Are You Cruising for a Doula Training?

If you are, join us for the FIRST Doula Training on a Carnival Cruise to the Bahama's October 15-18, 2009. The doula training hours are scheduled around the cruise events - you won't miss the fabulous meals or shopping in Nassau. Doula training fees are separate from the cruise rates. Contact me at birthco@bellsouth.net for information on the doula training or download the flyer at www.thebirthcompany.com. For a flyer and information on the cruise contact Kaevon McCray at WorldTravelST@aol.com or 407-654-9900.

The Birth Place in Orlando, Florida is coordinating the cruise - Please read the following letter from Jennie Joseph the founder of The Birth Place:

Greetings!

2009 is off to a great start and I am writing to personally wish you all the very best for this upcoming year. I am excited to announce the launch of my Campaign for Healthier Babies (www.commonsensechildbirth.org/campaign) and to invite you to come sail the high seas with us in October - yes, we are going on a CRUISE to The Bahamas! This will be our first annual 'fun'draising cruise and I am looking forward to some much needed down time with my family and yours. Come hang out with us, bring your friends,co-workers and relatives and let's have some fun!

Imagine this - cruising can help us raise funds for Commonsense Childbirth, our non-profit program, which provides prenatal care, education and support for uninsured and low income women at The Birth Place. We maintain an 'open door' policy at our Easy Access(http://www.commonsensechildbirth.org/node/42) clinics - no woman will be turned away if she needs help with her pregnancy. More and more women are struggling to find a way to pay for maternity care or are having trouble securing Medicaid. We often see women who are more than 30 weeks advanced in their pregnancy, still waiting for their application to go through and unable to find a practitioner to help them. We also set up Easy Access Clinics in Sanford, Orange City and Daytona last year. Our motto is ''every woman wants a healthy baby and every woman deserves one" the need is great and it is getting worse. We know our program is making a difference - of 245 women who attended our Easy Access clinic at The Birth Place in 2008 only 2% had a premature baby. The average for Orange County is 15% and is even higher for African American women. They say it costs around $37,000 - $50,000 in medical care per preterm baby; this means that we saved the State more than $1 million by helping the other 13% carry their babies to full term. (If you've ever been a patient, you know how hard we work to make sure you can reach us around the clock if you need help). Our recent study proved that my midwifery model, The JJ Way (www.commonsensechildbirth.org/jj-way), is making an impact - I like my babies cute and chunky! Your financial support enables us to continue to offer prenatal care and classes to the most vulnerable women and babies in our community. There are many ways to help us please check the website (www.commonsensechildbirth.org/campaign). Thank you for caring!

Call Kaevon at 407 654 9900 or email her at worldtravelst@aol.com - $50 deposit is due by Februaury 1st to secure your spot. Check out the attachments for more details. See you soon......

Jennie

Jennie Joseph LM, CPM
Executive Director
Commonsense Childbirth Inc.
1130 E.Plant St.
Winter Garden, FL. 34787

Tel 407 656 6938 / Fax 407 656 9161

Founder of The JJ Way™ MCH system
www.jenniejoseph.com/node/16

The mission of The JJ Way™ is to inspire change in maternal child health care systems worldwide; to re-empower the birthing mother, father, family and community by supporting the providers, practitioners and agencies that are charged with their care. The JJ Way™ system acknowledges that every woman wants a healthy baby and as such, endeavors to provide the optimal setting, culture and environment for her best possible pregnancy outcome.

www.commonsensechildbirth.org
www.thebirthplace.org
www.nubianhealthnetwork.org
www.jenniejoseph.com

10 Reasons to Take a Doula Training

Here's 10 reasons why you should take a doula training. If you need more reasons and information contact me at birthco@bellsouth.net.

1. To trust the birth process
2. To alleviate misconceptions about birth
3. To empower women to trust their instincts
4. To learn communication strategies
5. To reframe negative attitudes about birth
6. To have the skills to work with family and friends during childbirth
7. To be part of the most miraculous event ever
8. To reduce the cesarean surgery rates
9. To promote breastfeeding
10. To positively influence a woman’s memory of one of the most important days of her life

Don't be a bystander at your sisters, cousins, or friends birth. Be there with skills to support her emotionally with confidence, physically with hands-on support, and with information so she can make informed choices for her birth.

Upcoming DONA Approved Doula Workshops

Boca Raton, FL - February 20-22, 2009
See attached flyer for details -www.thebirthcompany.com

Pensacola, FL - February 27, 28 and March 1, 2009
See attached flyer for details - www.thebirthcompany.com

Sanford, FL - March 13-15, 2009
Get the details at www.thebirthcompany.com

Tallahassee, FL - April 3-5, 2009
See flyer at www.thebirthcompany.com

Miami/Kendall, FL - April 24-26, 2009
Download flyer at www.thebirthcompany.com

Jacksonville, FL - May 1-3, 2009
See details at www.thebirthcompany.com

Macon, Ga - June 12-14, 2009
Get more info at www.thebirthcompany.com

Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas - October 15-18, 2009
See details at www.thebirthcompany.com

Rae's Story Part 1

My birthday came and went but not without notice. My daughter (my only and the best daughter) surprised me several times this year, and the first surprise was with a video tribute which chronicles my life until she was about two years old.

