tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55876956564064017342024-03-13T13:15:00.747-07:00FULL WOMBObservations and explorations from a Brooklyn Doula
by Kate Zondervan.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-72530250443831464952010-04-20T13:20:00.000-07:002010-04-20T13:55:20.088-07:00Maternal Health is a Human RightLast night, I had the honor of attending Amnesty International's evening focused on their recent report: <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/demand-dignity/maternal-health-is-a-human-right/the-united-states/page.do?id=1351091">Deadly Delivery- Maternal Health in the US</a>. This report has made big waves in the birthing community, recently. Not that this information is particularly new -- but, I think fact that a large and well known human-rights organization dedicated the resources to an extensive report helped to bring it closer to the forefront of American thought and hopefully, going forward, to the forefront of American politics.<br /><br />Just a few of the hard facts:<br />- The US is ranked 41st in the world in terms of our maternal mortality outcomes<br />- Maternal Mortality in the US has risen 42% since the 1980's<br />- African American women are 4 times as likely to die as white women in complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.<br /><br />One of the best parts of the evening was the multi-media that was highlighted. Ina May's beautiful "<a href="http://www.rememberthemothers.org/">Remember the Mothers</a>" quilt project was exhibited (Ina May was there, too!) and a spoken word group helped to celebrate the launch of the new <a href="http://www.engenderhealth.org/mdg5/index.php">www.mdg5.com</a>.<br /><br />I also thought that this would be a good opportunity to plug the upcoming documentary <a href="http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/no_woman_no_cry-film30501.html">No Woman No Cry</a> by <span class="black">Christy Turlington Burns</span>. It will be showing at the Tribecca Film Festival in the coming weeks. Go see it!<br /><br />I've missed blogging and I have lots to talk about - so, "see" you all soon!Kate Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309516955808586903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-29221542803485606372009-11-09T06:43:00.000-08:002009-11-09T07:23:32.448-08:00Bits and PeicesHappy Monday!<br /><br />Just wanted to share with you a couple of wonderful events that are happening in the coming weeks:<br /><br />Thursday, November 12 at 6pm, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center:<br /><a href="http://www.gaycenter.org/node/4540">Lesbian Family Building </a><br />What women need to know about having babies: practical and emotional issues in family building for single women and lesbian couples. This informative workshop will cover the medical, emotional and legal elements important to women when pursuing parenthood. The following issues will be addressed: how to choose a reproductive clinic, using a clinic vs. a gynecologist, carrying each others’ eggs, how to find the right sperm donor, legal rights, second-parent adoption and more!<br /><br />Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm, Book Court<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><strong><span style=";font-size:180%;color:firebrick;" ><a href="http://www.ppaction.org/ppnyc/events/themeansofreproduction/details.tcl"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></a></span></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><strong><br /></strong></span><a href="http://www.ppaction.org/ppnyc/events/themeansofreproduction/details.tcl">THE MEANS OF REPRODUCTION: SEX, POWER, AND THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD</a><br />A reading and Q&A with the author Michelle Goldberg, hosted by Planned Parenthood of New York City Activist Council.<br /><br />Also, just to pass along a link: The New York Times discusses the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/nyregion/07birth.html?_r=1">closing of the Bellevue Birth Center.</a>Kate Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309516955808586903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-65807473765449087352009-11-05T07:58:00.000-08:002009-11-06T08:04:58.320-08:00Baby(ies)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9enmkA9hyrZHXHiXo-o9ustYR61GV0v43crMJ0By8g0_3-H8pPUWRqS7C2ALFSMO4VhkpWXrIXrBo2xtikK0KEF-3GllxjkuxJZDGESJZH1RK-bNyzOMcXPEsZ1GPwmH-f9p6tw2Vy7Q/s1600-h/babies5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9enmkA9hyrZHXHiXo-o9ustYR61GV0v43crMJ0By8g0_3-H8pPUWRqS7C2ALFSMO4VhkpWXrIXrBo2xtikK0KEF-3GllxjkuxJZDGESJZH1RK-bNyzOMcXPEsZ1GPwmH-f9p6tw2Vy7Q/s320/babies5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400654254674597522" border="0" /></a><br />Did any of you see the trailer for this amazing movie, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020938/">Baby(ies),</a> before <span style="font-style: italic;">Where the Wild Things Are</span>? I couldn't find a trailer on-line (I guess <a href="http://marvelouskiddo.blogspot.com/2009/10/babyies.html">others</a> have had a similar problem). From the limited internet information and from what I could tell from the trailer, it seems to be a documentary portrait of four babies through the first year of their lives from four different countries. Pretty sweet- can't wait to see it.<br /><br />On another note, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting two very wonderful new babies. A special congrats to a beautiful midwife mama and her darling new one.Kate Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309516955808586903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-46977569474020720842009-10-30T07:12:00.000-07:002009-10-30T11:53:55.280-07:00First<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52yoAQjP_R98Jx7mZ8a9zl5QStKAe7-LjUeIWVFDH2wqKWXaWhUKgNy4kk95AfMdTunGse2tjmPyfO36Oz7SxZ2GYE-1RPOKZ-WmVhPHs_P0CmDStew37PIXL0Jb7z8wXDgznWOJ3UI8/s1600-h/retainedplacentamanualremoval2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52yoAQjP_R98Jx7mZ8a9zl5QStKAe7-LjUeIWVFDH2wqKWXaWhUKgNy4kk95AfMdTunGse2tjmPyfO36Oz7SxZ2GYE-1RPOKZ-WmVhPHs_P0CmDStew37PIXL0Jb7z8wXDgznWOJ3UI8/s320/retainedplacentamanualremoval2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398405005391809490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In a way, every birth is full of "firsts" because no two births are ever exactly alike. There are certain "bigger", though not more important, firsts: my first water birth, my first transfer, etc. Last week, as I mentioned, seemed to be full of more these kinds of firsts that usual- trial by fire. But, this is how we learn and I feel more competent and confident than I did previous to this group of births. I also, more fully know now, how to expect the unexpected.