FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Media Contact: 
Laura Gilkey
(941) 915-8115
press@flmidwifery.org
www.flmidwifery.org
   

STATE OF FLORIDA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE
Florida Friends of Midwives Sponsors Events Statewide to Promote Awareness
 
April 30, 2010 (Florida) -- May 5th is the International Day of the Midwife, a day set aside in 1991 by the International Confederation of Midwives and observed in over 50 nations worldwide.  In 1992, Florida Governor Lawton Chiles joined in this celebration by adding Florida to the growing list of states and countries that observe this day.
 
The World Health Organization states: “On the International Day of the Midwife, we pay tribute to the work of the midwives who are key healthcare providers in facilities and communities. They provide the high‐quality and cost‐effective package of care desperately needed by millions of women around the world. The World Health Organization recognizes the contribution of midwives to the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and renews its support to quality midwifery!”
 
Special Events Throughout Florida
 
In honor of this day, Florida Friends of Midwives, a non-profit consumer organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida, will host events throughout the state, and support those hosted by sister organizations.  On May 5th, The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery will host their annual celebration of the day in Gainesville, featuring special guests Jill Sonke and Cindy Nelly of the University of Florida Center for the Arts in Healthcare Research and Education (CAHRE). Sonke and Nelly have spearheaded arts in medicine missions in Rwanda, the Congo, and most recently Haiti. On May 6th in Sarasota, Florida Friends of Midwives will host an exclusive screening of Guerrilla Midwife, a documentary recently showcased at the Sarasota Film Festival. The film follows midwife Robin Lim along the streets of Bali and into the Acehnese refugee camps of the Indonesian Archipelago, where the midwifery model of care is put to the test, at the epicenter of the turmoil following the December 2004 Tsunami. And on May 8th, the Miami Florida Friends of Midwives chapter will show the film Laboring Under an Illusion, an anthropological exploration of media-generated myths about childbirth.
 
A Florida Midwife’s Perspective of International Midwifery
 
No stranger to the international disparity in childbirth practice, Orlando Licensed Midwife Jennie Joseph was the first foreign-trained midwife to be licensed under the Midwifery Practice Act in Florida in 1994. “I trained as a midwife in England 31 years ago and graduated in May of 1981 with the knowledge that midwifery was the 'gold standard' of care for women worldwide,” says Joseph. “Imagine my surprise on arriving in the US in 1989, where I quickly discovered a total lack of interest, understanding or even acknowledgment of the importance of midwives for a nations health.”
 
Ms. Joseph is executive director of The Birth Place, a free-standing birthing facility in Winter Garden, and the developer of The JJ WAY, a Maternal Child Healthcare delivery model for indigent women. “Today, I begin to have hope that American's are opening up to the benefits of midwifery in matters of choice, safety, empowerment and economy; that we realize that the midwifery model of care can be the vehicle that moves us higher up on the list of countries providing exemplary maternity care for it's citizens, and that truly 'a midwife for every mother' is not an impossible dream,” says Joseph. “A heartfelt thank you to all the midwives - past, present and future and Happy International Midwives Day!”
 
Midwives have a long and valued history in Florida. The state first passed legislation to license direct-entry midwives in 1931, and the first Certified Nurse Midwife was licensed in Florida in 1970.  Florida’s midwives have continued to tirelessly serve the families of Florida and to ensure the continued availability of safe, evidence-based birthing options for Florida’s families. 
 
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INTERVIEWS WITH MIDWIVES AND THEIR CLIENTS ARE AVAILABLE AT PRESS’ CONVENIENCE.
For more information please contact Laura Gilkey:  (941) 915-8115 / press@flmidwifery.org
 
About Florida Friends of Midwives:  Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families.  For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

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To The Plaza Theater Downtown, October 2nd and 3rd

WINTER GARDEN, FL. – September 22, 2009 – Commonsense Childbirth and The Birth Place, a unique birthing center and midwifery practice, welcome the BABY! International Film Festival to Orlando. BABY! brings together a diverse array of inspiring films, leading experts and dynamic panel-participants to explore key issues in pregnancy, birth, bonding and breastfeeding, including baby consciousness, and empowered choices.

The event takes place Friday, October 2, 2009 and Saturday, October 3, 2009, from 9 am to 5 pm at The Plaza Theater on Bumby Avenue in Orlando. Tickets can be purchased online: www.commonsensechildbirth.org/tickets or at The Birth Place in Winter Garden (407-654-9900) or The Plaza Theatre box office (407-228-1220).

