Controversies in Childbirth Conference: March 2009, Dallas TX

July 22, 2008

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I just heard about this conference recently, and I’m very curious. It’s called the Controversies in Childbirth Conference: A National Forum for Discussing and Debating Differing Viewpoints on Today’s Childbirth Practice. It’s being held in Dallas/Ft. Worth TX on March 27-29, 2009. From the conference website:

The Only Conference Bringing Together: Obstetricians, Pediatricians, Family Physicians, Certified Nurse Midwives, Certified Professional Midwives, Certified Midwives, Nurses, Doulas, Educators, Lactation Professionals, Hospital Administrators, Health Insurers, Regulators, Advocates, Legislators and Insurers to address the major contemporary controversies in childbirth.

This Birth Conference is Neutral Territory! No predetermined outcomes or agenda. This birth conference is not produced by any organization beholden to its membership or other group. Many seminars will be debate format or panels with opposing viewpoints.  We will examine, debate and discuss: Evidence, Economics, Perception and Politics.

Sample Topics:

  • Is the current U.S. maternity care system sustainable?
  • Are medical interventions good or bad?
  • Do birth advocates hurt their own cause?
  • Will reducing c-sections overload the system?
  • Can normal birth be profitable?
  • How can nurses advocate for their educated patient against the physician?
  • Is there value in labor pain?-  The Epidural Debate.

Can a conference that tries to bring together OBs, midwives, doulas every truly be neutral territory? I’m also a tad suspicious as it seems to be hosted by a company, not a non-profit organization. Perhaps this is a money making venture rather than a true effort to create dialogue? (This might be my non-profit biases coming through). Also there does not appear to be a host committee or sponsoring organizations that are not advertisers or other companies.

The sponsoring company is called “The Business of Birth” and their slogan is “Making the Business of Birth profitable for you!” Now I don’t know about all of you, but that is not exactly my goal. I believe its the business aspects of birth that have created the mess we are in right now, where c-sections rates are skyrocketing and midwives can’t practice because of malpractice costs.

Anyone know anything about this conference? I’m very curious to know more.

5 Comments | birth | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

Great piece about the Birth Attendants and prison doulas

July 16, 2008

From the Seattle Times:

The doulas, members of an Olympia-based doula group called The Birth Attendants, work with the entire prison population as well as the prison’s Residential Parenting Program, which helps pregnant inmates and new mothers maneuver their way through childbirth and beyond.

“We’re not there to pass judgment,” but to educate, said doula Zimryah Barnes, who is part of the prison-doula project. “We don’t deny anybody support who requests it.”

Barnes and other members of The Birth Attendants have become a familiar resource around the prison since they brought the concept to prison officials in 2002. Barnes said the program is based on a similar one in prisons in the United Kingdom.

The doulas offer one-on-one counseling sessions and courses on sex education and family planning. Some doulas even are present when inmates travel to a Tacoma hospital to deliver their babies. Many of those inmates are allowed to raise their children inside the prison as long as they follow strict behavior guidelines.

Read the rest of the piece here. Yay Birth Attendants! Luckily I have heard rumblings of a few other projects like this one cropping up, which is really important. I also learned recently that while the United States only accounts for 5% of the world’s population, we are responsible for 25% of the world’s prison population. Scary.

Thanks to Feministing reader Amanda for the link

3 Comments | doulas, kick-ass radical doulas | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

The Myth of the Elective C-Section

July 15, 2008

I’m about a week late on this one, but check out my feature over at RH Reality Check on the myth of the elective c-section.

When the media covers the rising rate of c-section, it’s often ready to lay the blame at the feet of a woman we’re come to know well over the last few years — the busy career mom scheduling her delivery between important business deals, penciling in labor and delivery the way she pencils in a client meeting. As criticism of surgical birth mounts, the idea that mother-initiated c-sections are spurring an overall increase in the practice has only become more popular.

I go on to refute this idea, with the help of some great birth activists and advocates.

Does it do any harm when the media, doctors and others point to mother’s choice as the reason behind higher c-section rates? These advocates argue that it takes away attention from the how decisions related to pregnancy and childbirth are really made: often, under intense pressure from the woman’s physician.

Check the full piece out here.

No Comments » | c-sections | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

Birth of a Surgeon, tonight on PBS

July 15, 2008

A PBS series tonight chronicles the story of Mozambique, where the maternal mortality rates had reached such crisis levels that they decided to train midwives to do obstetric surgery.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the world’s deadliest place to give birth. Each year over a quarter of a million women die in childbirth in the region. But Mozambique is combating high maternal death rates by implementing unconventional programs.

I have only seen the preview, which you can also watch here. Despite the rather dramatic tone (why do they have to make childbirth seem so scary?) I like the sound of the show.

Midwives often take the blame for high maternal mortality (and infant mortality) in developing countries. They are demonized when governments (both local and international) step in and build hospitals and try to “modernize” maternity care. The midwives are portrayed as backwards, uneducated and elderly. Rather than work with midwives, often this process is rather imposing, attempting to force all women to give birth in the hospitals they build with doctors instead of midwives.

