Speak Up!

Did you know that maternity care is one of the most costly areas of medical care? It's true. All the ultrasounds, amniocentesis tests, electronic fetal monitoring, inductions and cesareans cost a LOT. It has become the norm to just recommend all tests for every pregnant woman.

They don't even tell you the pros and cons of each test. Did you know that amniocentesis increases your chance of miscarriage? Granted, it isn't by a huge percentage, but if you're the woman who loses her baby, the risk is 100%.

Every woman deserves to get both sides for every test and intervention. What are the benefits? What are the problems? What if you choose to do nothing? We could all make better choices if we got true informed consent.

If more women opted for midwifery care and homebirth, maternity care costs would drop to a more reasonable level. This is just one, practical reason to think about homebirth. If you opted for a homebirth due to financial reasons or because you didn't get informed consent for a previous birth, let us know. Share your story. Project Homebirth.

One Voice Becomes Many

You may not think that your story matters. You're just one person. Your opinion is only one opinion. But that is not true.

Think of a choir. Each part, whether it is soprano, alto, tenor or bass is a blending of voices. Yet, without those individual voices, there is no blending.

Your voice counts. We want to help you to be heard. Why did you choose homebirth? What was it like? Did you have trouble with family and friends when you told them you wanted to have your baby at home? Did it make a difference in your babymoon? How did your older children react to the new baby? Were they present for the birth?

There are so many things you can share! Please don't be shy... send us a video clip, an audio clip or a written account of anything you want to share. It only has to be a few sentences... let your voice be heard.

Project Homebirth Update

Just posting a little update on the project...

We are working on the outline for the film. If you want to be a part of it, please contact us! We will send you submission guidelines.

If you want to share a written account about how homebirth has affected you and your family, please check out the submission form on the bottom of the page located at http://organic-birth.com/project_homebirth.html. Some written material will be used in the film and the rest will be published in the companion book for Project Homebirth. We believe everyone's voice should be heard.

With only 1-2% of American births occurring at home, every voice is important. This is an option that should be accessible to anyone, not just a few. Join the movement.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! As the year has turned once again to this sunny day in May, I want to thank all the mothers out there. You know who you are. Those unafraid of wiping snotty noses, changing diapers that could double as nuclear waste, and will hold a sick, feverish child close for hours to make them feel better.

We mothers come in all shapes and sizes; from all walks of life. Some of us work outside the home; some work within it; and others spend all their waking hours chasing children and cleaning up after them. Some of us have older children who attend twenty activities a day. Some of us have grown children with babies of their own. Some of us are still awaiting that miraculous change, when that big baby bump transforms magically into a baby in our arms... and the transformation takes a lot of work on our part.

So have a wondrous, marvelous day... take a few moments to look upon your children and marvel at their existence. They have helped make you who you are today. Happy Mother's Day!

Take a few moments to think about what you may want to share with Project Homebirth. We are so excited to hear from all of you!

International Day of the Midwife

Today, May 5, is the International Day of the Midwife.

As we honor those who have the calling to help us bring our babies into this world, I want to take a moment and reflect on what they truly do for us.

I have worked with many midwives during my pregnancies. I am honored to know many more that I won't be lucky enough to have as my personal midwife. All of these ladies are very special.

As they run out into the night at a moment's notice to attend a birth, they must make the difficult decision to leave their families. Maybe they have small children of their own, or possibly there was a family celebration planned. They make the sacrifice to set this all aside to ensure that another baby is brought into the world in the gentlest manner possible.

I have studied midwifery myself for a long time. There is a lot to learn. Midwives must learn about everything that can go wrong so they know that what is happening is right. Those who are truly at peace with their calling can attend a birth and know when to sit on their hands and just let things unfold. It is difficult for many to just sit and not do anything, but this skill is invaluable.

At this point I don't know if I will ever be one of these special women... but I certainly know that I will do all that I can to support them and keep them available for birthing women everywhere.

Project Homebirth will show some of these wonderful midwives and you'll be able to hear their voices speak the truth about homebirth.

Join the project.

What This Project Means

Project Homebirth is near and dear to our hearts. Our first homebirth took place in 1999 with our fifth child. Our home burned down in the middle of the pregnancy. Luckily, we all got out safe and sound. Our home, however, was a loss. We moved into an apartment while our house was rebuilt.

Looking forward to our homebirth kept us focused on the future. The other children were involved at all the prenatals, and our youngest at the time (almost 2) loved to try out the midwife's fetoscope.

When our fifth child was born (a girl!) into her daddy's waiting arms, it seemed like we had managed to overcome the adversity the fire had sent our way. It was a magical event that brought us all closer together.

We want to share this feeling with the world. We know that other families have felt the same way about homebirth. To counteract the atmosphere of fear that the media and the medical community insist on spreading about homebirth, we want to make Project Homebirth a true labor of love.

Please consider participating and sharing your story.