I'm NOT a Blogger!

My strength lies in "talking" about birth and I do that with great enthusiasm at doula trainings and workshops. So here are some blogs and websites that have lots of interesting discussion and information.

http://www.childbirtheducation.blogspot.com/
http://tinacassidy.blogspot.com/2008/01/our-new-baby.html
http://pushedbirth.com/
http://orgasmicbirth.com/
http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

Mommy & Baby Duckies in My Backyard

The Birth Story Behind the Picture . . . .

All births are special and no two are alike, but I can assure you that you will not hear another birth story like this one!

In August 2001 I was in my second year as Executive Director of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) http://www.motherfriendly.org/. We planned our Leadership Team meeting at the home of Jessica Porter, the Executive Director of the Association of Labor Assistance and Childbirth Educators (ALACE). Jessica was 37 weeks pregnant with her second baby so it made sense for us to travel to her New England home.

In preparation for a long busy working weekend, Jessica and I went grocery shopping. In the produce section, I noticed Jessica pulling a piece of paper out of her purse – she shared that it was her list of required birth supplies. From practicing with homebirth midwives for years, I knew that the birth supplies were supposed to be ready three weeks before the due date! So, we finished picking up the few remaining items and went back to prepare dinner and begin our meeting.

That night, I was sleeping quite soundly when Jessica woke me tapping my shoulder. She stood over me and announced that her water had broken and that it was all my fault!! If I had not made her finish her birth kit preparations she would not be in labor! So what do we do now – she had 5 very experienced birth advocates in her home that were not part of her birth plan. This is the unbelievable historical piece of this story, the CIMS Leadership Team consisted of Barbara Hotelling, president of DONA, Deb Woolley, past-president of Lamaze and a PhD CNM, Pat Turner, president of ICEA, and Carol Davis CIMS designation committee chair – all had extensive experience with labor and birth.

While everyone slept Jessica shared the pictures from her first birth with me. We discussed what was important to her and what she wanted differently this time, and then we began preparations as her contractions continued to do their work.

As labor progressed, Jessica modeled normal birth to her family and close friends. She created a rhythm as contractions ebbed and flowed. She naturally demonstrated how labor had its own look, feel, and sound. Nothing compares to the intensity, strength and power of labor and birth and Jessica expressed how to embrace each contraction and trust the process. I was honored to be present.

The birth room was prepared, and as Jessica sat on the birth stool I recalled the photo of her first birth. She sat on the same stool, but her mother sat behind her. Her mother would have been there, but this baby had another agenda so I asked Jessica if she wanted me to support her in the same fashion that her mother did – she said yes. About that time the rest of the house was awake and standing at the door. Barbara Hotelling had her camera and was able to capture many incredible pictures including this one. My view over her shoulder was heartwarming. Her husband had tears streaming down his face as his baby was slowly and gently moving into his hands with the midwife and their three year old right next to him. Baby Jack was welcomed by unexpected guests that had tears rolling down their faces as Jessica held him and announced that she would not be able to be part of the rest of our meeting!!

Reframing Attitudes About Birth Through the Words We Use

Amy is in late first stage labor - what words can be used to describe what's happening? This is one of my favorite topics, and the Sept-Oct 2006 Mothering magazine www.mothering.com featured an article that I would love to have been the author of. Alyssa Colton, the author is not a birth activist but a freelance writer and she did a fabulous job in “The Language of Birth” article. The website also has an article titled “Language of Labor” which was written by a childbirth educator that proposes using another word for “contraction.”

At the beginning of my doula training I discuss the importance reframing our feelings about birth. Everyone is given a sheet and encouraged to reframe negative words about birth and write them down throughout the training. This is also a good tool for doulas and childbirth educators to use with their clients or students.

When I began teaching the Bradley Method in 1969 we reframed “pains” to “contractions” because we knew that labor didn’t have to be painful, but you needed contractions to have labor. Hypnobirthing uses “surges” because “contraction” implies pain. Of course, in Ina May’s Spiritual Midwifery contractions were given a 60's term - “rushes.” I have had clients use “waves” and “sensations.” We need to think positive about what is happening, so how about describing them as “dilating events”?

In my opinion “contraction” is not the most important word to be reframed, but “pain” is, and that's another post. Does Amy look like she is in pain? No, she is in labor!

Amy is supported here by her cousin, Monica a Bradley Instructor/doula, her daugher, and her mother.

My Birth

The video, Childbirth for the Joy of It, includes the birth of Shana, my first baby, and can be purchased from The Bradley Method at www.bradleybirth.com. I am very grateful to my Bradley Method childbirth educators, Marjie and Jay Hathaway, for playing a significant role at my birth, and for including my birth in Childbirth for the Joy of It.

Three Generations

Intention to Blog

I have every intention to become a blogger. Where do I start? Do I start with where I am today, with what I love to do, with how having children created my career path, or with simply keeping a record of events, experiences and journeys?