<br /><br />One instance that I did not expect was a retained placenta. It was a particular long, hard labor...it seemed like hours of transition, talking the mom through each contraction. Once the baby was out, we waited for the placenta. And waited. And nipple stimulated. And waited. And squatted. And waited. And gave some pitocin. And waited. And catheterized. And waited. The placenta clearly was not coming. One of the unique things about the birth center is that one of our doctors lives upstairs. As you can imagine, this is very convenient and can save us from a hospital transfer. In this case, she performed a manual removal.<br /><br />I'm not sure why the placenta did not fully separate from the wall of this particular uterus. It is possible that, due to the long labor, the uterus was just not contracting well. A manual removal is exactly what it sounds like: Once pain medication is administered (a removal can be very uncomfortable), the attending doctor places her hand in the uterus and peels back the remaining stubborn membranes. One midwife said the analogy used in school was like "turning the pages of a book". The placenta came out in-tact and all was well!<br /><br />I tried to find a YouTube video or instructional animation that could show me what this procedure looked like from the inside but, couldn't. The diagram from <a href="http://www.moondragon.org/mdbsguidelines/rtnplcta1.html">Moon Dragon's Retained Placenta Guidelines</a> at the top of this post should give you some idea.<br /><br />What are some of your more memorable "firsts"?Kate Kleinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309516955808586903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-8249938862781576482009-10-28T17:06:00.000-07:002009-10-28T18:01:58.767-07:00Halloween!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QQepwvqemPLkM7QT4KrA7i4sr1QcoJacArJteb_Jhk5_i4VYJZZHNQAiI1R77JhgbVyfQdkqFnVydPsENDThYs755HijF7LdM9Ofhib_td-revvyOt-STACa7cxtU1sotEyR_mnb9zY/s1600-h/Woody_Allen_sperm_thumb_thumb.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QQepwvqemPLkM7QT4KrA7i4sr1QcoJacArJteb_Jhk5_i4VYJZZHNQAiI1R77JhgbVyfQdkqFnVydPsENDThYs755HijF7LdM9Ofhib_td-revvyOt-STACa7cxtU1sotEyR_mnb9zY/s400/Woody_Allen_sperm_thumb_thumb.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397811774415000466" border="0" /></a><br />OK, so Halloween has always been a conceptually important yet, anti-climatic holiday for me. I really like to think up (semi-obscure) Halloween costumes and tell everyone about them (and then usually end up doing nothing on Halloween)....Sometimes I am inspired by where I work. Case in point: when I worked at an auction house I dressed up like an ironic, ionic column. A few years ago while working at the <a href="http://reproductiverights.org/">Center for Reproductive Rights</a>, I thought everyone should dress up like their favorite method of birth control (no one did). But last year, a good friend of mine from CRR opted for my idea of dressing up like "abstinence"- she looked <span>amazing</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>(all in white, with a halo and chastity belt).<br /><br />Apparently, others in the reproductive rights fields have similar thoughts. Check out <a href="http://unratedunfiltered.com/">'NYC Unrated and Unfiltered</a>'s list of <a href="http://unratedunfiltered.com/2009/10/28/nothing-to-wear-on-halloween-go-as-one-of-these-pro-choice-costumes-2/">pro-choice costumes</a>. They're <span style="font-style: italic;">really good</span>.<br /><br />Just in case you're wondering, I'm not dressing up like a baby or a pregnant mom or a sperm this year. I was thinking more along the lines of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Black_Bear">Moon Bear</a>.<br /><br />What will you be going as?Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-70027030447453890852009-10-28T13:32:00.000-07:002009-10-28T19:16:18.136-07:00The break and back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CStfPjrNbkZw5mSH5WCeDxIwnpxPSXvqvD35l-auJPifG6teU0kXZDYJpiH9b3btmUJxbAIHdwbEdn_YG05BiKy-ObrqiAC4Cu7dvKgyy9_jBI-TCWT93gmAa5WoA3UAz63aJ6EJgcw/s1600-h/birth3.8in.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CStfPjrNbkZw5mSH5WCeDxIwnpxPSXvqvD35l-auJPifG6teU0kXZDYJpiH9b3btmUJxbAIHdwbEdn_YG05BiKy-ObrqiAC4Cu7dvKgyy9_jBI-TCWT93gmAa5WoA3UAz63aJ6EJgcw/s400/birth3.8in.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397782262701055874" border="0" /></a><br />Well, I'm back... and happy to be here.<br /><br />My past week has looked like this:<br /><br />Birth, class, class, sick, sick, class, class, birth, birth, apple picking, class, birth, birth, class, class. Punctuated with some long stretches of sleeping.<br /><br />When it rains, it pours- recently this has been literal and figurative. The rainy October weather seems to have given me intense, double back-to-back births.<br /><br />I feel like I earned most of my Birth Assistant <a href="http://www.maryyaeger.com/posterdescr.html">"Badges"</a> this past week. The last seven days have presented me with a few situations that helped me understand that I really will be able to handle being a midwife*. I am grateful to my wonderful families, my birth-assistants-in-training for being there and my incredible midwives who know how to beautifully take charge of a situation. I am also grateful to my sweet husband for putting up with phone calls in the middle of the night and listening to his semi- delirious wife unload all of her birth details in their full gory glory.<br /><br />How has your past week been, friends?<br /><br />I've got lots to share with you about what happened during my blog break.<br /><br />* For example:<br />I can take fetal heart rates like a champ.<br />I can be surprisingly high functioning on little or no sleep.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-88028878663109106792009-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:002009-08-18T07:21:50.919-07:00Boy or Girl?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JQ2dPgHJ7hhE4m2iYFN-M6pt3bnzWwx3jarmHzPeotY46AENIvql49l8V5lnedqSNGuCyNo-x3GrXHL2YPw9ZvIUes8wW4vmkVIV48RdVlQx-PqMHoIuJzchIF7sIw2vjZvKuxfXYLE/s1600-h/usquiz1a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JQ2dPgHJ7hhE4m2iYFN-M6pt3bnzWwx3jarmHzPeotY46AENIvql49l8V5lnedqSNGuCyNo-x3GrXHL2YPw9ZvIUes8wW4vmkVIV48RdVlQx-PqMHoIuJzchIF7sIw2vjZvKuxfXYLE/s400/usquiz1a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371308192199236610" border="0" /></a><br />On a tip from a pregnant friend, I took a little field trip to the CVS in my neighborhood but, to no avail. Except that now this treasure hunt seems even more elusive and mysterious than when I first started.<br /><br />The object of my desire is called "<a href="http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=209200&catid=9336">Pink or Blue: Early Gender Test Kit</a>". This is a home blood test (with results sent into a lab) that can, supposedly, predict the gender of your baby after 7 weeks of pregnancy. Here's the thing: most "predictive" ultrasounds are done between 16-20 weeks and the most accurate testing to indicate gender, amniocentesis (sampling of the amniotic fluid which contains baby's DNA), is usually done within the same time frame. This test seems a little fishy to me (and a bit expensive) but, I don't know any one who has tried it- do you?