| Letter from Leslie |
| Birth Announcements |
| What's New |
| Birth Story |
| Yoga Practice Tip |
| Postnatal/Prenatal Article |
| Nutrition Tip |
| Resources |
| Shop OmMama |
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When autumn approaches I am always grateful for the bittersweet tang of emotion that touches me as the fullness of summer begins to fade to the spareness of winter. The weather is lovely and fall colors are beginning to sparkle. It’s a gift to be alive and able to sense these wondrous changes.
Change is all about for OmMama too. October will see the start of new Itsy Bitsy Yoga® series for Infants, Tots and Tykes, as well as a new group for new mamas and their babies.
And we are extremely pleased to announce the birth of a new program – Expecting the Best – an evidence-based childbirth education program that starts in November. We’ve been working hard over the summer to pull together a program that we believe fills a void in the Richmond birthing community. Please see below for more details.
I am also very excited to spread the word about the Birth Survey, an ambitious nation-wide project whose goal is to create more transparency in US maternity health care. This is an especially important topic for me, as I believe that all women should have open access to information about their healthcare providers and institutions, in order to be able to make informed choices with regard to their care. Studies have indicated that transparency in action encourages healthcare providers to improve their services by providing them with the information and feedback they need to make improvements. So please read the article below, and if you’ve given birth within the last three years, consider taking the survey. Your participation will help the next woman coming down the childbirth path to have more information as she’s making her choices with regard to care.
As always, it is a privilege to be a part of your lives. I wish you all a beautiful, active, and happy autumn.
Namaste,
Leslie
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Birth Announcements
Congratulations to:
- Aimee P and daughter Amelia Cate, born July 22, 2008
- Leslie W and daughter Maia Grace, born August 11, 2008
- Meredith K and daughter Mary Katharine, born September 4, 2008
- Michelle H and son Logan Thomas, born September 7, 2008
- Melissa M and daughter Arwen Jane, born September 21, 2008
- Marcie B and son Spencer, born October 1, 2008
Submit your birth announcements and stories on ommama.com!
What's New
- Conscious Birthing Workshops Nov 2, and Dec 7th
This fun and informative afternoon provides couples with an array of tools to help you experience a safe and satisfying birth experience. No prior yoga experience necessary. For women and partners in their 3rd trimester. Pre-registration required. $85 per couple. Listed under “Workshops and Events” on our on-line scheduler. - Itsy Bitsy Yoga Series start the week of October 20th. Classes are available for:
- Infants (3 weeks – pre-crawling)
- Tots (actively crawling – 24 months)
- Tykes (21 months – 4 years)
Pre-registration is required and classes are filling fast: call now to register or register on-line (listed under the “Series Classes” tab of our on-line scheduler). $75 per 5-week session.
- Navigating the Fourth Trimester: New Mom and Baby Group starts October 28 for moms with babies under 14 weeks at the start of the group. Pre-registration required. $85 per 6-week session.
- NEW!! Childbirth Education Class: Expecting the Best
Be a part of a new birth education movement in Richmond. OmMama is debuting a new childbirth education class – Expecting the Best - for women and their partners seeking a unique and rewarding birth experience. Designed with input from health care providers, birth attendants and consumers, this six-week highly participatory program provides intensive preparation for pregnant women and their partners who anticipate a low intervention birth. Join us as we:- Learn breathing and relaxation techniques designed to decrease fear and increase comfort in labor.
- Make sense of possible medical interventions that could affect your delivery and learn a process for informed decision-making.
- Explore the specific roles partners play in labor.
- Increase confidence in your body’s ability to give birth.
- Experience a “Mock Labor”
- Celebrate and embrace the joys of pregnancy and birth.
Instructor, Maura Varley-Twyman is an experienced childbirth educator, birth doula and proud mother of four beautiful children.
This first series is discounted at $50 off the regular fee of $149 in return participation in an on-line evaluation process at the end of the six-week series. The $99 fee covers registration for the expectant mother and her partner or support person. Pre-registration required. Please call 804-612-6366 or visit our website to register.
Birth Story
Arwen Jane
Arwen Jane arrived this past Sunday, September 21 (which was International Day of Peace) at 6:45 a.m. Although I was getting pretty uncomfortable being pregnant (the last week was a struggle) and even though I was a few days past my due date (the 18th), I was in denial that I was really in labor Saturday night . . .
