learning about the choices and birth experiences of others, and viewing data on hospital and birth center standard practices and intervention rates. The Birth Survey is now accessible online nationwide in the United States.

Help spread the word about The Birth Survey!

Send e-mails to your contacts encouraging them to take the survey, or learn about the project, through the "Invite a Friend" email tool.
Post web banners and buttons to The Birth Survey on your personal or organizational websites, or link to www.TheBirthSurvey.com in your email signature and on your website.

Distribute postcards inviting women to take The Birth Survey. Download the cards or order preprinted cards.  

 

 

Final Numbers on VBAC Bans in Arkansas

Final Numbers on VBAC Bans in Arkansas! Local moms polled 44 hospitals that have Labor and Delivery Units and almost half of them ALLOW VBAC. You can access more information on the ICAN website at www.ican-online.org by selecting the Advocacy Link. Then search ICAN’s Hospital VBAC Policy Database by state or zip code to find out if your local hospital bans VBACs or not.

Barbara Stratton, a national VBAC activist who reversed several bans, has opened up a national yahoo group for people actively working on reversing bans across the nation. VBACtivist@yahoogroups.com. This is a great place for people to share ideas and strategy with people all over the country. She only wants people to join who are actively working on reversing bans. If you are interested please join the group. There are already several women from Arkansas on the group talking about ideas for activism, including legislation.

Official Proclomation: April is Cesarean Awareness Month in Arkansas

Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody presented the chapter leaders of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) and of Birth Network of NWA with a proclamation declaring April Cesarean Awareness Month in Fayetteville. (see picture attached courtesy of ICAN of NWA).

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe also issued a proclamation declaring April Cesarean Awareness Month in Arkansas which will be read and presented to ICAN and Birth Network by State Representative Sue Madison at a reception in recognition of National Cesarean Awareness Month, Monday April 28th at 1:00pm at the Fayetteville Public Library, Walker Room. The public is invited to attend.

ICAN of NWA and Birth Network are two groups working to raise awareness in the community to prevent unnecessary cesareans and promote VBAC, normal birth after c-section, a practice that is currently banned at ALL NWA hospitals but is offered at hospitals in neighboring communities like Berryville, Ft. Smith, Siloam Springs and Little Rock.

1 in 3 babies born in NWA is delivered by c-section, a number that is well over the recommendations of the Arkansas Board of Health, the US Dept. of Health and the World Health Organization.

BirthNetwork Living It Green

BirthNetwork of NW Arkansas was featured Friday evening on KNWA. We met the reporters at the new Mercy Hospital in Rogers where we set up a birth pool in preparation for a local woman's upcoming water birth. (A "dry" run, you might say.) We were glad that we were able to get media coverage right before the Living It Green Expo at Pinnacle Hills Promenade this weekend. Come see us Sunday if you haven't yet!

See the segment here!