<br /><br />I prefer charming folk methods, such as the<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><a href="http://www.mothering.com/chinese-gender-prediction-calendar">Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar</a>, if you're looking to DIY your baby's gender (except I would strongly advise against the <a href="http://www.babygenderprediction.com/drano-gender-prediction.html">Draino method</a>).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babygenderprediction.com/">Here</a> and <a href="http://www.pregnancy-info.net/wives_tales_and_myths.html">here</a> are two comprehensive lists about gender predicting lore and "methods".Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-87189448389734913782009-08-17T06:42:00.001-07:002009-08-19T07:14:37.565-07:00Themed links, Part IIBrooklyn is the theme this time.<br /><br />Interesting <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/08/02/2009-08-02_its_baby_season_and_business_is_booming_at_a_brooklyn_ultrasound_center.html?page=0">article</a> about a typical day at New York Methodists Advanced Women's Imaging and Prenatal Testing Center.<br /><br />Finally, a new New York cloth diaper service!! Much needed from what I've heard.<br /><a href="http://www.diaperkind.com/Home.html">Diaperkind.com</a><br />Also, you can meet these ladies in person at the Brooklyn Flea on Saturdays.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-3431732789515379292009-08-12T10:29:00.000-07:002009-08-17T06:39:01.783-07:00A growing baby and blogsThe thing that these two links have in common is "series".<br /><br />The first:<br />A series of photos of a baby's first year. Watch how long, chubby and toothy he gets!<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bVDXC1dOB9E&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bVDXC1dOB9E&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />The second:<br />A series of thought provoking and inspiring blogs:<br /><a href="http://www.mritechnicianschools.org/top-100-natural-birthing-blogs/">Top 100 Natural Birth Blogs</a>Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-58105442497756627462009-08-12T06:09:00.000-07:002009-08-12T09:39:16.483-07:00ImpactLast Wednesday night was a full moon and boy, did I know it. As a fellow birth assistant said "It was a hot night". One mom even had her baby in the car! The Brooklyn Birthing Center was certainly a bustling place.<br /><br />Once all of the business had subsided and all babies were on their ways home, I was chatting with a co-worker about the "Business of Being Born". She said that after the movie came out BBC surprisingly did not seem to have the same spike as New York home birth midwives. I mentioned <a href="http://www.dooce.com/">Dooce</a>. <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my#search/dooce/0">Alot</a> of <a href="http://empoweredbirth.typepad.com/empowering_birth_blog/2009/07/dooce.html">birth</a> <a href="http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/07/dooce-of-birth-story.html">bloggers</a> have been making a big deal of this "mommy blog" lately because of the recent telling of her birth story: <a href="http://www.dooce.com/2009/07/13/labor-story-part-one">Part I</a>, <a href="http://www.dooce.com/2009/07/27/labor-story-part-two">Part II</a>, and <a href="http://www.dooce.com/2009/08/04/labor-story-part-three">Part III</a>. "Dooce" is one of Forbes magazine's "Most Influential Women In Media" for 2009. To make a long story short "Dooce" was convinced by reading "<a href="http://www.mybestbirth.com/page/about-the-book-1">Your Best Birth</a>" by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein to have a natural birth.<br /><br />Birth has always had trends. For example, chloroform became a widely used and popular from of pain relief after Queen Victoria used it. As Tina Cassidy states in her marvelous book "<a href="http://tinacassidy.info/">Birth: The Surprising History of how We were Born</a>", : "Women on both sides of the Atlantic finally embraced what became fashionably known as chloroform<span style="font-style: italic;"> a la reine</span>".<br /><br />I wonder what the impact of this very popular blogger will be on our current natural birth movement?Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-51610080909011418852009-08-11T07:10:00.000-07:002009-08-11T08:06:16.963-07:00'Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England.'My dad was adopted. His birth mother was a young teenager when she gave birth to him. I think I remember hearing that the birth father was much older but, the details remain murky. She later went onto marry and had no other children. My father had three other adopted siblings, all were raised with happy memories childhoods of playing baseball on dairy farms, summers on Lake Michigan and finned, teal colored automobile- quintessential life in the 1950's. While I was in college my father decided to find his birth mother. He discovered that she was old stock American, her family having lived in America at least since the time of Lincoln. Although most of the rest of the details about her life were unremarkable, she did share with my dad that no one else in her whole life, except her and her mother, knew about her pregnancy. There is much to the story that I have forgotten, or didn't ask or wasn't told but my biological grandmother's life and decisions much more made sense after I read the book, <a href="http://www.thegirlswhowentaway.com/">"The Girls who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades before <span style="font-style: italic;">Roe v. Wade"</span></a> by Ann Fessler.<br /><br />Please read this book if you have not already. I think it is fair to place this book in the category of "books that have changed my life". Not only did it make my own family history seem less strange but, it literally gives voice to those who had no choice and, for me, reaffirms why it is so vital to appreciate and continue to fight for our reproductive freedoms. Additionally, it explains away the rationale for why women should give their babies up for adoption rather than having abortions. Our physiological process of childbirth has evolved to bond a mother to her baby and visa versa. Deciding on adoption is an completely different kind of choice than choosing to not have a baby. <br /><br />A quote from the book:<br />"The girls who went away were told by family members, social-service agencies, and clergy that relinquishing their child for adoption was the only acceptable option. It would preserve their reputation and save both the mother and child from a lifetime of shame. Often it was clear to everyone, except the expectant mother, that adoption was the answer...They were simply told they <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> surrender their child, keep their secret, move on and forget."