Posts Tagged ‘NIH’

March 8th, 2010

VBACtivist

Kicking off the National Institute of Health, VBAC Conference in Bethesda, Maryland, The Feminist Breeder, Michele Demont from Birthcut.com, and Desirre Andrews the current President of ICAN had an awesome radio show in which women could call in and talk about VBAC experiences and why VBAC is important, as well as an essential medical choice for women today.

To listen to the show, you can click here : VBACtivists

I was able to call in and share my experience, as well as my opinions on the reason why VBAC is so essential to our maternity care system.

Tune in tomorrow morning for more coverage on the National Institute of Health VBAC Conference.

March 7th, 2010

The Week’s Wrap Up

So much has gone on this week in my life, and in the world that I thought it would be best to really cover it all, and post why these events are important.

ABC News covered two high profile news stories regarding birth, and promotion of Natural Birth as well as Out of the Hospital birth.

• CDC Says Home Births on the Rise in the US – New CDC report shows home birth rates, as well as other out of hospital birthing options in recent years. And magically it cannot be blamed on Ricki Lake like groups like ACOG have been claiming in recent years.  You can go back and read My Post on it that even attracted the #1 internet troll in the childbirth community!
• World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer also covered the topic of the rising Maternal Mortality rates in the United States.  Tackling the issues that new mothers should know, including AVOIDING UNNECESSARY MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS which are very typical, and routine in the hospital. You can view the video of this story right here.
• New York Times takes on VBAC – A great article showcasing a Native American hospital and how so many National Hospitals could be learning a lesson from their rate of VBAC and maternal health.  To read the article, click here.

Now to talk about things going on around the world of Blogging… I try to keep up with as many of my favorite blogs as I can, but with two kids, and the increased amount of things I have going on in my life it is hard to make my way every where I want to be.
If I forgot you, or your awesome blog, I am sorry!

• The Feminist Breeder was on my TV!!!! – Gina, AKA the Feminist Breeder, one of my favorite bloggers, as well as internet buddy was featured in a discovery health channel special on “Radial Parenting” which, I don’t think she is very radical at all as she parents pretty similar to us, but some ignorant assholes on the internet seemed to think they are fruit loops.
  Anyways, Gina blogged about it, and keep an eye out for the special!
• PhD in Parenting wrote a post about Mentoring the next Generation, which I loved. It may have been a “Wordless Wednesday” post, but it speaks volumes, and honestly, it doesn’t require any worlds.
• Michele from Birthcut.com, and a good friend of mine blogged about choices regarding VBAC and her own feelings. It is powerful, and moving, or at least it was to me! It really shows so many sides of the thoughts women go through when deciding their path for a birth after cesarean.
• Dou-la-la one of my all time fav bloggers talked about her new found love for Kourtney Kardashian. Which I am right on board with.  I am a total reality show junkie, and I really think the message that Kourtney has been sending to the general public, and mothers all over is awesome.

National Institute of Health is holding its VBAC Conference this week. No ya don’t say right?  I have only talked about it how many times in recent weeks right?  LOL  Well there are a lot of good posts, and posts about the conference coming up. I will be starting my live coverage tonight starting with The Feminist Breeder’s Radio Special. You can watch all of my live updates on NIH’s VBAC Conference here.

• Henci Goer talks about the conference and what may or may not come out of it.
• The Feminist Breeder discusses how VBAC access is a human rights issue.
• Kristen from Birthing Beautiful Ideas discusses NIH VBAC in detail and discusses who to watch for.
• The Unnecesarean talks about why VBAC should be the Norm.

And last but not least, the highlights from my own life this week.

• I got a new computer!  And I am in love with it.
• We have had awesome weather, and I have been able to take my children outside to play!  (Pictures to come)
• Our new couch is scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday.
• Connecticut Worst to First received an awesome donation that will enable us to do a lot of the work that needs to get done for 2010.
• My baby only wants to sit up and play, and eat table food… it seems like he has grown up overnight.
• Because of the above, the playpen has come back out in our house!
• I am dying my hair tonight…

So overall, it was a pretty good week.
I am thinking about doing this type of a post weekly, so it you like it, comment and let me know!

March 5th, 2010

NIH VBAC Conference Live Coverage & The Bachelor Finale

Ok, before I get started on my huge rant about the Bachelor which took me almost a week to compose myself enough after watching to put it into words, I want to touch on the National Institute of Health VBAC conference coming up on Monday. For a moment, earlier this week, there was a glimmer of hope that I would be able to make the 5 hour drive, and join all of you wonderful women. I sat down with my husband and talked about it over dinner, and we just realized that even with all my last minute planning, it simply would not work with our family. Between the childcare issue, to money, and simply having myself be away from the home, kids, and furniture delivery scheduled for Tuesday it just would not work. Being the great man he is, he helped me to be ok with the final decision, and think of alternative ways to participate.

