I LOVE this organization ICAN but rarely have blown its horn ‘toot toot!’ but, this was a video that was shown at the Trust Birth Conference which made me laugh and cry and applaud and stamp my feet…really.

Firstly: Please click here for more info on CPD (Cephalopelvic Disproportion)
Cephalopelvic Disproportion is rare yet is vastly overdiagnosed. Here are the stories of a few women who were told their babies were too big for their pelvises by one care provider, but fortunately sought a second opinion and subsequently birthed an even BIGGER baby through that same “small” pelvis.
VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean
HBAC = homebirth after cesarean
HBA3C = homebirth after 3 cesareans
UBA2C = unassisted birth after 2 cesareans

and there’s a new video on the ICAN site that is just as good VBAC after multiple cesareans

Enjoy!

Love,
Heather

It was so much FUN! I got to see Ricki Lake, she spoke too briefly, alas! But then we got to see Michel Odent speak. Because of his thick accent all 150+ of us were silent as mouses (the quiet kind, not the noisy ones ;o) and leaned wayyyyyy forward, hanging on his every word, and he’s worth every moment. I shadowed him from session to session. I heard him speak on the Scientification of Love and also Can Humanity Survive the Safe Caesarean? and SO, the next group of comics will be about his ideas. Brilliant!

I didn’t see many other sessions, but I got to hear Laura Shanley who is a personal heroine of mine. Way back when I was first planning my third birth and considering an unassisted birth, I ordered her book. It was lovely to be able to give her a big hug for that, AND to tell her that her book helped move me to unassisted birth during the panel session “why women stay home alone” which we were on together. That was cool.

I got to give Sarah Buckley a kiss. Caught on film, coming soon! I got to ask advice of a self-proclaimed computer geek from ICAN, Laureen Hudson. I got to see the midwife Gail Hart declare “don’t ask for licensing from the state! Forget the State!” (I paraphrase, MAN I wish I could remember exactly what she said, it rocked!) I sat beside Henci Goer at dinner Friday night (I moved eventually to sit beside Gurumama aka Mara, who attended with me as my date ;o). And wanted to ask Jody McLaughlin the publisher of Compleat Mother “why they don’t carry Hathor comics?” but never could find her alone, she seemed great and I hope to really meet her someday…and I got to make new friends too many to list here, but here’s three: Wendy (thanks again for the dinner!), Kylie and Marissa (sp?) thanks for letting me come to lunch with you! and Hi!

Finally, I got to meet and listen to the strength and courage of my new hero Carla Hartley. She admits to running the most difficult midwifery school in the country AND training her midwives to sit back and trust the mother to birth the baby. She’s the dynamo force behind the trust birth conference and was obviously beloved by all who attended. I’ve got a comic coming about her too.

Anyway, that was my weekend, my kids are happy that I’m back to tucking them in at night ;o)

Love,
Heather

This musing is directly related to the comic: Michel Odent!

Guess who’s gonna come to the Trust Birth Awards Dinner? I hear Ricki might stop by ;o) ! You know, because of her awesome new movie? ! The Business of Being Born Speaking of which, it’s showing here tonight, and I CAN”T go, because it’s right at bed time ;o( And of course, I MUST be here to sing ‘inchworm’. Like every night, until they’re thirty or they beg me to stop (side note: the other day we were reading a book and It came up ‘what is 16 + 16′? and I asked the girls and they had NO IDEA! I said 16 and 16 are….? You KNOW this! they didn’t. They’ve heard the song a bazillion times and they didn’t know. Of course when I said 32! they all said YEAH!). hee hee. I’ll just have to wait for the matinees.

But, if you’re waiting to register for the Trust Birth Conference, it’s time! Stop Waiting! And this is the only one! (spread it around…) Think of all the great folks that will be there: Michel Odent, Laura Shanley, Henci Goer,Dr. Sarah Buckley, gloria lemay, ME! That’s just a few of them check it out here: Trust Birth Speakers
And Register Today!!!!!!!