The mission of BABY! International Film Festival is to offer film images that will deepen and expand everyone’s sense of trust about pregnancy, birth, and parenting and bring healthy images of birth, bonding and parenting to the public eye. The two day event features films about birth, breastfeeding and parenting followed by interactive panel discussions focused on getting babies and families off to a good start. Although film festivals are often seen as one-time events with transient impact on the community, the Festival’s intention is to utilize each event as a catalyst for ongoing community education.

About The Birth Place
The Birth Place birthing center provides a service to the local Orlando area community by offering quality maternity care for women, with a focus on family involvement. As Clinical Director of The Birth Place (www.thebirthplace.org) in Winter Garden, Florida, Ms. Jennie Joseph offers prenatal and postpartum exams along with an onsite birthing facility for healthy, low-risk women. British-trained and educated in the early 1980’s Joseph has been a Florida resident since 1989. The Birth Place practice continues to grow and has become renowned for healthy outcomes and empowered birth for both mothers and babies in the Central Florida area.

 

Did you know that September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month? Probably not, there are so many pressing issues that are in the radar right now, one could easily be forgiven for not being „aware‟. Unfortunately though, it really is – and has been for a couple of years now – and here‟s why. Infant mortality is the measure of how we are faring as a nation, our youngest and most precious lives counted statistically as those born alive but dying before reaching age one. And yes, sadly, we are doing very poorly.

Infant Mortality Awareness Month passed as a resolution of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. Texas Congressman Michael Burgess who sponsored HR402 said, “Infant mortality rates are appalling.” The U.S ranks near the top among industrialized nations; and African American babies have the highest rates at 13.5 per 1,000 live births compared with 5.7 per 1,000 live births for whites and Hispanics, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The purpose of Infant Mortality Awareness Month was to increase national awareness of contributing factors, and to urge community leaders to assist in efforts to meet the objective of reducing the rate of infant mortality in this country by 2010.

Patients at my midwife-led Easy Access prenatal care clinic in Winter Garden have seen significant reductions in prematurity and low birth weight, a major factor in infant deaths. Our Campaign for Healthier Babies focuses on bonding mothers, fathers, families and communities to babies before they are born and this year we have been knitting baby hats to raise more awareness. My goal: simply knit one baby hat to represent every infant lost in Florida (1689 babies in 2007). Although lofty, we have collected 583 hats to date – each one hand-knitted or crocheted with love. Grandma‟s, neighbors, nurses and midwives in Florida and nationally have contributed hats as they have learned about the issues and felt moved to be involved. On September 26,, 2009 all of our hats will be displayed at a local event in Clermont. Following that our hats will be donated to hospitals and to needy moms but our message will remain the same – our babies are dying, we can make a difference. Heads up!

Jennie Joseph LM, CPM (Midwife)
Executive Director
Commonsense Childbirth Inc.
The Birth Place
1130 E. Plant Street,
Winter Garden, Fl. 34787
www.commonsensechildbirth.org
407 656 6938

 

By LAURA GILKEY Guest Columnist

Published: Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 5:46 p.m.

When used appropriately, Caesarean section can be lifesaving, and I am grateful for the skilled obstetricians who perform this surgery. However, the national C-section rate has increased by 50 percent since 1996, and was 31.8 percent in 2007, more than double the World Health Organization's maximum recommended rate of 15 percent. Florida's numbers are even higher, and at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, that rate in 2007 was 41.3 percent -- almost triple the WHO recommendation (http://www. floridahealthfinder.gov/Researchers/QuickStat/cesarean-buffer.shtml). It is time to reverse this dangerous trend.

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March 30, 2009, Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Governor Crist Observes April as Cesarean Awareness Month

April is Cesarean Awareness Month as proclaimed by the International Cesarean Awareness Network and as acknowledged by Florida Governor Charlie Crist. This month is a time to reflect on the frequency of surgical births and how they impact maternal-child health.

Here are a few facts:

36.64 percent of Florida’s babies were delivered by cesarean in 2006 (most recent figures available), which is 21-26 points higher than the 10-15 percent that the World Health Organization considers safe.

Women are four times more likely to die as a result of a cesarean birth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in its July 31, 2003, press release called “Weighing the Pros and Cons of Cesarean Delivery.”