So, my alternative way to participate will be live coverage on my blog. Look out over the weekend for a new tab on the tool bar on the top of the site reading Live NIH, and I will be updating several times a day. Ideally I would like to update after every speaker, but with the children, live stream and the typical Motherly things that come up in a day, that is a completely unrealistic expectation.  But I will cover as much as I can. I hope to also be heavily involved in the twitter coverage. To follow just use the hashtag #NIHVBAC.

Now onto the train wreck we can call the Bachelor Season Finale.  The first thing I want to say is, I am so glad I am not going to hear On the Wings of Love anytime soon or probably ever again (because we know this couple won’t be getting married). No I am not being pessimistic, I am being realistic.  The finally had almost as much drama as the entire season did.

It came down to sweet puppies and kittens Tenley, and the bad girl, Vienna, which I think in the back of my mind isn’t really a girl. And of course in the end, Jake went with his penis rather than what he claimed all season he wanted which was a wife. His family met Tenley first, and immediately everyone loved her, and embraced her. Vienna on the other hand not so much. Jake kind of  “warned” them before hand that she was the girl no one liked, so of course they had a bias.   Before the end of the Vienna meeting with the family, of course they all loved her. Either that or the producers magically made it look that way.  Honestly, her demeanor, and attitude, especially around his family would have earned her a one way trip OUT of my family.

Of course all season we knew that Jake would pick her though, because their sexual connection was more than anyone else clearly had with him from what we saw. I am sure that she is one of the contestants that put out routinely too. I just feel like this show, and the actions of these women show such desperation for a man or to WIN. Because with Vienna, I don’t think it was about finding love, I think it was all about being the last one standing. I am sure like many of the other Bachelor couples, they will split shortly.

While these shows certainly are entertaining for reality TV nerds like myself, as a feminist it bothers me on so many levels.  Women should not be this desperate, and what kind of message are we sending to our daughters with these shows?  I really think every season that goes by, it gets worse and worse.

Where do they find these women?  Mental health facilities?

Anyways, that is really all I have to say about it all.
I am not surprised, I have called the picks the last couple seasons, and it was clear who Jake was going to pick for the past 6 weeks at the least.

February 22nd, 2010

National Institute of Health VBAC Conference

Most of you that already read my blog are not only probably already registered and attending this, but have stellar agenda’s that you will bring to the table, as would I if I was able to find childcare for this mid-week conference.  I came to the conclusion last night, after discussion several different options with my husband that it simply is something I am going to have to pass on, as much as it pains me. This all on top of finding a super awesome roommate yesterday.  Sorry Kristin, I would have LOVED to hang out!

But it is so important that VBACtivists make their way to this.  I think it is way more important than most are realizing.  This will hopefully help to change the tides and attitudes towards VBAC in our birthing community today. With the amount of illegal VBAC bans taking place nation wide, and the lack of access to women, this is truly becoming a crisis in maternity care.

It is no secret to educated women that VBAC is statistically safer than repeat cesarean sections and carry lower risks than a second major surgery, but with one third of all babies being born through major surgery, we are seeing a trend changing to the majority repeating that surgery for all subsequent births.  Right now 90% of all women have elective repeat c-sections, the vast majority for no medical reason.

So what exactly is NIH & this VBAC Conference?
March 8th-10th, in Bethesda, Maryland
the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Office of Medical Applications of Research of the National Institutes of Health will convene a Consensus Development Conference on Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.

They will touch on some very key issues such as :

• What are the rates and patterns of utilization of trial of labor after prior cesarean, vaginal birth after cesarean, and repeat cesarean delivery in the United States?
• Among women who attempt a trial of labor after prior cesarean, what is the vaginal delivery rate and the factors that influence it?
• What are the critical gaps in the evidence for decision-making, and what are the priority investigations needed to address these gaps?

• What are the short- and long-term benefits and harms to the mother of attempting trial of labor after prior cesarean versus elective repeat cesarean delivery, and what factors influence benefits and harms?
• What are the short- and long-term benefits and harms to the baby of maternal attempt at trial of labor after prior cesarean versus elective repeat cesarean delivery, and what factors influence benefits and harms?
• What are the nonmedical factors that influence the patterns and utilization of trial of labor after prior cesarean?

What happens at an NIH consensus conference?

• At the conference, invited experts will present information pertinent to these questions, and a systematic literature review prepared under contract with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will be summarized.
• Conference attendees will have ample time to ask questions and provide statements during open discussion periods.
• After weighing the scientific evidence, an unbiased, independent panel will prepare and present a consensus statement addressing the key conference questions.

If you are unable to make it, they will also be offering an internet version, where you can watch live during the conference itself.
I will be doing this will chaotic kids in tow.

For information on registering, you can visit the conference website.
It is FREE!

I hope a lot of the awesome VBACtivists will be attending, I know so far that these awesome women will be there, so maybe just go for a chance to win such awesome advocates?

The Feminist Breeder
Jen from VBACFacts
Desirre Andrews, ICAN President
Kristin from Birthing Beautiful Ideas

I will be looking forward to all your reporting and tweeting!