There are many problems with this approach, as transportation to the hospitals built in primarily urban centers in a challenge. Additionally many of these hospitals don’t even have the resources they need (doctors, medicines, equipment) and are not providing much better care for all women than the midwives.

Much of my opinion comes from some time spent in Ecuador, both working at the public maternity ward and talking to midwives in different parts of the country.

So approaches like training midwives to do some emergency surgeries, in addition to other basic skills (like when to take a woman to a hospital) seem like a good solution to me. In the US, midwifery care remains at odds with the ob/gyn practice, I think that’s mostly a business concern. There is no reason why other countries can’t adopt a diverse a multi-tiered system. I know of another program called Nueve Lunas (nine moons) in Mexico that provides additional education for rural indigenous midwives. (Note, the link for that school is in Spanish)

The show premieres Tuesday July 15th on PBS.

No Comments » | International, birth, midwives | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

Independence Day Midwives Pushdrive

July 6, 2008

From the Big Push for Midwives:

Big Push Campaign Launches the 2008 “Independence Day Midwives PushDrive”

Since the American Medical Association (AMA) voted in June to outlaw home birth, we are doubling our efforts to advocate for freedom of birth options for our nation’s mothers and families.

While the AMA and the American College of Obstetricians (ACOG) are likely to back a forceful lobbying operation in Statehouses from coast-to-coast in the months to come, we are P-U-S-H-I-N-G back … building state-of-the-art advocacy campaigns toward successful regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) … helping our state member groups to stand up together, united for safe and legal birth choices.

Why so urgent?

Beyond this David-and-Goliath struggle, we face a critical problem in our society. Nearly 1 in 3 American women are going through major surgery to give birth, but only a fraction of those women would be considered “high risk.” Yet, in spite of the lack of medical necessity for many such cases, the most frequently performed surgery in the U.S. is the cesarean section at 1.3 million surgeries per year. Given present trends, our nation is headed for a staggering 40-50% cesarean surgery rate.

For many reasons, this newly emerging health policy issue is urgent, and some go so far as to say that the civil rights of pregnant women are being disregarded … that mothers and their families are not being fully informed nor adequately supported in their quest for maximal results with minimal interventions.

What is the Big Push for Midwives Campaign?

The Big Push for Midwives Campaign is the first initiative of the National Birth Policy Coalition (NBPC). We play a critical role in building a new model for the delivery of U.S. maternity care at the local and regional levels. At the heart of this plan is the Midwives Model of Care, based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

Through local and national media attention, public education and coalition building, we are creating meaningful consumer protections and a system into which midwives are fully integrated, with increased transparency and accountability for the health and well-being of mothers and babies.

You can help the Big Push for Midwives Campaign stay in top pushing-for-birth-independence form!

Just as the research shows that food and water should not be withheld from laboring women during their marathon-like efforts in birth, our Caring Campaign Midwives remind us that we need nourishment for this journey to ensure we can perform our most critical functions this month.

We must raise $25,000 in the month of July to pay for the tools, staff and resources necessary to deliver consistent and well-executed communications and collaborate among our geographically dispersed teams.

Please show your leadership on national health issues and your willingness to support our innovative approach to rehabilitating our U.S. maternity care system. Please consider contributing immediately to our campaign in any amount that is feasible. $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, or even more.

We so appreciate any amount! Donate here

1 Comment | midwives, news | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

C-sections on the rise in Canada too

July 3, 2008

While Canada is frequently touted as our more progressive and liberal neighbor to the north, things are not perfect for childbirth there either. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada reports that more than 1 in 4 deliveries in Canada are c-sections.

“While the individual risk for a woman having a C-section is very small, the rising rate is certainly a concern,” society president Dr. Guylaine Lefebvre said in a release.

“We fear that there may be an emerging trend towards more scheduled childbirth and routine intervention. We need to be sure that C-sections are not driven by convenience, that interventions are medically indicated and that the safety of a woman and her baby are the driving factors in these decisions.

Between 1993 and 2006, Canada’s C-section rate grew to 26.3 per cent of all deliveries from 17.6 per cent. The increase is attributed an increase in the number of obese mothers, in which more pregnancy complications necessitating a C-section can arise, and older maternal ages.

Canada’s rate is still behind our 1 in 3 rate, but may not be far behind. They are also more supportive of midwives and out-of-hospital births.

Check out RH Reality Check on Monday for my feature on the myth of the elective c-section.

Thanks to Derek for the link!

2 Comments | c-sections | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

Why Marriage Isn’t My Golden Ticket

June 18, 2008

From the ACLU’s blog, the Blog of Rights Symposium. Thanks to Nancy Goldstein for inviting to participate! In a related vein, I was recently on NPR’s Here and Now with Robin Young also talking about gay marriage. This was particularly fun, as it was me and a log cabin republican. You can listen to the show here, the segment begins five minutes in.