<br /><br />While on the topic of adoption, I'd like to mention a wonderful New York City program, <a href="http://abortiondoula.org/">The Doula Project</a>. It provides doulas to those who cannot afford douals, doulas for women having abortion procedures and doulas for births in which the baby will be adopted. <br /><br />And lastly, the title quote is from John Irving's novel <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cider_House_Rules">The Cider House Rules</a>. A novel that deals much with choices of abortion and adoption pre Roe v. Wade.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-39261966305374140292009-07-09T10:18:00.000-07:002009-07-09T10:29:35.894-07:00MapsHello friends, just peeking out from under my rock to share with you two excellent resources. I am an intensely visual learner and so, if you're anything like me, these two maps of our reproductive rights "landscape" will make good sense to you.<br /><br /><a href="http://reproductiverights.org/">The Center for Reproductive Rights</a> created this <a href="http://reproductiverights.org/sites/crr.civicactions.net/files/documents/Abortion%20Map_FA.pdf">map</a> in 2007 to illustrate the world's abortion laws.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mappingourrights.org/">Mapping Our Rights</a> has an amazing interactive map that discusses, in great detail, each of our 50 stats laws and policies around sexual and reproductive rights, in particular abortion access.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-66048050229432280052009-06-26T10:41:00.000-07:002009-06-29T08:37:22.651-07:00Generic vs. Brandname<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83JD8L6XKn-gx-KCrQue27Y_rKrqyahtmCriKOA1mTh_PR7tYbD1uyld2Lzijp5WJTHAa2UPsUmIar5n2ipHZ7Ob_tHJFQzYo5NoTc6PVSr9nTRrRO0PKsYQEuW6I_QAkx1XBc0UTLgI/s1600-h/colorful-pills-01.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83JD8L6XKn-gx-KCrQue27Y_rKrqyahtmCriKOA1mTh_PR7tYbD1uyld2Lzijp5WJTHAa2UPsUmIar5n2ipHZ7Ob_tHJFQzYo5NoTc6PVSr9nTRrRO0PKsYQEuW6I_QAkx1XBc0UTLgI/s400/colorful-pills-01.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352773145918007474" border="0" /></a><br />In college, I was introduced to the<a href="http://www.nuvaring.com/Consumer/index.asp"> NuvaRin</a>g. I had tried birth control pills but, felt like they were making me moody plus, I wasn't always 100% consistent with taking them. The NuvaRing seemed to be exactly what I was looking for: low dosage hormones and no need to worry about taking something at the same time every single day. Another bonus was that my health clinic only charged $5 for birth control methods and often threw in free samples.<br /><br />Once, out into the real world, I realized that I would have to pay a lot more. Even at Planned Parenthood, with their marvelous sliding income scales, it cost almost $40/month and my health care wouldn't cover it. Why? Because it was too new of a product and a <a href="http://women.emedtv.com/nuvaring/generic-nuvaring.html">generic version</a> had not yet been created and supposedly can't be until 2018(!) Eventually, I decided to stop this method but, that had more to do with side effects (intense breast tenderness) though, than cost. All this being said, drug costs have much more to do with brand name than anything else (such as chemical composition).<br /><br />Last Wednesday, the FDA approved a generic version of the emergency contraception pill, Plan B. I think this is wonderful news- now this already accessible option will be even more accessible:<br /><br />"A one-time use pack of the brand-name product, Plan B, currently costs $49.99 through the online retailer DrugStore.com. According to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601202&sid=apyto.3Qk1UI" target="_new"><cite>Bloomberg</cite></a>, generic drugs usually cost 30% to 80% less than brand-name versions (Larkin, <cite>Bloomberg</cite>, 6/24)." From <a href="http://www.nationalpartnership.org/site/News2?abbr=daily2_&page=NewsArticle&id=18151">National Partnership for Women and Families.</a><br /><br />Have you had ever had any experience with expensive brand name drugs?Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-2140517904686000112009-06-26T08:55:00.000-07:002009-06-26T13:29:49.006-07:00How do we know?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5XumcWVj5PhJvrN-x8YrnloFe9wjqmrv_6kVVTcPFWLIUlllL-54DzRaHLFz1FX7z16-ZAxSRN-K_H3lGr39259pbifhh4llo30dvSZW5s1o8eUoZEVxcgmg5F71YJkh1wwsGG3RScU/s1600-h/card4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5XumcWVj5PhJvrN-x8YrnloFe9wjqmrv_6kVVTcPFWLIUlllL-54DzRaHLFz1FX7z16-ZAxSRN-K_H3lGr39259pbifhh4llo30dvSZW5s1o8eUoZEVxcgmg5F71YJkh1wwsGG3RScU/s400/card4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351687843068255138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelB-V2RHq6hqOT0FBkHU8qCRCxC5hDR1T21BNtkHHi7sIfWeOky7Vmkadf72rw3zgc3zYtXOQIdk58-s59ptp6tanxqTvUJ-z_XtiRYS2bs2N8j7qABGsWvZAT5YfHOTYNu0QRFVF0b8/s1600-h/card2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelB-V2RHq6hqOT0FBkHU8qCRCxC5hDR1T21BNtkHHi7sIfWeOky7Vmkadf72rw3zgc3zYtXOQIdk58-s59ptp6tanxqTvUJ-z_XtiRYS2bs2N8j7qABGsWvZAT5YfHOTYNu0QRFVF0b8/s400/card2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351687678042027090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdCaezssNDKLDVpGmRH0dOIoKigKDjRpMdW-tUSIPP7-1SQbyw0wFfcDzXNnWpXdkBukJCT8EZNeueb8m0cK3ohEcZPbo7eD-ntzgeZ9M5SNww8Bf4gAFQ4JrXBAxxgcx6KP0DhJMj5o/s1600-h/card+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdCaezssNDKLDVpGmRH0dOIoKigKDjRpMdW-tUSIPP7-1SQbyw0wFfcDzXNnWpXdkBukJCT8EZNeueb8m0cK3ohEcZPbo7eD-ntzgeZ9M5SNww8Bf4gAFQ4JrXBAxxgcx6KP0DhJMj5o/s400/card+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351687227633816690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:171pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\kate\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.png" title="" cropbottom="37187f" cropleft="20516f" cropright="19034f"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span>In doing a few catch-up/clean-up Friday tasks, I came across this beautiful deck of cards. I can't believe that I had forgotten about them- they seem almost perfectly tailor made for <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span>. Combo of crafty images and facts about reproductive health. This deck is comprised of twenty card with a question on one side and, the answer, on the other.<br /><br />Just in case the bottom image is hard to read, the scrap of paper says:<br /><br />"In the United States, about half of all pregnancies are unintended, and 42% of unintended pregnancies are terminate by abortion. Worldwide, almost two in five women who become pregnant have either an abortion or an unplanned birth."<br /><br />From the <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=129">Guttmacher Institute</a>.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-86554265382791171392009-06-22T08:01:00.000-07:002009-06-23T08:59:25.353-07:00Not Yet Rain"Thunder is not yet rain".