Empowering Women Your Birth, Your Choice

* A woman labours instinctively, following her own physiological rhythms & responses,

* the woman takes responsibility for arranging an appropriate setting and caregivers who will enable her to labour as she needs when the time comes,

* the woman, and her partner, are involved in all aspects of pregnancy & birth care, & are enabled to make informed decisions whenever necessary,

* management of the labour is rooted in the midwifery rather than the medical model,

* it is assumed by all involved that the labour & birth are normal, until there is conclusive medical evidence of a problem,

* the woman's assessment of the outcome is accepted & used as the primary measure of success or satisfation, rather than evaluations made by her caregivers.

For a Woman to Feel Empowered:

* she is fully aware of her rights & responsibilities,

* she is enabled to exercise her rights & make decisions about care affecting herself & her baby,

* she has the necessary social supports to ensure her physical & emotional well being,

* she is not subject to discrimination based on her age, sex or her state of pregnancy,

* her ability to grow, produce & nurture her baby is respected & accepted within the framework of birth as a normal bodily function for women.

Empowering Women by Andrea Robertson

THE BIRTH

The waiting time is almost over. Expectation leaps.
Grasping branch, trunk or house-pole, a woman bends and bears down
over the birthing nest of soft fern or wool, sand, fur or moss:
“Be brave, my love ... Not long ... I see the head.
Reach down and touch.”
Women lean forward, pour water in the bowl,
warm the receiving blanket, wind swaddling bands,
make the mother's strengthening broth.
Then comes that first strange animal cry in the night
like a lamb bleating on moorland,
a child's astonished salute to life.
With birthing a woman has opened her body and given.
Now she takes in, draws to herself,
prints on her being knowledge of this child distinct from all others.
These are the bonds that turn a woman to tiger to defend her child,
shield against danger, that tune her ear to the cry in the night
and bring loving arms to lift her baby to the milk-rich breast.
by Sheila Kitzinger

Natural Pregnancy Information.

Natural pregnancy means taking care of your body, including exercising and staying hydrated.
Pregnancy is natural. Work with it naturally.
Being pregnant and giving birth are natural life experiences for which a woman's body is well designed. In most of the world, women labor and give birth with midwives, as they have throughout history. Midwife care has been proven to be a safe, nurturing alternative to physician-attended hospital birth.
A woman's body is innately prepared with the strength, stamina, and ability to nourish a safe and natural pregnancy and childbirth. By supporting the body's own instinctive knowledge, unnecessary medical intervention can often be avoided.
Natural pregnancy includes creating an internal and external environment of healthy, positive elements: healthy eating, appropriate exercise, listening to positive birth stories, gathering knowledge, planning the ideal care, and partnering with a caregiver who can lead you through each step safely and confidently. This caregiver can be a midwife.

Home Birth From a Father's Perspective.

Mark Banta June 1, 2007
Had you asked me five years ago what I thought of home birth I would have told you, in no uncertain terms, that the risks far outweigh the rewards. Furthermore, I would have said that there is no reason to do such a thing given the excellent medical technology and gifted medical professionals available to us in this great nation.
That was five years ago.
Today, I have a much different view of childbirth and the "risks" and "rewards" attached thereto. Do I think differently of the excellent medical technology available? No. Do I feel less trusting of the many gifted medical professionals in this great country, our state or our town? Not a bit. In fact, some of the people I admire and respect most in life are medical professionals.
Today I have a different view of childbirth at home because, thanks to my trust of my wife, Lauren, the professionalism of some very gifted midwives, and grace from God, I now have the advantage of having experienced two very beautiful and successful home births. I wholeheartedly believe in home birth.
In the spring of 1997, after 2 1/⁄2 years of marriage and six years of post-college experience in my field of work, I was going to be a father! I was very excited and began to imagine life with a new baby in our home. Taking for granted the "normal" pregnancy and quick trip to the hospital that would occur in 9 months, I looked forward to the joys of parenthood. Then, Lauren began to talk of "natural" childbirth, like childbirth was not natural in it's very nature. We began seeing a nurse-midwife, which I didn't view to be out of the ordinary, and attending Bradley classes in preparation for the big day.
Then it happened. Lauren informed me that she had set up an appointment with two professional midwives, Abby and Kelley, to discuss the possibility of giving birth to our baby at home. After my initial reactions of "no way" and "why would we do that?", I agreed to go with her, if for no other reason than to satisfy my curiosity.
I am not certain what I expected prior to that first visit to CHOICE, which I intended to be our last, but what I found was not what I expected. Abby and Kelley were very professional, sincere and serious ladies who knew exactly what they were doing. As much as I wanted to dismiss home birth as an interesting but unrealistic idea, I couldn't help recognizing the confidence and peace about these midwives. I agreed to continue pursuing this new option. After a few more visits to CHOICE, I was convinced that Abby and Kelley were very capable of delivering our baby in our home. Any lack of confidence I might have had was gone.
Our first child, Jacob, was born at the foot of our bed shortly before 6:00 am on February 6th, 1998. It was one of the three most fondly memorable and significant days of my life. Abby and Kelley guided us through a textbook birth in the warmth and privacy our own bedroom. I will never forget the incredible peace and joy of sitting in bed with Lauren and our newborn baby resting safely and instantly bonding as a family unit.
Our second child, Ellen, was born in our home in the middle of the afternoon on April 28th, 2000. For our second birth, Lauren wanted to use an "aqua-doula" (hot tub) and deliver our baby into the very natural and familiar environment of body temperature water. Once again, Abby and Kelley guided us through a textbook home birth. The joy of Ellen's birth was even greater with our son, now 2 years and 2 months old, on hand to join in the instant bonding.
Our third child is due in June and will be born in our home as well. We are very excited about our son and daughter being able to meet and bond with their new sibling instantly. What a joy it will be for our family.
There is no question that home birth, or natural childbirth, for that matter, is not for everyone. There are many factors that make natural childbirth high risk, or not even possible. Likewise, there have been millions of happy, healthy babies born in good hospitals by wonderful medical professionals. However, for our family, home birth with CHOICE has been the right decision. The warmth and serenity of our own home is, in our opinion, the perfect place to bring our children into the world.
For our newborn babies to be instantly nurtured by the people whose voices they have been hearing for their entire prenatal existence makes perfect sense. To be able to bond as a family unit, at home, with no outside influences, is very peaceful. The midwives' professionalism and wisdom from many years of home birthing experiences makes birthing our babies naturally a comfortably safe option. And, perhaps the greatest reward for us, aside from the health and happiness of our children, is the new family members we acquired along the way - Abby and Kelley.
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New Class for Perinatal Exercise & Wellness START DEC. 1ST

