Guatemala Update
You are awesome and your work is wonderful. I really enjoy the
personal sharing and spiritual focus...beautiful!
Keep up all your good work.........we all (midwives, women) need this
so!

We continue to work here in Guatemala empowering traditional
midwives. Visit our web page when you have time. Midwives for
Midwives and Women's Health International (MFM) is designing a
healing workshop for burned out midwives or simply midwives who want
to work with the elements (earth air fire and water) and spend a week
with us in Antigua Guatemala next summer doing healing, personal
growth work as it relates to who we are as midwives. I will let you
know more as it develops.

Thanks for being who you are and for doing what you do
With respect
in sisterhood
Jenna Houston, CNM
Director of Midwives for Midwives & Women's Health International
www.midwivesformidwives.org

Babycatcher
I am a California (Berkeley) CNM and I have written BABY CATCHER:
Chronicles of a Modern Midwife, a memoir that Scribner is publishing.
It concerns 15 years of home births and hospital births, a lawsuit
and its fallout, etc.
The book can at last be ordered, and by mid April, it will be in
bookstores everywhere. Rosie Magazine is printing an excerpt in their
May issue, and two book clubs (Literary Guild and Doubleday) have
chosen BABY CATCHER as an alternate
selection.
To read the first chapter, open the website www.babycatcher.net and
click on Excerpt. Then sign my Guestbook, if you like.
I'll soon begin a national book tour. Keep track of the scheduled
appearances under Latest News on my website. Please pass this
information on to everyone in your email address book. Marketing only
to midwives and their clients is like preaching to the choir; to have
an impact, my book must reach the mainstream reading audience, so
please help spread the word.
Thanks...
Keep catching those babies, in the name of midwifery!
Peggy Vincent, CNM
www.babycatcher.net

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
BABY CATCHER: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife, Peggy's memoir, can now
be pre-ordered, with availability estimated in early April. To buy
the book: http://www.babycatcher.net/buybook.html Support your local
bookstores!
'Midwives help people out.'

Baby Sleep Articles
Since you are a professional who works with parents of babies I would
like to offer you a set of 4 newsletters based on information from my
new book: The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby
Sleep Through the Night (Foreword by Dr. William Sears) I have
provided links and information below.
If you would like a set of these one-page reproducible articles,
please let me know. I will be happy to send you a set (free for a
limited time!). You may use these as handouts in your work, print
them in your newsletter, or use them on your website. Please let me
know if you would like Microsoft word text files by email, or
formatted "newsletter" style reproducible copies by post mail, and
include your address for these. The topics included in this set are:
Newborn Babies and Sleep
What is Preventing Your Baby from Sleeping through the Night?
Regular Naps Improve Nighttime Sleep
Early Bedtime Means Better Baby Sleep

If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to email me.
Thank you!
Elizabeth Pantley
http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth

The Proactive Pregnancy: Defeating Cesarean Prenatally
May 9-11, 2003
Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort
St. Petersburg, Florida
The birth we desire is not an accident. It is the result of planning
and action to defeat cesarean birth before it grips us. This
conference will help mothers and all childbirth professionals lead
and not follow. Act instead of react. Offense before defense. Join us
in the beauty of the Florida Gulf as the International Cesarean
Awareness Network and keynote speakers Gail Sforza Krebs, author of
The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline, and Pauline Scott, author of Optimal
Foetal Positioning, forge new trails in the prevention of cesarean
section. From the United States to New Zealand, from Ontario to
Florida, be ready to Take Action! Contact Birthdance@... for more
info.

Empower! Women as Leaders EMPOWER SEEKING ARTICLES:
Empower is currently seeking articles on midwifery, general women's
health, and abuse prevention for our upcoming print issues.  We rely
on contributions from our readers to keep our subject matter fresh
and current.  We also need articles on women who empower (reach out
to help) other women and families. This is a great way for women to
get the recognition they deserve!  Please share your expertise and
experiences with our readers.  We cannot pay for articles - but the
real pay off comes in reaching out to others and sharing our
knowledge!  Please contact cathycnm@... Thanks!