Most women who choose VBAC can succeed, as evidenced by the 87 percent of women in a birth center study reported in an Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2004 issue.

ICAN is a mother-to-mother support group for cesarean prevention, recovery and VBAC. There are local chapters throughout Florida. For information please visit www.ican-online.org.

 

STATE OF FLORIDA CELEBRATES LICENSED MIDWIVES WEEK FROM OCTOBER 1 THROUGH 7 

 

Governor Charlie Crist signs proclamation observing this week as non-profit organization

Florida Friends of Midwives plans events throughout the state

 

MIAMI, FL (October 1, 2008) – Governor Charlie Crist signed a proclamation observing October 1 through the 7 as Licensed Midwives Week in the State of Florida, upholding midwives for being “dedicated to the care of pregnancy and childbirth and treat[ing] each woman’s pregnancy according to her unique physical and personal needs.”  In honor of this week, Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida, will be hosting various community events throughout the state this week and throughout the month to celebrate the more than 110 licensed midwives, currently practicing.

 

Midwives have a long and valued history in Florida. The state first passed legislation to license direct-entry midwives in 1931. In the 77 years since, Florida’s licensed midwives have continued to tirelessly serve the families of Florida and to ensure the continued availability of safe, evidence-based birthing options for Florida’s families.  In 1992, Governor Lawton Chiles declared the first-ever Licensed Midwives Week. More women than ever before are seeking out licensed midwives for maternity care. According to the latest data from the Florida Council of Licensed Midwifery, births managed by Licensed Midwives in the state grew by about 5.5% from 2005 to 2006. 

 

“Midwives specialize in the intimate, emotional and family-focused care of mothers, providing a great alternative to the hospital-based setting most women are used to,” said Shannon Mitchell, Vice-President of Florida Friends of Midwives.  “We’re excited to have this recognition from Governor Charlie Crist and the State of Florida for this group of professionals who invest in the greatest asset the state could have – our children and our families.”

 

In honor of the thousands of midwives who dedicated their lives to the care of women and infants throughout the history of the state, Florida Friends of Midwives will be hosting various events in local communities all over Florida.  In Sanford, the 10^th Annual Baby Reunion will be hosted at the Central Florida Zoo while in Sarasota, there will be a Fall Festival with games and activities for families.  In South Florida, the group is planning local screenings of Ricki Lake’s documentary “The Business of Being Born”.    

 

Midwifery in Florida 

In Florida, two types of midwives are allowed to practice:  Certified Nurse-Midwives and Licensed Midwives (a Florida state licensure), also known as direct-entry midwives.  Throughout the state, about 11.2 percent of births are estimated to be managed by midwives, rather than by OB-GYNs. Many birth centers and midwives have reported a significant increase in business in the past year. This increase is believed to be a result of various factors – one, a greater exposure to midwifery in mainstream media through documentaries like Ricki Lake’s The Business of Being Born; and two, a greater number of women seeking alternative birthing choices due to an unhealthy increase in caesarean sections and other unnecessary interventions that frequently occur in hospital settings.  In a 2006 report on Florida Licensed Midwives, midwives had a caesarean section rate of 6.3 percent compared to a 36.64 percent statewide average in hospitals the same year.  

 

For more information of midwifery in Florida, please visit www.flmidwivery.org.

 

About Florida Friends of Midwives

Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families.  For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.   

 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Nermarí Broderick

(786) 287-5132

press@flmidwifery.org

 

FLORIDA FRIENDS OF MIDWIVES RESPONDS TO THE CLOSURE OF MIAMI DADE COLLEGE'S MIDWIFERY PROGRAM
 
Despite strong opposition from the community, Miami Dade College's Midwifery Program to close indefinitely
 
MIAMI, FL (August 14, 2008) – Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida is disappointed and concerned with the indefinite closure of Miami Dade College's Midwifery Program, a vital program to the local community and to communities statewide.  Despite strong opposition expressed by students, mothers, midwives and concerned members of the community, the College cited tough economic times as the reason for their decision.  
 
On Friday August 8, 2008, the College held a meeting at the Medical Campus to formally announce the closure of the program and return prepaid tuition to currently enrolled students. At that meeting, members of the public showed up to express their disappointment and dissatisfaction with the closure of the program.  The College claims tough economic times have caused them to close programs with low enrollment and high costs. However, Midwifery is the first and only one out of over 200 degree-granting programs offered at Miami-Dade College to be eliminated as a result of those cuts.
 
