Giveaway!
I should encourage you to enter, but that would reduce my chances of winning. I do. not. want to wear a hospital gown!!!
A Day with Ina May -- Part Two
The topics listed for the afternoon were Post-date Inductions (including midwifery methods of inductions) and Demand Cesareans: What Women Probably Don't Know. Ina May didn't quite stick to the outline but that was fine by me (although there were those who beg to differ). She brought panels from The Safe Motherhood Quilt, which is something of a memorial to mothers who have died as a result of complications of pregnancy or birth.
She talked a lot about the risks of induction and the lack of informed consent. Ina May also discussed not only the sharp increase of maternal morbidity but the method of reporting deaths -- from the fact that death certificates are different from state to state, that reporting of maternal deaths is done on the honor system, and that autopsies are rarely performed. She described the quilt as a blunt instrument and I am so glad that she brought it with her.
One of the reasons *I* loved this part is that Ina May got political. In my opinion, you cannot have a conversation about maternal health and not have a political discussion. It's too intertwined. It's absurd. You can't point out the fact that the system sucks and not talk about why -- especially when the fact of the matter is, as a result of the system being so busted, women die and they don't need to.
So the conference ended and after cleaning up the room, some doulas were able to have dinner with Ina May. What an treat it was to have a casual conversation with Ina May! How many stories she must have -- and she wisely confirmed that I really didn't want to be camping at Bonnaroo with my kids and being really pregnant in June -- even if it is a killer line up AND close to the Farm! Honestly, some days I really feel like packing it in and moving to the Farm or somewhere like.
Anyway, I will always treasure this picture and the time spent with Ina May. Here's Ina May Gaskin, yours truly, Thing Three, and my extra chins:
She talked a lot about the risks of induction and the lack of informed consent. Ina May also discussed not only the sharp increase of maternal morbidity but the method of reporting deaths -- from the fact that death certificates are different from state to state, that reporting of maternal deaths is done on the honor system, and that autopsies are rarely performed. She described the quilt as a blunt instrument and I am so glad that she brought it with her.
One of the reasons *I* loved this part is that Ina May got political. In my opinion, you cannot have a conversation about maternal health and not have a political discussion. It's too intertwined. It's absurd. You can't point out the fact that the system sucks and not talk about why -- especially when the fact of the matter is, as a result of the system being so busted, women die and they don't need to.
So the conference ended and after cleaning up the room, some doulas were able to have dinner with Ina May. What an treat it was to have a casual conversation with Ina May! How many stories she must have -- and she wisely confirmed that I really didn't want to be camping at Bonnaroo with my kids and being really pregnant in June -- even if it is a killer line up AND close to the Farm! Honestly, some days I really feel like packing it in and moving to the Farm or somewhere like.
Anyway, I will always treasure this picture and the time spent with Ina May. Here's Ina May Gaskin, yours truly, Thing Three, and my extra chins:
A Day with Ina May -- Part One
Yesterday was Heart and Hands Doula Service's 9th annual Family Centered Maternity Care Conference and as I *may* have mentioned, the only speaker was none other than Ina May Gaskin. What an AMAZING and tiring day!At left, Jan Mallak introduces Ina May.
The beginning of the day focused on using manual skills instead of relying on medical interventions and tests (for instance, it has been proposed that ob residents no longer need to be able to palpate the abdomen to determine fetal position); Sphincter Law (my favorite part was the idea that the vagina was erectile tissue much like the penis, and that instead of "stretching" it just plain gets bigger); and the Forgotten Powers of the Vagina. The second two topics blended together flawlessly. Lunch was pretty bad but it was nice not to have to wonder if the food was actually vegetarian -- it was!!! Of course no one came for the food but rather for the legendary speaker and the company of fellow birth professionals.
The conference room at PPG Chemical Center
The Heart and Hands Display
Heather Mallak, baby Zeev, and Ina May
And I'm going to stop here, publish, and then write part 2 later -- it's taken me about 9 hours to write this much due to catching up at home!
9 days til Ina May!
It seems like we have (meaning, Jan has) been planning forever but Ina May is coming NEXT WEEKEND. If you're interested there may still be room!!!
http://heartandhandsdoula.com/
And now if you'll excuse me, I have to put Badger back in bed for the 5th time tonight. I swear, when he started climbing out of his crib my first thought was to turn it upside down and use it as a cage... smart first impulse.
http://heartandhandsdoula.com/
And now if you'll excuse me, I have to put Badger back in bed for the 5th time tonight. I swear, when he started climbing out of his crib my first thought was to turn it upside down and use it as a cage... smart first impulse.
Nothing like snuggling a newborn!
I had a postpartum visit with a client who had her baby last week -- a SWEET little baby girl with just about as much hair as I currently have. Just one week old, still all curled up like a little fetus but eyes open wide and absorbing all the details about her new life. This lucky little girl has to great parents and they're doing a fantastic job! What a happy and healthy little girl!
Thanks for the snuggle, baby I! Makes me so look forward to snuggling my own little one in 20 weeks or so!
Thanks for the snuggle, baby I! Makes me so look forward to snuggling my own little one in 20 weeks or so!
Always nice to see a former client
I met a former client and her super cute baby boy for coffee this morning before Badger's speech therapy -- it's always really wonderful to catch up and get to see how moms are settling into motherhood! This particular mom, who had a really lovely birth at the Midwife Center, seems to be as natural at the motherhood thing as the labor thing! If not for my dear son's temper tantrums and constant escape attempts, it would've been a perfect morning (until we went to speech therapy... I'm pretty sure his ST cries every Sunday night in dread of Monday mornings!).
It was great to reconnect, C, if you're reading :)
It was great to reconnect, C, if you're reading :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)