Carla Hartley, director of Ancient Art Midwifery Institute, has brought together an amazing group of speakers who are not only passionate and articulate, but who are at the forefront of knowledge and activism.

At the Trust Birth conference you will be inspired and informed, with practical ideas that you can take back to your own community and professional work.

Be informed by the hard evidence from Henci Goer, whose ability to summarize and critique the medical studies is among the best in the world.

Be challenged by Michel Odent, who asks if humanity can survive our current obstetric practices.

Be trusting of birth and its safety for mother and baby, as Sarah Buckley gives you the medical evidence and the amazing hormonal story of why birth is safe and intervention is risky.

Be nourished in your practice by Jan Tritten, editor of the wonderful magazine Midwifery Today who will share ‘The wisdom of the grandmothers’: what midwives all over the world know about the safety, sacredness and importance of birth.

Be entertained by Heather Cushman-Dowdee, aka Hathor the Cowgoddess, whose antics have given a laugh and a dose of sanity to mamas all over the world.

Be inspired by Debby Takikawa and her film “What babies want” which distills the evidence for gentle treatment of babies – and support for parents.

Be moved by Rachel Correa, whose profound story of homebirth and stillbirth was a highlight of the recent Australian Homebirth Conference.

Be activated by Heather Brock’s workshop on getting our post-birth bodies in shape, including our pelvic floor and abdominals. (They must be here somewhere!)

Be educated outside the box with midwife Gail Hart’s workshop as she discusses whether Gestational Diabetes is a scare tactic or a legitimate concern.

Be amazed by Lennon Clark as she describes the ability of babies to communicate their elimination needs, which can eliminate the need for diapers and help save the earth!

Be pushed in your ideas around pushing in labor, as a panel of midwives discusses the “P’ word: is it useful, and whether our bodies can do it for themselves.

Be immunized against false information on immunization, as Kristi Zittle shares wisdom about the risks of immunization and the benefits of natural immunity.

Be compassionate as you hear the lovely Marcy Axness shares stories, research and soul perspectives on post natal depression.

Be expanded in your mind and pelvis as Gloria Lemay shares her amazing pelvic perspective, in ‘Pelvises I have known and loved.” (based on one my all-time favourite articles.)

Be safe or not: what does safety in birth mean, and how does it apply to birth choices? Join Rixa Freeze who is writing her PhD on the unassisted birth movement.

Be adventurous and discover more about why women stay at home alone, choosing unassisted birth. Panel with Rixa and other freebirth advocates and mamas.

Be thrilled to meet some of your heroes and heroines in the birth movement.

Don’t forget to bring your books for signing, or buy copies at the conference!

Be reinvigorated when you leave, filled with wisdom and inspiration to continue the important- perhaps the most important- work for mothers, babies, fathers and families everywhere.

Dr Sarah J Buckley
GP/ family physician
Author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: The wisdom and science of gentle choices in pregnancy, birth and parenting
www.sarahjbuckley.com

I’ll see you there!
xox,
Heather

Hey mama!
I wanted to share a bit more about the Trust Birth Conference

I’m super duper excited and hope you are too…;o)

This was sent to me from Carla Hartley who is putting on the whole Shebang (CAUTION! if you’re pregnant, or otherwise overly sensitive to yucky details and horrific outcomes, please don’t read the stories below…suffice it to say, please birth at home ;o) :

Look at these and then say to yourself: Birth is Safe; Interference is Risky

*Top 5 Most Underreported Birth Stories of 2007 *

*A year-end review brought to you by www.nowombpods.blogspot.com*

5. *An Orlando mother goes into hospital to give birth and leaves without
her arms or legs.*

(http://www.wftv.com/news/6253589/detail.html

The birth for this mother was smooth. It’s what happened afterwards that
left her unable to hold or care for her newborn.* *Claudia Mejia went into a
hospital to give birth but when she left the hospital, her arms and legs
stayed behind. She is now a quadruple amputee and the hospital refuses to
tell her why. She was told she had streptococcus and toxic shock syndrome
but the hospital will not tell her how she contracted them. It is unlikely
Ms. Mejia would have contracted the illnesses had her baby been born at
home. **