Students, who had already completed all course requirements to be admitted into the program, were devastated.  Some students had relocated to South Florida, and many had already taken out loans to cover tuition costs.  "Miami Dade College doesn't understand that we didn't choose to be in this career program just to have any degree – this is our passion," said Melissa Chin Casey, who was set to start the Midwifery Program in the Fall 2008 semester.  "It's insulting and cruel for the administrators to say the program was cut because of low enrollment, when we are practically beating down the door for them to let us in.   As a public education institution, they have failed this community."
 
MDC's accredited Direct-Entry Midwifery Program was the first in the country to be offered at a public institution, offering students a more affordable option compared to the programs offered at private colleges and universities.  Since it's inception in 1994, over 80 midwives have been trained and graduated the program.
 
"This community has endured a great loss with the closing of this program," said Tamara Taitt, president for Florida Friends of Midwives.  "Many of the women who have graduated from this program have become indispensable to our community by providing quality and personalized pre- and post-natal care."   
 
Midwifery in Florida
According to the latest Florida Medical Quality Assurance annual report, there are 115 active licensed midwives practicing in the state.  About 11 percent of births are estimated to be attended by midwives, rather than by obstetrician/gynecologists, and the Florida Council of Licensed Midwives reported that births attended by Licensed Midwives in the state grew by 5.5% from 2005 to 2006.  According to the same report by the Florida Council of Licensed Midwives, midwives had a caesarean section rate of 6.3 percent (compared to a 36.64 percent statewide average in hospitals the same year). 
 
Miami Dade College is a public institution and has an obligation to the public it serves. FFOM believes it is unjust to close a program that is crucial on a number of levels.  To take away this program is to take away one of the only affordable opportunities in this country for women to become Licensed Midwives through an accredited program.
 
FFOM urges the College to reconsider the closure of the Midwifery Program and also ask for continued support from the community in our efforts to keep this program open.
 
About Florida Friends of Midwives
Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families.  For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org. 
 
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Miami Dade College knifes midwifery program

Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 09:16AM

Miami Dade College has shut down the Midwifery Program, a move announced August 8 at a Medical Campus meeting. The college cited low enrollment and high costs. A news release issued by Florida Friends of Midwives pointed out that the program is the first and only one of more than 200 degree-granting programs eliminated because of cost-cuts.

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Governor Crist signs proclamation for August to be Breastfeeding Month in Florida 

PRESS RELEASE

Governor Crist declares month of August as Breastfeeding Month to support and promote breastfeeding as the healthiest choice in infant feeding.

Maitland, FL, August 07, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Governor Crist has signed a proclamation declaring the whole month of August as Breastfeeding Month in conjunction with the global celebration of World Breastfeeding Week August 1 - 7. Each year since 1992, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) remind women and families of the vital importance of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life and continued breastfeeding with complementary foods thereafter.

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• Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle

• Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support

• Minimizing technological interventions

• Identifying and referring women who require obstetrical attention

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WHAT: Florida Friends of Midwives
              West Central Regional Group Meeting

WHERE: Fruitville Pubic Library  
                 100 Coburn Road
                 Sarasota, Florida  34240

 WHEN:  Thursday, July 17th, 6:00 p.m.

Please join this new consumer advocacy group as we propose initiatives to SMH, draft documents to help pregnant families deal with insurance companies, fight to save waterbirth at a local hospital, and raise money to preserve the licensure of midwives in Florida!

 

 

 

Contact: Gretchen Humphries (734) 323-8220

For Immediate Release

Insurance Companies Rejecting Women with History of Cesarean
Some Companies Require Surgical Sterilization for Coverage;
Trend Gives New Imperative to Learn Ways to Avoid Unnecessary Cesarean

Redondo Beach, CA, June 1, 2008 – As reported in today’s New York Times, ICAN has begun tracking an alarming new trend of insurance companies refusing to provide health insurance for women with a history of cesarean surgery. In some cases, women are being rejected for coverage outright and in other case they are being charged significantly higher rates to obtain the same coverage as women without a history of cesarean. With over a million women each year undergoing this surgery, this practice has the potential to render large numbers of women uninsurable.

 

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Standing Women will stand again on May 11, 2008, 1 pm local time.