<br />Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of "<a href="http://www.notyetrain.org/">Not Yet Rain</a>" by <a href="http://www.lisarussellfilm.blogspot.com/">Lisa Russel</a><a href="http://www.lisarussellfilm.blogspot.com/">l</a>. This documentary talks abortion access in Ethiopia. What I thought was particularly well done was the fact that the messaging and plot were very simple. The later half the film primarily follows two young women through their experience in the abortion system in Ethiopia. It reminded me a little bit of<a href="http://fullwomb.blogspot.com/2009/05/walk-to-beautiful.html"> "A Walk to Beautiful"</a>.<br />The screening was followed by a short panel discussion by experts in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">international</span> reproductive health representing <a href="http://www.ipas.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">IPAS</span></a>, <a href="http://www.iwhc.org/">The International Women's Health Coalition</a> and<a href="http://www.ippf.org/en"> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">International</span> Planned <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Parenthood</span></a>.<br />A couple of facts that I was struck by: <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">aborting</span> was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">legalized</span> in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ethiopia</span> in 2006 (read more <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/04/20/as-thunder-is-not-yet-rain-in-ethiopia-legal-rights-abortion-are-not-yet-access">here</a>) and abortion doesn't seem to face the radical opposition we experience in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">the</span> US in large part due to the hospitalization of abortions (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">treated</span> more medically than morally) and also the fact that many <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">people</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">actually</span> don't know that it is legal.<br />You can watch the entire film on its <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">website</span>: <a href="http://www.notyetrain.org/">http://www.notyetrain.org/</a> or you can order a free DVD. This generous access makes it a very good tool for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">advocacy</span>. Please pass the word along.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-67671453494837406112009-06-19T11:40:00.000-07:002009-06-22T08:01:48.698-07:00Inadvertent absenceHello, blog! How I have missed you!<br />I've been to see Ina May speak twice. Both times she mentioned Abby's birth at the end of "The Business of Being Born". She said something to the effect of Abby's pregnancy and the creation of the film being badly timed- that one's body has a limited amount of energy to put towards "making".<br />I've been feeling a little bit like that lately-- too much energy and emotion going into one specific area of my life leaving leaving the rest "undernourished".<br />Apologies, I am trying to get my balance back. I have lots to tell you about!Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-84948012898522709342009-06-02T18:17:00.000-07:002009-06-19T12:43:18.309-07:00Homage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQa5c09LOVPTd4jB8AR6DmE02pZ3sIDG3VL5yACg9cwqLqp1uZnTp-R5qgM0wLkSJMXsyEMuhRP-e0F7rDOvPN1BIWIPptfr_QAiksglmGeLQkEjJGfSYLsrhbPoBPpmVl3y1MK9Ykks/s1600-h/137159main_FirstStars_top_pannel_lg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQa5c09LOVPTd4jB8AR6DmE02pZ3sIDG3VL5yACg9cwqLqp1uZnTp-R5qgM0wLkSJMXsyEMuhRP-e0F7rDOvPN1BIWIPptfr_QAiksglmGeLQkEjJGfSYLsrhbPoBPpmVl3y1MK9Ykks/s400/137159main_FirstStars_top_pannel_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349125508703246242" border="0" /></a><br />I wrote this post on June 2nd and am just now getting around to editing it. My thoughts and feelings are still as strong as they were two weeks ago and the topic of the assassination of George Tiller will remain as important and pertinent for as long as pro-choice providers are being threatened and intimidated.<br /><br />Early Saturday morning, I got my call: "We have a woman in labor, we need you to come". As usual, I hustled, got there, witnessed the beginning of a beautiful little family- it was a little boy. Such overwhelming joy. Such a pleasure and an honor to be present for the birth.<br /><br />Late Sunday afternoon, I got the email that Dr. Tiller had been shot. Monday evening, I attended the vigil in Union Square. I was moved by the support and strength that the New York community brought to this tragic situation. It was a honor to stand among my peers to pay our respects to this hero.<br /><br />Last year, when my mother told me that my grandmother had died, I attended back to back births of two baby girls. I have, now, a couple of times witnessed this line between birth and death, their close proximity and synchronicity- it is deep and profound.<br /><br />Personally, I think I'm still processing what this murder means to me....Yesterday, one of the speakers recounted that after George Tiller had been shot in both arms in he returned to his clinic the next day. I hope that some day I can live up to his model of medical practice- that I will always be there when my patients need me. I am blessed to stand by women and to honor their choices about their bodies, lives and reproduction: to be woken in the middle of the night with birth calls and to, simultaneously, fully participate in the pro-choice and reproductive rights movement.<br /><br />There has been an outpouring of sadness, support, and admiration in the blogs, in real life and in the media. Some of these words are so eloquent and insightful- I hope you had the opportunity to read some of them.<br />Here is what I have been thinking about today:<br />This<a href="http://www.feministing.com/archives/015803.html#comments"> prayer</a> from last nights vigil.<br /><a href="http://www.nnaf.org/tiller.html">The Dr. Georoge Tiller Fund</a><br />This<a href="http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/honortiller_pporg?qp_source=honortiller_pporg"> letter</a> from Planned Parenthood.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-10633552661814088802009-06-01T08:58:00.000-07:002009-06-01T10:16:38.092-07:00George Tiller, R.I.P.Take a few moments out of your day to honor and <a href="http://www.feministing.com/archives/015748.html">pay homage </a>to a great man who died yesterday. He made the world <a href="http://reproductiverights.org/en/press-room/center-for-reproductive-rights-deeply-saddened-by-murder-of-dr-george-tiller">better </a>and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/us/01tiller.html">braver</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NYC vigil will be at 6pm, location: Union Square</span> (bring your own candle).Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-27091870832514762022009-05-21T08:28:00.000-07:002009-05-21T09:23:07.020-07:00Zelightful<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zpr3cSRDR6009UJ3mph4boysmj4x7JuDgjRFq_76Eu3aBrjtJHdX5enq7jDUCsbbJqIyFArz35Ue9_PLdTFGKJ6hPEPPS1FLQUawh0WjOW7uKCSgl4tS_534LB1tDdcF1p98YcTb_Tg/s1600-h/clip_image002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zpr3cSRDR6009UJ3mph4boysmj4x7JuDgjRFq_76Eu3aBrjtJHdX5enq7jDUCsbbJqIyFArz35Ue9_PLdTFGKJ6hPEPPS1FLQUawh0WjOW7uKCSgl4tS_534LB1tDdcF1p98YcTb_Tg/s400/clip_image002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338312763660554338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ZINES!<br />There are certain moments of enlightenment in my leaning that make me feel like I have totally missed the obvious boat but also make me tremendously excited.<br />Last week one of these "DUH" moments arrived to me in the mail : zines that addresses women's health.<br /><br />The image above is from a very wonderful little publication called "Brainscan 22: a practical body modification" by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24824725">Alex Wrekk</a>. In her own words: "This zine is about reproductive health and birth control, specifically the IUD(Intra Uterine Device) After doing a lot of research it seemed like the best option for my partner and me. I got a lot of questions about my IUD so I thought I would make a little zine about it".<br /><br />Another nice resource that I discovered while doing some internet-ing about feminist zines is <a href="http://zinelibrary.info/just-leave-us-alone">ZineLibray </a>where you can download and print a good selection of zines for free. Your might find these of particular interest: <a href="http://zinelibrary.info/herbal-abortion">Herbal Aboriton: A Women's DYI guide</a> , <a href="http://zinelibrary.info/jane">Jane: Documents from Chicago's clandestine Abortion service</a> and <a href="http://zinelibrary.info/witches-midwives-and-nurses">Witches, Midwives and Nurses</a>.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-66843161018149748012009-05-18T10:24:00.000-07:002009-05-18T12:47:54.654-07:00All My Babies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxAufrIXceMkLyvofFmk1EgQw_KGQcqBs_YzOV0ZpvrdjZYUBl0TjkchtC81hhyMTpBVgFUnMBPbk6kO1jTgm6_WvtNIOIxLRBwtAtUhpP04bPI8zNhU2cENMn-oiEoZePSKXwADEU_4/s1600-h/nextdaycontcare_w382.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxAufrIXceMkLyvofFmk1EgQw_KGQcqBs_YzOV0ZpvrdjZYUBl0TjkchtC81hhyMTpBVgFUnMBPbk6kO1jTgm6_WvtNIOIxLRBwtAtUhpP04bPI8zNhU2cENMn-oiEoZePSKXwADEU_4/s400/nextdaycontcare_w382.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337220780895004738" border="0" /></a><br />Weekends are good things. They are especially good things if they are full of farmers market rhubarb, sheep sheering demonstrations and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_My_Babies">"</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_My_Babies">All My Babies"</a>.<br /><br />I first heard about this amazing little film a few months ago when it was playing at the <a href="http://www.anthologyfilmarchives.org/">Anthology Film Archives. </a>I didn't get a chance to see it then but, put it on my Netflicks account and, finally, got around to watching it on Saturday night.<br /><br />The film was made in 1953 as an educational tool for midwives. It follows an African-American midwife, Miss Mary, in her care of two pregnangt mothers. So much of this film took me by surprise (in a really good way). The treatment of black midwives was respectful and the the film takes great pains to highlight how crucial these woman were within their rural communities. The film addresses issues such as depression in pregnancy, nutrition, and care of a premature baby. Additionally, the film shows a live birth! Much of the film focuses on the sterile techniques that the midwives practiced and it was a treat to see the contents of a "homebirth" bag in the 50's.<br /><br />I would also suggest watching the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV7hafoYqkU"> "special feature" </a>commentary, as well. Her grandson describes the phenomenal number of babies that Miss Mary caught as well as the deep dedication that she showed towards her mothers.<br /><br />How you seen this film? What is <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> favorite birth movie?Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-64383261231346915542009-05-15T07:30:00.000-07:002009-05-15T08:34:03.132-07:00week's end<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6mmsFFHXvgP1CxxBojCygQsK4A_y6tdtOLf_xKx3W_WkuuhNZ0LtDf8G46mqFGci6scdWGPRJmVu301NWZ5_VNPeeXAxX0WIWo15eREz7PpQdtWVVFLuA-UGThLSY02Vhm5c-vquYEA/s1600-h/sun-heaven.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 287px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6mmsFFHXvgP1CxxBojCygQsK4A_y6tdtOLf_xKx3W_WkuuhNZ0LtDf8G46mqFGci6scdWGPRJmVu301NWZ5_VNPeeXAxX0WIWo15eREz7PpQdtWVVFLuA-UGThLSY02Vhm5c-vquYEA/s400/sun-heaven.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336073903811882914" border="0" /></a><br />Here are some of my favorites from the week:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scarleteen.com/article/body/anatomy_pink_parts_female_sexual_anatomy">Pink Parts</a>: terrific anatomy diagrams (trust me, I should know, my anatomy and physiology professor spent 4 classes on the nephron and 1/2 class on female reproduction and embryology!)<br /><br />Very sweet video about the role of a doula: <a href="http://doulamomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/do-you-doula.html">Do You Doula </a>from <a href="http://doulamomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/do-you-doula.html">DoulaMomma</a><br /><br />SUPER news for New York: <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/05/13/2009-05-13_eli_and_wife_go_long_for_hosp_baby_ward.html">Eli and Abby Manning donate funds for a new birthing center at St. Vincent's Hospital</a>. YAY!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/the-ike-baby-spike/">The Ike Baby Spike</a> from NY Times Motherload. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>“This pattern jibes with traditional patterns of the ways fertility surges can respond to major events... be it the baby boom as linked to soldiers coming home from World War II to even the Oklahoma City bombing, which also had an associated elevation in births in surrounding Oklahoma counties.”<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxqL0PyyD5Y"><br />How to Deliver a Baby in a Taxi Cab</a> instructional video (via <a href="http://wisewomanchildbirth.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-deliver-baby-in-taxi-cab.html">Women in Charge</a>)<br /><br />May is a pretty great month and I didn't even know that it was <a href="http://www.birthactivist.com/2009/05/may-international-doula-month/">International Doula Month.</a> Thanks <a href="http://www.birthactivist.com/">Birth Activist</a>.