http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/opinions/Support_midwives_in_curbing_maternal_deaths_84452.shtml

In Uganda, for every 100,000 live new borns, 435 mothers lose their lives, yet for every mother who dies, its estimated that about 30 more mothers come out with chronic ill health, and disability that will alter their life course and those of their families forever.

To achieve Millennium Goal 5 of improving maternal mortality by the year 2015, Uganda should “acceptably” lose 131 mothers for every 100,000 live births. Can we achieve this in the next six years?

Among the major factors contributing to this big loss of mothers is the lack of delivery assistance by a skilled birth attendant, who constitute mainly the midwives which currently stands at 42 per cent.

This implies that for every 100 deliveries 58 of them are delivered by either a friend, relative, traditional birth attendant or no one in the gardens, and bushes where they deliver.

With no assistance, some mothers bleed to death or get infections with sometimes disastrous effects. We have moved a long way, in comparison with the late 1980s and 1990s to date, but we have not moved enough, given what we need to achieve.

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico, May 6 (IPS) – Mexican communications specialist Marla Vargas had her baby in the bathtub at home, attended by a midwife, because, she says, ”I wanted a different experience, and a better way for my child to come into the world.”

http://globalgeopolitics.net/wordpress/2009/05/06/health-mexico-training-professional-village-midwives/

The practice of midwifery in Mexico goes back to the pre-Hispanic cultures of the people living in this land before the arrival of the conquistadors in the early 16th century. In many rural communities, midwives are the only option available for care during pregnancy and childbirth, as state health services are too far away.

But training for professional midwives is scarce in this country of 106 million people. The only officially accredited Mexican school of midwifery is run by the non-profit Centre for Adolescents of San Miguel de Allende (CASA) in this old colonial town 300 kilometres northwest of Mexico City.

http://birththeplay.blogspot.com/2009/05/big-push-for-midwives-on-captial-hill.html

Congress Invited to Attend Issue Briefing on Maternity Care and the Role of Out-of-Hospital Birth in Reducing Costs, Improving Outcomes

Expert Panel to Address the Need to Include Services of Certified Professional Midwives in Health Care Reform

http://www.undispatch.com/node/8201

The number of midwives worldwide would have to more than double to meet Millennium Development Goals of reducing maternal and infant deaths by 2015, according to the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and World Health Organization on International Day of the Midwife.

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/study-reveals-conflict-between-doctors-midwives-over-homebirth-20996.html

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Two Oregon State University researchers have uncovered a pattern of distrust – and sometimes outright antagonism – among physicians at hospitals and midwives who are transporting their home-birth clients to the hospital because of complications.

Oregon State University assistant professor Melissa Cheyney and doctoral student Courtney Everson said their work revealed an ongoing conflict between physicians and midwives that is reflective of discord across the country.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521141208.htm

A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles — the popular, hard-plastic drinking bottles and baby bottles — showed a two-thirds increase in their urine of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). Exposure to BPA, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and other plastics, has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans.

The study is the first to show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increased the level of urinary BPA, and thus suggests that drinking containers made with BPA release the chemical into the liquid that people drink in sufficient amounts to increase the level of BPA excreted in human urine.

http://www.cafemom.com/dailybuzz/pregnancy/4956/Ricki_Lake_on_Your_Best_Birth_Part_1_Plus_Win_a_Copy_of_the_Book

Ricki Lake has a long resume: actress, former talk show host, documentary filmmaker, and mom. She’s also acommitted natural childbirth advocate who wants women to be educated about their options when it comes to giving birth.

In her new book, Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choics, and Take Back the Birth Experience, she and co-author Abby Epstein provide tons of info and advice to help women choose the kind of birth that’s right for them.

http://acnm-midwives.blogspot.com/2009/05/midwives-are-womens-health-heroes.html

Out of nearly 100 nominees from 12 countries, the midwives of Fair Haven Community Health Center Midwifery Group won OBOS Pick for the 2009 Our Bodies, Ourselves Women’s Health Heroes Awards. These midwives have invested decades of dedication and care in the lives of countless women.

http://flmidwifery.blogspot.com/2009/05/congressional-briefing-this-thursday.html

This Thursday, May 21st, at 8 am, a Congressional briefing will convene at the Sewall-Belmont House, 144 Constitution Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C. The topic of this briefing is the critical role that out-of-hospital maternity care (and the Certified Professional Midwives who are trained to provide it) can play in health care reform by reducing costs and improving outcomes.

