Peaceful Protest

Here I am with Karma out in the 90 degree heat of July demonstrating with other mothers to try to get the hospital to reverse the policy they just handed down banning midwives from practicing there anymore. Now I am generally busy enough just trying to juggle being a homeschooling mom and work from home potter among other things....but this new delima in our community cried out for action. After all, both of my babies were born under the best of care from the midwives at the hospital. You can't beat the care and attention a midwife gives you over the clinical approach of an obgyn in my book. I had very long labors with both of my kiddos....we're talking over 36 hours and my midwife stayed with me the entire time. Where else can you get that unless you are one of those brave women who choose to birth at home.

There are a lot of angered mothers here. To start off our hospital has few choices to begin with and now we have even fewer. This decision to ban midwives was definitely a step in the wrong direction.

This sudden policy change ripped the rug out from under many pregnant women....some due in just days or weeks. How terrifying to be so close to the grand finale of your pregnancy and be told that the midwife that you have developed such a trusting relationship with will no longer be able to provide your care or deliver your baby....that you will be handed off to one of the "real" doctors. This is just wrong, wrong, wrong! I disagree with their decision wholeheartedly but the very least they could have done was to allow all the patients currently under the care of the midwives to come to full term and once the last baby on the books was delivered ....then cease the practice.

There were some very brave and supportive new mommies out there sporting their babies who were delivered by the midwives. We were under some very large and shady oaks with lots of cold water.....but this sends a powerful message to see the product of the care and love that these midwives bestow out here for the hospital administration to see. You can't see him but there was a very uncomfortable looking man in a shirt and tie standing on the hill above the oak trees watching the whole demonstration....sweating worse than we were.

I'm so proud of all these strong moms and I'm glad that I took that precious time out of my crazy schedule to be a part of something so important to our community. Please visit any of the links below to find out more about our community's fight for more birth options.

Mother's to be concerned about midwives. An article about the situation

blog post by Karen Brody, founder of Bold, playwright of Birth

You are My Sunshine This is an awesome little boutique in our town that caters to all the mamas that want to cloth diaper and go natural