Last May hundreds of thousands of women and girls, along with the men and boys they love, in 75 countries and on all continents of the world stood together in parks, on beaches, in churches, at graduation ceremonies, in their backyards and at school yards or anyplace they could find to stand in a global wave of humanity in support of a better world for our children.

We invite women and their families everywhere to take this "stand" with us again, on May 11 at 1 p.m. local time for just 5 minutes, to rekindle the world with our common vision.

We stand for the world's children and grandchildren, and for the seven generations beyond them. We dream of a world where all of our children have safe drinking water, clean air to breathe, and enough food to eat. A world where they have access to a basic education to develop their minds and healthcare to nurture their growing bodies. A world where they have a warm, safe and loving place to call home. A world where they don't live in fear of violence-in their home, in their neighborhood, in their school or in their world. This is the world of which we dream. This is the cause for which we stand.

To learn more and register your standing, go to the Standing Women website at www.standingwomen.org

And please pass on the invitation and our YouTube video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eNJ4oVQKxU to your friends.

The vision we hold together can become a reality when enough of us come forward and take a stand...

With hope and thanks from the women of Ohio

 

In celebration of International Midwives Day, the Sarasota Film Society will present a special benefit screening of 'The Business of Being Born,' a documentary film from executive producer Ricki Lake and director Abby Epstein. The benefit will be held at Lakewood Ranch Cinemas on Saturday, May 3rd at 5:00 pm.  The screening will be followed by an exclusive panel discussion and Q & A with local birthing professionals.  Tickets are $15 and include the screening and panel as well as a private reception with food, cash bar, silent auction and live acoustic music from Radio-Free Carmela and Tanya Radtke.  Proceeds will benefit Florida Friends of Midwives.
 
Advance Tickets ($15) and FREE tickets for Expecting Mothers will be available at Rosemary Birthing Home beginning Monday, April 14th.  If there is a birth in progress, you may leave your name and number on the sheet at the door. Your tickets will be reserved and someone will contact you at their earliest convenience.

 

Another birthing option

I found The Sun's April 8 online article titled "Birthing options" disappointing. The option to have a vaginal birth after Caesarean (or VBAC) was downplayed, and the old saying "once a Caesarean, always a Caesarean" was promoted based on the fact that it is difficult to find a physician to attend a VBAC.

Only a few local home birth midwives attend VBACs and few care providers promote them openly to clients, because of the fear of lawsuits, malpractice insurance regulations and inconvenience. However, VBAC should be promoted as the healthiest option, given that a second (or third or fourth) Caesarean is much riskier for babies and women than a normal birth.

If women refuse elective repeat Caesarean surgery and demand care providers to attend VBACs, more and more providers will begin to attend them.

For mothers like Liz Schenck, who found her Caesarean "really disappointing," you are not alone. Florida has a 36.6 percent Caesarean rate, meaning that more than one out of three births is a surgical extraction. This trend is disturbing for the health of mothers and children.

April, Caesarean Awareness Month, acknowledges the impact of Caesareans of mothers, babies and families worldwide. The International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), a nonprofit organization, has a local chapter in Gainesville. It meets once a month and provides support to women in Caesarean recovery and information on Caesarean prevention and VBAC. Please visit www.gainesville.ican-online.org for information.

Irene Halmari-Meneses,
Gainesville

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April 17, 2008, Florida
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Governor Crist Observes April as Cesarean Awareness Month

April is Cesarean Awareness Month as proclaimed by the International Cesarean Awareness Network and as acknowledged by Florida Governor Charlie Crist. This month is a time to reflect on the frequency of surgical births and how they impact maternal-child health.

Here are a few facts:

36.64 percent of Florida’s babies were delivered by cesarean in 2006 (most recent figures available), which is 21-26 points higher than the 10-15 percent that the World Health Organization considers safe.

Women are four times more likely to die as a result of a cesarean birth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in its July 31, 2003, press release called “Weighing the Pros and Cons of Cesarean Delivery.”

Most women who choose VBAC can succeed, as evidenced by the 87 percent of women in a birth center study reported in an Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2004 issue.

ICAN is a mother-to-mother support group for cesarean prevention, recovery and VBAC. There are local chapters throughout Florida. For information please visit www.ican-online.org.