Healthy Moms® is an organization dedicated to enhancing the physical and psychological well being of women before, during, and after pregnancy. In addition to keeping “moms healthy”, Healthy Moms® is an industry leader in perinatal fitness education and training for fitness and health professionals who care for women throughout the childbearing year.

Baby Love Births is introducing New Perinatal Exercise & Wellness class with December 1st enrollment into Natural Childbirth Classes!

***All New Mommies receive Baby Love Births Gift Bag***

The Rights of Childbearing Women*

The Rights of Childbearing Women* At this time in the United States, childbearing women are legally entitled to those rights.** The legal system would probably uphold those rights.

Every woman has the right to health care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth.

Every woman and infant has the right to receive care that is consistent with current scientific evidence about benefits and risks.* Practices that have been found to be safe and beneficial should be used when indicated. Harmful, ineffective or unnecessary practices should be avoided. Unproven interventions should be used only in the context of research to evaluate their effects.

Every woman has the right to choose a midwife or a physician as her maternity care provider. Both caregivers skilled in normal childbearing and caregivers skilled in complications are needed to ensure quality care for all.

Every woman has the right to choose her birth setting from the full range of safe options available in her community, on the basis of complete, objective information about benefits, risks and costs of these options.*

Every woman has the right to receive all or most of her maternity care from a single caregiver or a small group of caregivers, with whom she can establish a relationship.

Every woman has the right to leave her maternity caregiver and select another if she becomes dissatisfied with her care.* (Only second sentence is a legal right.)

Every woman has the right to information about the professional identity and qualifications of those involved with her care, and to know when those involved are trainees.*

Every woman has the right to communicate with caregivers and receive all care in privacy, which may involve excluding nonessential personnel. She also has the right to have all personal information treated according to standards of confidentiality.*

Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that identifies and addresses social and behavioral factors that affect her health and that of her baby.** She should receive information to help her take the best care of herself and her baby and have access to social services and behavioral change programs that could contribute to their health.

Every woman has the right to full and clear information about benefits, risks and costs of the procedures, drugs, tests and treatments offered to her, and of all other reasonable options, including no intervention.* She should receive this information about all interventions that are likely to be offered during labor and birth well before the onset of labor.

Every woman has the right to accept or refuse procedures, drugs, tests and treatments, and to have her choices honored. She has the right to change her mind.* (Please note that this established legal right has been challenged in a number of recent cases.)

Every woman has the right to be informed if her caregivers wish to enroll her or her infant in a research study. She should receive full information about all known and possible benefits and risks of participation; and she has the right to decide whether to participate, free from coercion and without negative consequences.*

Every woman has the right to unrestricted access to all available records about her pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum care and infant; to obtain a full copy of these records; and to receive help in understanding them, if necessary.*

Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that is appropriate to her cultural and religious background, and to receive information in a language in which she can communicate.*

Every woman has the right to have family members and friends of her choice present during all aspects of her maternity care.**
Every woman has the right to receive continuous social, emotional and physical support during labor and birth from a caregiver who has been trained in labor support.**

Every woman has the right to receive full advance information about risks and benefits of all reasonably available methods for relieving pain during labor and birth, including methods that do not require the use of drugs. She has the right to choose which methods will be used and to change her mind at any time.*

Every woman has the right to freedom of movement during labor, unencumbered by tubes, wires or other apparatus. She also has the right to give birth in the position of her choice.*

Every woman has the right to virtually uninterrupted contact with her newborn from the moment of birth, as long as she and her baby are healthy and do not need care that requires separation.**

Every woman has the right to receive complete information about the benefits of breastfeeding well in advance of labor, to refuse supplemental bottles and other actions that interfere with breastfeeding, and to have access to skilled lactation support for as long as she chooses to breastfeed.**

Every woman has the right to decide collaboratively with caregivers when she and her baby will leave the birth site for home, based on their conditions and circumstances.** � 1999, 2006 Childbirth Connection