This is an excellent article on women, birth and a model that is seriously out of step with what women want and need. Yes, one more reason to…CALL THE MIDWIFE!!!
“Every Mother Needs A Midwife, And Some Women Need A Doctor, Too!”
An article from the Boston Globe “Call (Back) The Midwife” looks at midwifery today in the U.S. and how we need a cultural change to make birth normal and not high risk. Read the article HERE.
Be Like a Princess and Call the Midwife!!
Princess Kate used midwives for the birth of the new little royal Princess Charlotte. Read more about it here.
Midwifery Benefits? Improved Outcomes For Moms Who See Midwives, Review Finds
A review that was just published by the Cochrane Library finds that regular midwifery care for the duration of pregnancy is associated with better outcomes for moms and their babies.
Read more here.
Midwifery Myths Set Straight
The profession of midwifery has evolved with today’s modern health care system. But there are many myths about midwives in the United States based on centuries-old images or simple misunderstandings. You might be surprised to learn the truth about some of these common midwifery myths. Check it out here.
New Video on Midwifery Care!
The ACNM (American College of Nurse-Midwives) just released a new video on Midwives. Please watch this important video now to explore the many reasons midwifery care can improve birth for moms, babies and their families!!
Watch HERE
Happy National Midwifery Week!!
When it comes to health care, you don’t have to settle. Commit to exploring your options for birth and women’s health care by signing the Your Health Promise pledge at www.ourmomentoftruth.com. Educate yourself about what the pledge really means and why taking this step is so important for you and your family.
According to research from the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), many women are not having important conversations with their health care providers about how to maintain their health during pregnancy (62%) or about preparing for motherhood (80%). In fact, ACNM’s survey shows a major gap in what women say they want from their health care and what women are getting across a spectrum of health needs.
To improve the dialogue, HealthPartners is excited to support Our Moment of Truth™: A New Understanding of Midwifery Care. Through this national campaign, ACNM aims to raise the bar for women’s health and re-introduce midwives and midwifery care as important options that should be the norm for women’s health care services in the United States.
Midwives are critically important in providing care to women from adolescence to beyond menopause, but their expert knowledge of women’s health is often overlooked. Even though the general public often associates midwives exclusively with maternity care, many women visit a midwife for a range of services before and after pregnancy. This is just one of the many facts that Our Moment of Truth™ aims to share.
We hope that you too will consider getting involved in this important initiative to inspire women across the country to become active decision makers in their health care.
Visit the Our Moment of Truth™ Web site for more information and an overview of survey findings. Or leave a comment to share your moment of truth related to women’s health care and/or midwifery.
Celebrate Midwives!!
Today is international day of the midwife!
Midwives from all over the world will try to raise awareness for the importance of the profession for women globally. This is the day to call on the public and its governments to invest in healthcare in order to improve services, infrastructure, and reproductive health policies so that all women can have access to safe care. Give your midwife a shout out or hug today.
HealthPartners Midwives 🙂
Trans Fat: The Big Fat Truth
We have all heard of trans fat and that we shouldn’t eat it. But what exactly is trans fat and how do you know what food it is in? I decided many years ago to eliminate trans fat from my diet. But just tonight I ate something and then looked at the ingredients…and there it was, YUK!
For years I ate margarine because “they” said it was healthier that butter. Then I found out that margarine is filled with trans fat. Read this blog from the website A Dietician To Go, and find out more about trans fat and how to avoid it in your diet.
Trans Fat: The Big Fat Truth
By: Brittany Carpenter RDN/LD, BS
Happy eating!!
Karin
Happy New Year 2014!
Yes, it is that time of year again when we look ahead to the year before us and consider some new resolutions that we want initiate. You look back at last year and think…hmmmm, I should eat better, I need to exercise more and spend more time with my family and friends. So, great my decision is made and I will do better at all those things. But then you suddenly recall that you made those same promises to yourself last year, and come to think of it the year before too. Then you conclude that you aren’t very good at this and just toss those thoughts aside.
BUT wait…maybe it’s because you didn’t have a plan. You can not move forward without some kind of strategy to help you out. First you need to set a goal, an achievable goal. If you have a hard time changing your habits then set a very small goal that you know you can accomplish. I have found for myself that I can only set one goal at a time. I may also further break it down into smaller steps that make it seem easy to achieve. That way when you look back over the year you will be amazed how far you have come.
This year my goal is eating better. So what does that mean? Everyone will have different objectives depending on what they eat now. I have been working on my diet for some time, but there are still many areas that need work.
1. Stay away from processed foods, eat only real food
2. Eat more veggies (I eat 1-2 servings a day and the recommendation is 4-5 a day)
3. Cut back on chocolate…I love dark chocolate and tell myself that it is an antioxidant and is good for me! I have to limit the number of calories a day of chocolate to 200.
These are my three goals for the year. I will take one at a time and work on it step by step. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but looking back over the last few years I am astonished how much I have learned about nutrition and therefore changing my habits.
Women tend to take care of everyone but themselves. This is the year to look inside and make a resolution and come up with an action plan of how you can become the woman you want to be. Small tiny steps at first. As you achieve one small goal after another your self esteem will rise and so will your self respect. It is a great feeling when you take care of yourself!!
Start by making an appointment with your nurse-midwife to get going on improving your health. Do you need a health maintenance appointment? Do you have birth control that you can count on? Are you up to date with your immunizations? Need to talk about other health concerns?
Planning a pregnancy? We are here to support you in your efforts to be healthier and to set goals for you in 2014!!
Karin Marshall, CNM
Midwife Matters 