 

In celebration of International Midwives Day, the Sarasota Film Society will present a special benefit screening of 'The Business of Being Born,' a documentary film from executive producer Ricki Lake and director Abby Epstein. The benefit will be held at Lakewood Ranch Cinemas on Saturday, May 3rd at 5:00 pm.  The screening will be followed by an exclusive panel discussion and Q & A with local birthing professionals.  Tickets are $15 and include the screening and panel as well as a private reception with food, cash bar, silent auction and live acoustic music from Radio-Free Carmela and Tanya Radtke.  Proceeds will benefit Florida Friends of Midwives.
 
Advance Tickets ($15) and FREE tickets for Expecting Mothers will be available at Rosemary Birthing Home beginning Monday, April 14th.  If there is a birth in progress, you may leave your name and number on the sheet at the door. Your tickets will be reserved and someone will contact you at their earliest convenience.

 

By Patty Pensa - South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Pregnant women in South Florida face fewer choices for medical care as more doctors stop delivering babies and avoid taking on high-risk patients.

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By KELSEY McNIEL
Special to The Sun

Lynn Salzburg, another midwife at the cooperative who has helped deliver more than 400 babies in 20 years of practice, said 'the home field advantage' is one reason women may be more comfortable at home.

"They're in their own environment, they're where they feel comfortable," said Salzburg, who had four children at home. "Labor proceeds faster and more smoothly. You have a little more control, a little more autonomy."

Those who fear a painful natural birth should know that while home births may not offer the quick relief of a spinal-tapping epidural, pain is reduced in ways that the hospital cannot offer. "You also have the option to use a lot more comfort measures at home that you don't have the option to at the hospital," Salzburg said.

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Regina McEnery
Plain Dealer Reporter

"If you feel strongly about the type of experience that you want, if you want a lot of input, if it's important for you to have things kind of low-tech and as spontaneous as possible, it makes sense to not choose a practice with a 40 percent C-section rate," said Greenfield, whose new book, "The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book" (Yale University Press), comes out in May. "I hate to say this, as a physician, I think most people who have strong feelings about their birth experience are better off getting their care with midwives."

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"The Business of Being Born" is a passionate ground-level examination of home childbirth, anchored in a scene in which its executive producer, Ricki Lake, the actress and former talk-show host, gives birth to her second child in a bathtub.

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A woman who has had one successful vaginal birth after cesarean delivery is even more likely to succeed during subsequent trials of vaginal birth, new research suggests.

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The Bush administration squelched ads promoting the benefits of breast-feeding.

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Normal childbirth — the uncomplicated, mom-and-baby-doing-well variety — is a pricey prospect for parents these days. Between pre-natal care and a visit to the delivery room, it now costs $7,564 to have a baby, according to new figures released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

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More women are dying in childbirth thanks to the high numbers of doctors and mothers who opt out of normal delivery.

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When Mercedes Irving, pregnant with her first child, enrolled in a childbirth education class, other women tried to talk her out of it.

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Babies delivered by non-emergency caesarean are up to four times more likely to have breathing problems than those delivered vaginally, Danish researchers said on Wednesday.

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No question, says maternal/fetal medicine specialist Catherine Spong, the safest way for most first-time mothers to give birth is via an uncomplicated vaginal delivery.

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Babies born just a few weeks premature are six times as likely to die in the first week of life as newborns carried to term, according to a new study.

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Illinois and other states should legalize and license lay midwives to ensure women have safe and affordable choices for maternity care, according to a coalition of advocacy groups that launched a national campaign Thursday in Chicago.

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Ten fingers. Ten toes. Perfect in every way. RachelElizabeth Hiller's arrival brought equal parts reliefand jubilation.

Rachel's mom, 26-year-old Jennifer Hiller, spent a fewhours after the delivery cuddling her firstborn andmaking pictures with family excited to meet theirnewest member.

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More U.S. women are delivering via surgical births.

As an expectant mother of twins, Christy Rivers knew she probably would need a Caesarean section, especially if one of the twins faced the wrong direction during gestation.

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Washington, DC -- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reiterates its long-standing opposition to home births. While childbirth is a normal physiologic process that most women experience without problems, monitoring of both the woman and the fetus during labor and delivery in a hospital or accredited birthing center is essential because complications can arise with little or no warning even among women with low-risk pregnancies.

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As homebirths become more popular, more and more celebrity mums are opting to have their babies at home. Interestingly enough, all the Kings and Queens of England were born at home, including the current Queen. In fact Princess Diana was the first member of the Royal family to have her babies in hospital.

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