Midwifery
Council
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Idaho Midwifery Council |
SPRING 2006 newsletter |
president’s message
Greetings and Happy Springtime,
Here in the Panhandle that means warmer temperatures, lots of rain, everything budding out and turning green. Life at its most optimistic, working to fill its potential.
I feel like it is springtime for the IMC as well, full of optimism and potential. We have had a busy and productive quarter with lots coming up this next quarter:
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First, as you know, Paula and I made a presentation at the Idaho Perinatal Project Board meeting in February (see separate report) and we had a great showing of midwives at the IPP Conference, followed by a very exciting IMC meeting. There was a group of 13 practicing midwives and 3 students that included new faces, new connections and re-connections. It was wonderful to have that representation at the conference, which made us very visible.§
Your IMC board continues to meet via “chat” each week to continue our momentum and accomplish tasks.§
We have planned a wonderful Summer Conference in McCall July 28-29 and I encourage you to attend and join in the fun.§
We have a working board meeting scheduled for April 29-30 in Lewiston for the purpose of hammering out our draft “perfect” legislative bill and determining our non-negotiables. Then it will be distributed for comment.§
We continue dialogue with MANA, NARM, Citizens for Midwifery, the Idaho ACNM group and the IPP for their support as we progress.§
We have received a Proclamation from the Governor declaring May 5th as “Idaho Midwives Day” and have plans throughout the state for celebrations and publicity.§
Idahoans For Midwifery is now official! Watch for more info on how to support this vital aspect of our efforts.§
We are organizing families to speak with their local legislators in our effort to educate them about midwives and homebirth. Kudos to Michelle Bartlett for putting together packets of information for us to use.§
We are proud of our website at www.idahomidwives.org and want you to check it out, contribute to it and watch it grow.Please join us in the fun and the work. We need everyone to participate. Give us your input, offer your support and time. Stay in touch with your Regional Representative, join the email group at www.idaho_midwives@yahoogroups.com and stay current with our movement. Contact me or any board member at any time with comments, ideas or concerns. Let’s all spring forth together to fulfill our potential.
Sunny wishes to
you all,
Barbara Rawlings, CPM & IMC President
Idaho Midwives’ Day!
May 5th is the International Day of the Midwife, a day set aside in 1992 by the International Confederation of Midwives to honor the profession that delivers 80% of the babies worldwide.
Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne has proclaimed May 5, 2006 IDAHO MIDWIVES’ DAY, recognizing the accomplishments and valuable contributions that Idaho midwives make in our state.
Mark Your Calendars….
Midwives Coming Together
Mc Call, Idaho
July 28 & 29th
2006
The next Idaho Midwifery Council Board Meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, July 27th prior to the start of the conference. All Idaho Midwifery Council members are welcome to attend.
On February 1, 2006 Paula Wiens and Barbara Rawlings made a presentation to the Board of the Idaho Perinatal Project, having been invited to speak about the practice of midwifery in Idaho and how the Idaho Midwifery Council would want to see regulation if it were to happen. Our power point presentation was informative, impressive, well received and appreciated. The meeting was enlightening for both sides, we educated them about who we are and how we work, our long history, the CPM process and our proposal for regulation. We heard about their concerns regarding liability and the current problems that they face in their communities. Everyone felt it was productive and that we have taken a valuable first step. We continue to keep the lines of communication open and agree there is a lot of work to be done. The most recent word from Dr. Blea, IPP board chair, is that the IPP has taken no further steps at this time. We continue to do our research and plan to move forward, keeping other potentially supportive groups informed. Included in the newsletter are three fact sheets that were presented to the IPP board.
We are a group of families and individuals who support the Midwifery Model of Care and we value our options for safe, effective maternity care. We are offering support to the Idaho Midwifery Council and their plans to introduce legislation to benefit our midwives in Idaho. We also would like to increase awareness and offer education to our communities about the benefits midwifery care offers to families in Idaho.
We are happy to add new members to our quickly growing organization. Anybody is welcome to join us. Our membership already includes families who have used midwives, individuals who are interested in learning more about midwifery care, doulas, childbirth educators, and a Registered Nurse.
Best of all, membership is free!
To join, just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Idahoans_For_Midwifery/ You will need to have a yahoo account (free) to sign in.
If you do not have Internet access or would like more information please contact Caralee Anderton, 208-542-1199.
Idaho Perinatal Project Public Service Announcement
The Idaho Perinatal Project has developed a public service radio announcement to help pregnant women understand the different types of health care providers that could care for them during their pregnancy as well as give them a list of questions to ask providers. It is hoped this will help educate pregnant women as to the different types of health care providers and their respective education and training. This will enable them to choose the type of provider which is right for them.
The radio spots began March 6, 2006, and will run the first week of every month for the next twelve months in targeted areas of the state. The public service announcement refers the listener to call the 211 Idaho CareLine who will then send him or her a list of 10 important questions to ask when choosing a health care provider.
In addition to the above questions, the handout entitled, “What You Should Know About Care Providers” is also provided to the caller. This handout explains the difference between an Obstetrician, Family Medicine Physician, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife, and Lay Midwife.
In February, I was one of
six CPM candidates taking the NARM exam in Boise.
I was blessed to meet other women who are also pursuing midwifery.
Each of us has traveled a different path on our midwifery journey, and
each of our paths crossed at the NARM exam.
A few of the women trained primarily overseas.
One of the women completed her studies through a formal midwifery school.
I was trained through an apprenticeship.
We each have different goals for our midwifery future.
One of the women has already established practice as a primary midwife.
Another will travel to Africa in the fall where she will do missions
work, and serve women through her midwifery skills.
Two of the women returned to their homes outside of Idaho, where they
will pursue further education. I
returned to the clinic I trained at in Northern Idaho, having swapped the title
of apprentice for the title of midwife.
Each of us are in our twenties, with many midwifing years ahead of us.
Some of us are married, some single.
Some of us are mothers, some not yet mothers.
Midwifery will play a different role in each of our lives.
Each of us will, in some way, play a part in the future of midwifery.
Congratulations to Jessica and to Erin Sweeney, Idaho’s newest Certified Professional Midwives!