<br /><br />I tuned into the<a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/"> RH Reality Check </a>discussion yesterday: <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="altcaster_replaytitle" id="txtTitle">Making "My Birth, My Choice" A Reality For All Women</span>. It was excellent - you can read the transcript<a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/05/07/making-my-birth-my-choice-a-reality-for-all-women"> here</a>.<br /><br />This is weird/ funny: <a href="http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/05/08/for-newexpectant-mom.html">Sonogram art</a>, via BoingBoing<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />NY Resources: </span><br />Manhattan has a new breastfeeding store, <a href="http://yummymummystore.com/">Yummy Mummy.</a><br /><br />Also a new center for post-pregnancy care, <a href="http://www.raisingmomny.com/">Raising MOM.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Events:</span><br />May 20th<br />Choices in Childbirth Monthly meeting: I<a href="http://www.choicesinchildbirth.org/CIC%20MonthlyMtg_May09.pdf">nspiring Birth Stories- Giving Birth in a Hospital</a><br /><br />May 27th<br />Sexy Mom Series: <a href="http://www.babeland.com/events/">Raising Sex Positive Kids</a><br /><br />Happy weekend, all!<br /><br /><br /></div>Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-68610172368592348062009-05-14T09:43:00.000-07:002009-05-14T09:58:37.606-07:00To Watch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89CVXtckvOTN41iEmEaR_ZKCEx9kbnkz1WiLT24DkRh_F1wagDWr_X6qu9_wtNX8iE1JgcCT46lsnSHih5Lzmb1nxS5UcmlfME0fDfOla2VbMBD-E1iUiO6-50747lIPhD5YKosM235s/s1600-h/today.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89CVXtckvOTN41iEmEaR_ZKCEx9kbnkz1WiLT24DkRh_F1wagDWr_X6qu9_wtNX8iE1JgcCT46lsnSHih5Lzmb1nxS5UcmlfME0fDfOla2VbMBD-E1iUiO6-50747lIPhD5YKosM235s/s400/today.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335724495026258498" border="0" /></a><br />Quick post today:<br /><br />Just thought I'd tell you about a NGO based in Brooklyn called <a href="http://scenariosusa.org/index.html">Scenarios USA</a>:<br />it <span style="font-style: italic;">"uses writing and </span><span style="font-style: italic;">filmmaking</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> to foster youth leadership, advocacy and self-expression in under-served teens. Scenarios USA asks teens to write about the issues that shape their lives..." </span><br /><br />Seemed like a nice resource to browse though on a gloomy Thursday afternoon. It would be very easy to pass the day watching these powerful films that deal with topics such as body image, teen pregnancy, safe sex practice, etc. Take a look at<a href="http://www.scenariosusa.org/watchfilms/films/2007/06/the_choices_we_make.html"> "The Choices We Make"</a> and <a href="http://www.scenariosusa.org/watchfilms/films/2006/08/today_i_found_out.html">"Today I Found Out"</a> but, really all are fantastic.Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-6126345749122964172009-05-13T07:39:00.000-07:002009-05-13T09:35:09.362-07:00Scenario<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OM-9EahSzTtmjgb4_UHfn3V0nvUGLNKM7z9CltNx9axPyVAQn-WBPIVcRyk3BXpw0srjF8hQqpwLx9KL9KI9kdQPbg1GuWafXHtIjs8toHPD2DxEDv2KAF6YcRzCz29SC3qRBBdMCo8/s1600-h/doula_3.234101330_std.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OM-9EahSzTtmjgb4_UHfn3V0nvUGLNKM7z9CltNx9axPyVAQn-WBPIVcRyk3BXpw0srjF8hQqpwLx9KL9KI9kdQPbg1GuWafXHtIjs8toHPD2DxEDv2KAF6YcRzCz29SC3qRBBdMCo8/s400/doula_3.234101330_std.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335336699506938114" border="0" /></a><br />Last night while having dinner with some favorite friends, I got to catch up on all the baby gossip from her office (side note: despite logical indications that birth rates should slow way down, I personally know more women now who are pregnant than ever before). One of them had initially decided to go the uber-medical route and chose a "high risk" provider as her OB. But, recently something changed and she determined that she would much prefer a<a href="http://www.birthcenters.org/"> birth center</a> setting. Sometimes, I get so excited that I forget to take off my doula hat, so I thought that an appropriate way to deal with my overly-helpful suggestions would be to offer this situation to the blog-dom. Here are the small hurdles in this particular case: 1) the mom is about 28 weeks 2) she feels most comfortable in a hospital setting (i.e. is not opposed to interventions) but prefers the comfort and vibe of a birth center 3) her insurance will not cover a private room 4) she lives in New York City. Apparently recently she looked at the birthing center at St. Luke Roosevelt and was told that all availability for July is already booked.<br /><br />My advice:<br />- Check out <a href="http://www.wehealnewyork.org/services/lichobgyn/midwifery.asp">Long Island College Hospital</a> or <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/html/facilities/bellevue.shtml">Bellview Hospital</a>- both have birth center options.<br />- Check out the <a href="http://brooklynbirthingcenter.com/index.php">Brooklyn Birthing Center</a>. They are very good about accepting late transfers.<br /><a href="http://www.nycmidwives.org/?PageID=14">This </a>is a good resource about Birth Centers in NYC.<br />- Talk to your provider about the availability of a bath-tub or shower, if you are "allowed" to eat and drink, and how fetal monitoring is done. I feel like these rules are some of the biggest differences between hospital birth and birth center birth.<br />- Get a doula. Her calm and nurturing presence will help mitigate some of the bright, busy hospital energy. <a href="http://www.metrodoula.com/">The Metropolitan Doula Group </a>has an extensive list of doulas with all experience levels and range of prices. <a href="http://www.nydoula.com/bios.htm">Birth Focus</a> is a doula group that offers a once a month "meet the doula night".<br />-Pack a BIG birth bag. Include beautiful objects that remind you of home. For example: comfortable slippers, pictures of your family or favorite places, a sheer scarf to put over some of the bright lights, extra pillows, a CD of your favorite music, <a href="http://www.rescueremedy.com/">Bach Rescue Remedy</a>, a soft pashmina, a pretty colored washcloth, etc. Also, bring snacks for both you and your partner. Even if you're not allowed to eat in a hospital, someone can always "accidentally" give you a small handful of almonds.<br />- Make a<a href="http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/labor-delivery/basics/birth-plan-pointers/"> birth plan</a>. Pick three things that are important to you in the management of your birth. Tell your provider that these issues are very important to you. My favorite one is asking to wait to cut the cord until it stops pulsing. That way no one can run away with your baby.<br /><br />What is your advice for this woman? What are other scenarios that you might like to discuss in this space?Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-40259159033104641382009-05-11T07:14:00.000-07:002009-05-13T07:39:37.208-07:00Mother's Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6FUJ9Gz8ZNTKkHvvA5BDgCbXWS3VP86zzVrsknzeAo3y9Yj7QYm-f8B_Dsax0kJIhObvbU7NnHs6YeGlxczwCbDmKYokHaWjJPp-b9PKk2ZpBJNLV79QHxTv-tleHSb-AKzhBDW4YDc/s1600-h/IMG_0794.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6FUJ9Gz8ZNTKkHvvA5BDgCbXWS3VP86zzVrsknzeAo3y9Yj7QYm-f8B_Dsax0kJIhObvbU7NnHs6YeGlxczwCbDmKYokHaWjJPp-b9PKk2ZpBJNLV79QHxTv-tleHSb-AKzhBDW4YDc/s400/IMG_0794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335059775313032002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> Me and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.inamay.com">Ina May</a>, mother of modern midwifery.</span><br /><br />Apologies for being late to wish you a happy Mothers Day!<br /><br />I'm not sure that I've shared one of the key parts of the story of my journey to midwifery ~ it has a lot to do with Mother's Day. When I was a senior in college and feeling very overwhelmed by the possibly of being out in the real world, I participated in a peer taught class on women's health on the recommendation of my best friend. It was comprised of a group of about 10 women that met on a weekly basis. I had never belonged to such a diverse group of women and, yet, this safe space that we had created helped me to feel anchored. The physicality that we talked about seemed like such a visceral contrast to all of the right-brained thinking that my courses required and seemed to resonate deeply, touching me to the core. We talked about all different facets of women's heath and took turns presenting (I did a pin-the-birth-control-on-the-lady game). The week we spoke about birth, one woman told the stories of her mother. Her mother's first baby was a straight-forward (possibly semi-traumatizing) hospital birth; the second pregnancy, while in an abusive relationship, resulted in an abortion. Her third birth, the birth of the woman in my class, was in a birthing room at a hospital, and when it came time to push the baby out, she intuitively got on her hands and knees. I remember having goosebumps while hearing about these different experiences. I also realized that I didn't know the story of my own birth.<br /><div id=":v" class="ii gt"><br />At the same time, I was also taking a religion class on festivals and parades. We had discussed the history and development of our modern American Mother's Day holiday and how it was essentially exploited to <a href="http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mothersday/a/carnations.htm">profit the flower industry</a>. I decided that Mother's Day should be given more meaning and determined that many people probably didn't know their birth stories either. Thus, my personal campaign for mother's day became "Tell Your Birth Story Day". Our society doesn't have many designated times for birth stories, other than baby showers which can often turn to horror stories. It is just as important for mothers to tell about the births of their babies as it is for children to be able to ask about the details of their births.<br /><br />You know, the funny thing is that my dad wanted to talk more about my birth than my mom did. My mom didn't really want to go into details. But these are interesting tidbits that I did discover: I was born at 5:03pm (most natural babies are born late at night or very early in the morning) and I found out where I was conceived, in a 100 year old barn house in Maine.<br /><br />What is your birth story? </div>Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5587695656406401734.post-45999454417569763342009-05-08T08:37:00.000-07:002009-05-08T09:35:37.307-07:00Friday, FridayRound-Up, Round-Up<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mama-is.com/the-birth-story-of-ean-campbell/">Graphic-novel style birth story</a> link from <a href="http://phdoula.blogspot.com/2009/05/traveling-times.html">Public Health Doula </a><br /><br />RH Reality Check answers the question: <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/05/07/get-real-when-can-i-get-pregnant">"If you had sex a week or days after your period can you get pregnant?"</a> and talks about fertility cycles. <br /><br />Look at this <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/04/early-devices-for-rh.html">"The Rythmeter"</a>, an early device for the rhythm method!<br /><br />Great post on <a href="http://empoweredbirth.typepad.com/empowering_birth_blog/2009/05/do-you-really-want-an-epidural.html">Epidural Rules (</a>these might be a nice resource for the birth bag) from Empowering Birth Blog (originally via <a href="http://nursingbirth.wordpress.com/">Nursing Birth</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/05/placenta-prints.html">Beautiful placenta prints</a> from Stand and Deliver<br /><a href="http://radicaldoula.com/2009/05/04/what-birthing-women-definitely-do-not-need/"><br />A Dressed Up Delivery Kit</a> posted by Radical Doula- I think it's gross, what do you think?<br /><br />What is it like to be a baby? <a href="http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/to_be_a_baby/"> Article</a> from Seed Magazine discusses. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TO DO:</span><br /><a href="http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/05/please-sign-petition-supporting-medicaid-payment-to-birth-centers">Please Sign Petition Supporting Medicaid Payments to Birth Centers</a> from Our Bodies Our Blogs. This is important- please pass this along.<br /><br />Sign up for (or dream about signing up for) one of these<span style="font-style: italic;"> amazing journeys </span>with<a href="http://www.thematrona.com/journeys-ayahuasca.html"> House of La Matrona</a><br /><br />Take this <a href="http://www.plannedparenthood.org/all-access/my-method-26542.htm">quiz</a> about what birth control method is best for you (from <a href="http://unratedunfiltered.blogspot.com/">NYC Unrated and Unfiltered</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TO WATCH:</span><br />Ricki Lake on the <a href="http://www.blinkx.com/video/ricki-lake-promotes-choice-in-childbirth/UBVlZj3ofpSlLyQzTvXz5g">Today Show</a> promoting her new book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Your Best Birth</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZy_wcZBkgw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freader%2Fview%2F&feature=player_embedded">This Spanish Mattress Ad.</a> (this has certainly made its rounds of the blog world and for good reason!)<br /><br />Video of a<a href="http://www.fitpregnancy.com/yourpregnancy/labor_delivery/40722887.html"> C-Section</a> for the birth of twins from Fit Pregnancy<br /><br />Newscast on ABC: <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/health&id=6801357">Keeping C-sections to a Minimum<br /><br /></a>Kate Zondervanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11730577819496452003noreply@blogger.com1