It’s official. Same sex couples can get married in California, as of 5 p.m. PST on Monday. While most people in the GLBT community are celebrating the decision, my excitement was rather muted. While I am touched by the stories of couples getting married after 50 years together, I know that marriage isn’t my golden ticket. Marriage isn’t my golden ticket unless I’m lucky enough (or even want) a long-term monogamous partnership. It isn’t my golden ticket unless I have a job or a partner with healthcare benefits. It isn’t my golden ticket unless I have an inheritance to worry about, or a pension to be concerned with.

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, a radical activist and writer has been one very vocal voice of dissent. From her piece at Alternet:

Gay marriage does nothing to address fundamental problems of inequality. What is needed is universal access to basic necessities like housing, health care, food, and the benefits now obtained through citizenship (like the right to stay in this country). Legalized gay marriage means only that certain people in a specific type of long-term, monogamous relationship sanctioned by a state contract might be able to access benefits. While marriage could confer inclusion under a spouse’s health-care policy, it does nothing to provide such a policy. Marriage might ensure hospital visitation rights, but not for anyone without a spouse. Marriage may allow for inheritance rights between spouses, but what if there is nothing to inherit?

While I would not go as far as Mattilda to say that I oppose the CA marriage decision, I agree with her that a movement so focused on marriage is not a movement that represents my activism and interests. She also makes the important point that marriage is not a cure-all. So many problems exist in our society that deserve our attention and it’s upsetting to me to see the majority of the resources of our movement being allocated to marriage-only fights. Social benefits should not only be afforded to those who enter into long-term romantic partnerships. I said as much on a recent segment of NPR’s Here and Now.

Thankfully there are groups and activists who are working for a broader vision of what marriage equality might look like. Queers for Economic Justice put out a Beyond Marriage statement in 2006, with pages of important sign-ons in support of their principles:

The current debate over marriage, same-sex and otherwise, ignores the needs and desires of so many in a nation where household diversity is the demographic norm. We seek to…diversify and democratize partnership and household recognition. We advocate the expansion of existing legal statuses, social services and benefits to support the needs of all our households.

As a queer Latina working in the reproductive justice movement, my vision of social justice focuses on putting the needs of the most marginalized members of our community at the center of our organizing. The current marriage-focused movement fails to do this. Issues like universal health care, immigration reform, comprehensive sex education, ending gender-based discrimination and violence are central to my activism and I would love to see a queer movement that reflected these values as well.

No Comments » | LGBT issues | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

American Medical Association passes resolution to outlaw homebirth

June 17, 2008

Unfortunately, this is not surprising.

Maternity care is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States,” said Steff Hedenkamp, Communications Coordinator for The Big Push for Midwives. “So it’s no surprise to see the AMA join the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in its ongoing fight to corner the market and ensure that the only midwives able to practice legally are hospital-based midwives forced to practice under physician control. I will say, though, that I’m shocked to learn that the AMA is taking this turf battle to the next level by setting the stage for outlawing home birth itself—a direct attack on those families who choose home birth, who could be subject to criminal prosecution if the AMA has its way.

The Big Push for Midwives has released this story (the above text is from their press release). What people tend to forget is that the American Medical Association is a professional association, not a scientific or medical (and therefore unbiased) organization.

It’s hard to see this as anything other a business ploy to further dominate (and secure) their place in the market. With how expensive childbirth is, it’s a lucrative market.  This mode of business-oriented thinking has dominated the attempt to push out midwives since the beginning of obstetrics. What’s missing here? Perhaps what is best for the mother? Just a thought.

3 Comments | birth, midwives, news | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

Babeland comes to Brooklyn!

June 6, 2008

I posted about this on feministing already, but I wanted to share my excitement with RD readers! A fabulous feminist sex shop is opening up in Brooklyn this week! Check it out online or in person. I’m been a big fan of this place for years and have serious fantasies about working there (or another feminist sex shop) someday.

1 Comment | sexuality | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

DSMV Controversy

June 5, 2008

I posted about this yesterday over at Feministing, and I wanted to link here in case you didn’t see it. There was some really good conversation in the comments, be sure to check it out.

An exerpt:

The American Psychiatric Association appointed members at the beginning of May to the Committee on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders for the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).

This committee will be reexamining the DSM-V, which is the manual of mental disorders that controls the diagnosis and treatment of gender and sexual difference. It was a big deal when homosexuality was declassified as a disorder, and some queer and trans activists are calling for gender identity dysphoria to be similarly declassified.

Since then, lots of people have been expressing their concern about two particular appointments: Ray Blanchard and Kenneth Zucker (who has been appointed as chair).

From Rea Carey, Acting Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

We are very concerned about these appointments. Kenneth Zucker and Ray Blanchard are clearly out of step with the occurring shift in how doctors and other health professionals think about transgender people and gender variance. It is extremely disappointing and disturbing that the APA appears to be failing in keeping up with the times when it comes to serving the needs of transgender adults and gender-variant children.

Read the rest of the post over at Feministing.

2 Comments | LGBT issues | Permalink
Posted by radicaldoula

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