4. *A Florida woman dies following induction of labor.*

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/19/news_pf/Tampabay/Why_she_died_a_puzzle.shtml

Caroline Wiren was a young, healthy mother who was excited by the upcoming
birth of her child. She touched his head, told her mother to tell the baby
that she loved him, and then she was gone. Mrs. Wiren had her labor induced
just seven days past her baby’s due date, even though it is common for a
woman’s first child to be born as much as two weeks after the given due
date.

According to http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/dh/4334 one possible complication of induction of labor is amniotic-fluid embolism,
which can lead to death.

3. *Two New Jersey women die just days apart following their cesarean surgeries.*

http://www.nownj.org/njnews/2007/0518%20Moms%20decry%20high%20N.J.%20C-section%20rate.htm
Two young, healthy mothers entered a hospital in New Jersey to give birth to
their babies. Both had cesareans and both were dead within days. The mothers
leave behind two beautiful, absolutely healthy baby girls. This raises the
question: then why the surgery?

2. *The most updated birth data from the CDC shows that the cesarean rate in
the United States has risen to 31.1%. *

(http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_07.pdf )

This latest number (from 2006) represents a 10.4% increase from ten years
ago, and a 3% increase from the previous year. The report also indicates
that the percentage of low birthweight babies and preterm babies is on the
rise. Consumer Reports names the cesarean as one of the 10 most overused
tests and treatments (
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health-fitness/health-care/medical-ripoffs-11-07/10-overused-tests-and-treatments/medical-ripoffs-ten-over_1.htm ).

For more information on cesarean awareness and prevention, please visit
www.icanonline.org

1. *United States** ranks among lowest of developed nations in terms of
newborn death rates*. (http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/parenting/05/08/mothers.index/index.html )**

According to Save the Children researchers, infants in the United States are
more than three times as likely to die within their first 24 hours as
infants in born in Japan. The United States has the second highest IMR
(infant mortality rate) in the developed world. Latvia is the only developed
country with a higher IMR than the U.S.
Compiled by Gloria Lemay, Vancouver BC
Speaking at the Trust Birth Conference in Redondo Beach CA on Mar 7-9, 2007
www.trustbirthconference.com
Teaching on the internet at www.consciouswoman.org

Man, was that fun or what? First off, I was the Friday Night Speaker following Amy B. the creator of Mama Merit Badges which are so cool, by the way. It was sooo wonderfully noisy when I started speaking-babies fussing and mamas gently shushing, then suddenly stillness and sleep settled in (note to self, next time I do a speech between 6:30 and 7:00 pm, start with lowered lights and a lullabye first ;o) and I could really get going. I completely spaced a Q and A session after my speech and things were getting late and Amy still had a few mama merit badges to give away, so I called it a night after that, but laid in bed wishing I could have done it for hours, fun!

On Saturday, I worked my booth and ran a session called the Politics of Parenthood, and wow! what a vibrant discussion we had, huh? There were more than enough Qs and As and unanswered Qs and unanswerable Qs and ponderable As to more than make up for the night before. But, still I wanted to do about 4 more sessions. We drummed all afternoon with Steve of Giving Tree Music and if you’ve never drummed in one of his circles you are certainly missing out on a life affirming experience…and here is something I learned, if you are in a drum circle your baby is likely to curl right up and go to sleep, right in the middle of that beat.

That night we went to the super fun Pirate Bash with another drum circle…and yes, that sneering pirate is with me, and no, my littlest one didn’t nurse all the time, these are the only two times she nursed the whole weekend. She was off and so busy, sniff.

On Sunday I sat in on a couple of sessions with Dr. Laurence Cohen of Playful Parenting which reminded me, reread that book!

Anyway, it was lovely to meet everyone, and chat and talk, thanks for inviting me!

Love,
Heather