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Sit with your right leg toward the back of a chair, your feet hip distance apart, your feet planted firmly on the floor, your hands resting on your thighs. A brick between your thighs can be helpful to maintain correct alignment. If your feet don’t reach the floor, you can place a folded blanket beneath your feet for added height, as shown. Alternatively, if you are very tall, place a folded blanket on the seat chair. Press your sitbones down as you lengthen up through the spine. 
On an inhalation, unwind slowly back to your starting point. Pause for a moment, inflating both sides of your lungs evenly. Prenatal/Postnatal Article
The Birth Survey: Promoting Transparency in Maternity Care
Ever wanted to know what your doctor’s Cesarean-section rate was but felt too self-conscious to ask? Or have you asked and received a response such as “I only do them when absolutely necessary,” and walked away feeling that you didn’t get a clear answer to your question?
For years, consumers have enthusiastically shared online reviews of movies, restaurants, products and services, but readily available information about maternity care providers and birth settings were nearly unattainable. No longer. Now a national organization, the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), has developed an on-line tool to help women and families access the information they need to make informed choices about their maternity care needs. Their goal is to ensure public access to quality of care information specifically related to maternity care providers and institutions.
Like a “Consumer Reports” for Birth
As part of the Transparency in Maternity Care Project, CIMS developed The Birth Survey as an online resource for new mothers to share their consumer reviews of doctors, midwives, hospitals, and birth centers, learn about the choices and birth experiences of others, and view data on hospital and birth center standard practices and intervention rates. The Birth Survey is now available throughout the United States via the web.
Women who have given birth within the past three years can take the anonymous online consumer feedback survey. The survey asks mothers a variety of questions about their satisfaction with their maternity care providers and birth setting, and includes their feedback in the results, allowing other women to benefit from their experiences. The survey takes approximately twenty to thirty minutes to complete. You do not have to complete the survey in one session.
In addition to the consumer data, the website will soon list obstetrical intervention data for each hospital as provided by state Departments of Health. The Birth Survey is designed to help women find quality providers and birth settings that are the best match for their needs and lifestyles. Providers and facilities will also be able to utilize The Birth Survey as a consumer feedback and quality improvement tool.
Why is Transparency Important?
In the US, it is nearly impossible to access information about the quality of an individual health care provider or institution. The 2001 Institute of Medicine report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, underscores transparency as one of ten key steps necessary to overall health care system improvement. As national quality improvement initiatives continue to grow, maternity care must be included in this movement. The US spends more on maternity services than any other country in the world, yet we have the highest rates of infant death of all developed nations. The US also has one of the lowest vaginal birth rates in the world even though cesarean section carries greater risks to mother and baby.
Despite emphasis on evidence-based medicine, cost-containment, and patient safety, the overuse of medical technology continues to rise without concomitant improvements in maternal or infant outcomes. Indeed, studies show that the inappropriate imposition of procedures, drugs, tests, and restrictions increase maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Although institutes, universities, and foundations are engaging in research or developing projects to increase health care transparency, currently, no significant consumer-led national effort is underway to share health care or maternity care information. A mechanism to share, systematically track, and retrieve up-to-date information about the quality of care received would equip consumers with the information necessary to make informed decisions and enable individuals to play a larger role in determining their care.
Have You Given Birth in the Last Three Years?
If so, take The Birth Survey and provide feedback on your doctor, midwife, birth center or hospital at www.TheBirthSurvey.com. Your input will assist other women in making informed choices about their maternity care.
Preliminary results from consumer and state-level sources will be available to the public starting late October 2008, with more detailed information following in 2009.
Help Spread the Word About The Birth Survey!
Forward this e-mail and download buttons, banners, and promo cards at www.thebirthsurvey.com.
Are you interested in helping to get the word out about The Birth Survey in your community or working to obtain official facility level intervention rates? To get involved, e-mail
info@thebirthsurvey.com.
Support this non-profit project by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) by donating or becoming a member at http://www.motherfriendly.org/online_contribution.php and sign up for e-cims newsletter at http://www.motherfriendly.org/e-cims.php
For more information visit www.thebirthsurvey.com or email info@thebirthsurvey.com.
This article was adapted from information provided on The Birth Survey website.
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Prenatal & Postnatal Resources
Check out the new Pregnancy Connection Directory for local maternity care and service providers. It’s growing all the time.