Background: A recent study commissioned by the Washington State Department of Health found that Licensed Midwives saved taxpayers and private insurers approximately $2.7 million per year. A similar study conducted for Florida would prove that number much higher. In 2007, we welcomed 239,143 babies into the Sunshine State, as opposed to 88,958 in Washington. Medicaid currently covers about 49.6% of all Florida births (37.2% of which are cesarean sections) vs. 45.6% in Washington (29% c-section rate). Using these statistics, mathematics tells me that Licensed Midwives in Florida save taxpayers and private insurers over $10 million ANNUALLY.

http://www.wksu.org/news/story/23409

There are only about twenty certified professional midwives in Ohio, but a group that represents them says there are many more people who are working as midwives without any sore of certification or license. The group is pushing for legislation that would give midwives more credibility under the law. Stephanie Beck-Borden is the chair of Ohio Families for Safe Birth, and says right now there’s no definition of midwives in the law and no guidelines for what they can and can’t do.

http://www.amotherinisrael.com/2009/05/14/breastfeeding-solids-israel-health-ministry/

This week the Israel health ministry issued new guidelines on introduction of complementary foods (solids) to breastfeeding babies. Unfortunately, the media got hold of the information early and published misleading information.

There is nothing especially new or radical in the guidelines, which are based on information from the World Health Organization.

http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/1677/carolyn-maloney-to-reintroduce-breastfeeding-promotion-act

At Mother Talkers, prgrsvmama26 brings us the news that Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York will reintroduce the Breastfeeding Promotion Act in June. Among other things, this bill would

* Add breastfeeding mothers in the workplace as a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964
* Provide incentives for employers to have private lactation areas for workers
* Create a performance standard for breastpump equipment
* Create tax deductions for pumping equipment

http://www.freep.com/article/20090510/FEATURES08/905100317/1033/BUSINESS/C-sections%20riskier%20than%20many%20women%20realize

Jody Borrero was only five weeks along in her pregnancy when doctors told her something had gone awry.

An ultrasound confirmed that her placenta had implanted itself at the bottom of her uterus, across her cervix. It also had attached itself too deeply, perforating the uterine wall and invading her bladder.

Borrero’s doctors kept her stable for as long as they could. But on Feb. 2, they were forced to deliver Ethan Jr. nearly four months early.

She hemorrhaged during the delivery and, at age 28, Borrero can no longer bear children. Her conditions, called placenta previa and placenta accreta, are still relatively rare.

But physicians say they’re turning up in more women, and medical experts believe the trend is tied to record numbers of moms-to-be delivering their children via Cesarean section.

http://www.pregtastic.com/homebirth-101-the-home-court-advantage/

What exactly is homebirth? Who is a good candidate and why might you want to consider a homebirth? How and why a homebirth is safe. When is a homebirth not recommended, and what’s the plan of action if hospital transfer becomes necessary? What are the costs and what does insurance cover? And, thoughts on young siblings being present during a birth. Midwife Marla Hicks is this week’s guest on PregTASTIC Pregnancy Podcast.

http://www.organic-birth.com/homebirth_bed.html

While, in my experience, many, if not most, homebirth moms, do not get into bed until after the baby is born, it is still a great idea to have the bed made once labor begins so you are able to rest if you want to and not worry about the mattress’ safety if your membranes rupture.

Below, I outline the easy way to prepare your bed so it remains clean and body fluid free. Besides saving the mattress, practical reasons for having a birth bed made will also make things easier after your baby is born.

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A394594

For the past 25 years, women in North Carolina who wanted to deliver their babies at home have had very little choice in health care practitioners. Because independent midwifery is illegal here, with few exceptions, families are primarily served by practitioners licensed in other states or not licensed at all.

A bill pending in the N.C. General Assembly aims to change that, allowing for the first time in a quarter-century for midwives who operate independently from physicians to practice legally and seek licensure.

While the legislation as currently drafted is unlikely to provide women with any more choice in practitioners, the bill’s very existence represents a significant step toward normalizing midwifery care in the state, as it recognizes there is a large underserved population—as well as the fact that many midwives are meeting that need by practicing illegally.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024609.html

The majority of hospitals and birth centers in the United States have practices that make it less likely that mothers will breastfeed, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the first-ever nationwide review of breastfeeding promotion practices in the United States, the CDC sent questionnaires to hospitals and birthing centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Depending on their answers, institutions were given a score between zero and 100 (perfect).

A total of 2,546 hospitals and 121 birth centers responded to the survey.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73753459808

The deadline for the video contest was yesterday, and links to all the videos have been added under “LINKS”.

Take a look see and vote for the ones you like best on You Tube!

Contest entries will be narrowed to 10 by a panel of judges that includes Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein, and Sarah Buckley. Then the top three prize winners will be announced in early June. Top prize is $1000!

Please change your status update to encourage people to come check out the contest!

Sarah Allen-Short

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/ethiopia-unfpaicm-to-launch-new-midwifery-program/

A new programme to support midwifery in Ethiopia was launched Tuesday by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) to mark the International Day of Midwives. The UNFPA/ICM midwifery program will contribute to the achievement of two of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): improving maternal health and reducing neonatal mortality.

Ethiopia becomes one of the eleven countries hardest-hit by maternal, neonatal and child death to launch this global initiative, joining Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ghana, Madagascar, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia and in beginning implementation. The three-year programme has a budget of 9 million dollars provided by Netherlands and Sweden and will eventually reach 30 countries.