Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Three Birth Centers Opening in the Twin Cities!

Wow - three birth centers are opening/have opened in the Twin Cities. I am so excited about the increase in options for women here. These are exciting times!

This article at Twin Cities.com talks about the birth center opening in St. Paul. Midwife, Amy Johnson-Grass is opening up this one and it is called Health Foundations. It also touches on Morningstar Birth Center as well, which is connected with the Menomonie birth center in WI.

This article discusses Health Foundations Birth Center, the Morningstar Birth Center that will open in St. Louis Park, and a Minneapolis Birth Center that will be in the vicinity Abbott and Children's hospital.

One of the quotes I really like is the one that talks about how birth centers fit with the "cultural norm" of going somewhere else to birth, but are a low-intervention option for birth that is similar to homebirth.

Take some time to look over these articles. Like I said - exciting stuff for the metro area. More options for women. Let me or other ICAN members know if you have questions about the birth centers. I'll try to stay on top of all of the new developments, births, and etc. in relation to these exciting new developments!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Save the Date: "Laboring Under an Illusion"

ICAN of the Twin Cities is proud to announce a film screening of "Laboring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing" to celebrate April's Cesarean Awareness Month. Please save the date and time on your calendar!

Saturday, April 24th, 3:00pm
Washburn Library, Minneapolis

Donations will be accepted for admission. Refreshments will be served!

A brief description of the film:
"Breathe!  Push!  Hurry!  Give me drugs!  Oh no!  I love you!  I hate you!  Help!  Are we bonding yet? There are more pregnant women watching TV birth scenes than attending childbirth classes.  So when labor starts, they may be surprised by the real thing. A new documentary film, “Laboring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs.The Real Thing,” contrasts actual birth footage with the fictionalized commercial version.  In
over 100 video clips, anthropologist Vicki Elson explores media-generated myths about childbirth."

More information here.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

More Hope for VBAmC

VBAmC - that stands for Vaginal Birth After Multiple Cesareans. I ran across this article the other day and appreciated the hopeful information that it had for women seeking a VBAmC. I know of women who had a repeat cesarean after their first cesarean just based on information from their doctor telling them that a subsequent c-section would be in their best interests. It's not until after that repeat c-section that they discover that maybe they can still deliver vaginally. Or there is the woman who attempted a VBAC and for whatever reason it ended in a c-section and she may be wondering about the safety of VBAC for her - or better yet (in my opinion) - how she is going to convince a care provider that it is safe. I believe that one of the biggest issues for VBAmC is finding care provider support - especially if it is a woman's preference to deliver in the hospital setting. One may have the best luck finding support with home-birth midwives or birth centers - but what about those who need to/want to deliver in the hospital setting?

In short summary this article highlights the fact that of the 89 women who attempted a vaginal delivery out of 860 - all of who had 3 prior c-sections or more - none of those women experienced a uterine rupture. The article notes that it is a small sample size as it is difficult for women to try or "be allowed" to try a VBAmC.

Overall - there is a positive tone and it appears that VBAmC is being looked at more closely. I hope that this conference in March will provide fair, insightful, and continued overall positive change towards the VBAC movement.

Let me just conclude this by saying that I believe if the mother has looked at her options, knows her risks vs. benefits and believe that a VBAmC is for her, then by all means, she should pursue it and believe in herself. Like I stated above, the challenge for her is finding a supportive care provider willing to stand alongside her.