**** This a Great Monthly Newsletter for Women and those who wish to
Empower them!

Association of Nurse Advocates for Childbirth Solutions Call for
Articles
http://www.anacs.org

ANACS is asking for articles, editorials, comments for our
website. If you feel strongly about some practice issue,
legislative concern, maternity practice, or any topic
related to maternity services please feel free and submit an
article. All we ask is that you provide references if you
quote them and keep your formatting to a minimum so that
translation to HTML is expedited. You may post anonymously
or take credit for your work or opinion.  ANACS is all about
stimulating lively discussion and talking about what is
going on in your area of expertise or in your facility.
Share your family centered care success stories and vent
your frustrations.  Develop ANACS into your sounding board!

Join Postpartum Doula Certification Program!
From: "Birth Works Publisher" <enews@...>

   Birth Works , Inc. is pleased to announce our calendar of
postpartum doula training workshops for 2002. The program,
now in its second year, provides certification opportunities
for women seeking professionalization of postpartum doula
care. Our program is based on research and on the extensive
experience of the founders and others involved who believe
in the value of postpartum doula work.

For more information about Birth Works postpartum doula
certification program, including philosophy and
certification requirements, please see our website at
http://www.birthworks.org/ppdcert.html .

For more information about the workshops, visit
http://www.seventhmoon.net.

**** I support this organization for there willingness to accept
males into the field and the certification requirements do not
prevent many who can and would be good Doulas from being certified as
DONA has in the past with time constraints and other things. If you
want to be certified this is a good place to start. They offer
certification for Birth Doulas also besides the post partum program.

ATTENTION MDs and CNMwives (and direct-entry midwives):
Mother's Position During Delivery
From: "Todd Gastaldo" <tgastaldo@...>

WARNING: If you must pull on babies' heads - and sometimes
you must - FIRST get women off their butts/backs - off their
sacra. ALSO: Don't force uteri to PUSH with birth canals
closed up to 30%; that is, keep women OFF their butts/backs
as the baby passes through the pelvic outlet. Key points to
remember: "Proper" McRoberts maneuver - usually used when
the shoulders get stuck - does help the woman push harder -
but keeps the woman on her sacrum and therefore KEEPS the
birth canal up closed up to 30%! Better to do IMPROPER
McRoberts maneuver. Also, Mauriceau maneuver for breech
births does the same thing - closes the birth canal up to
30%! The grisly biomechanics are SIMPLE and have been
published in the medical literature for years.

For details, contact Todd D. Gastaldo, DC
todd@...


Also check these items (the urls will wrap so you might need
to copy and past the entire thing into your browser.)

UK Nat'l Childbirth Trust v. American Public Health
Association (Which will help babies first?)
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&selm=UKM88.20703%243E5.1677574%
40newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net


IMPROPER McRoberts can save tiny lives and tiny limbs...
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&selm=cF1D7.6647%24I4.586569%
40newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net

Risks of Soy Assessed
From: "Valerie & Richard James" <divulge@...>

The British government's Committee on Toxicity in Food and
the Environment
(C o T) has assessed the risks to consumers of the
phytoestrogens (isoflavones) in soy foods and other
products, especially the risks to infants of hormonal
disruption from consumption of soy infant formulas,

You can see their findings here
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/webpage/
phytoreportworddocs

We draw your attention in particular to the chapters on
fertility and reproduction, and on thyroid function.

You will find more on these topics at
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz

Having this information, who would knowingly feed their
child soy... or themselves, for that matter?  Yet,
incredibly, this Committee has not suggested that consumers be told
of this. All it does is conclude that doctors only
prescribe soy formulas "when clinically indicated" (whatever
that means).

It does not even suggest that doctors tell their patients
what risks there may be, or that these risks should be
matters of "informed consent". How many mothers would submit to
exposing their baby, if they knew the full extent of risk to their
child's future?


The "Precautionary Principle" would indicate, from the
material offered by the CoT Committee, that isoflavones
should be removed from soy protein

The Fourth World Congress On
CONTROVERSIES IN OBSTETRICS GYNECOLOGY & INFERTILITY
Hotel Inter-Continental
Berlin, Germany, April 24-27, 2003
Deadline for submission of abstracts: February 15, 2003

For further information and continuous information please visit our
website at:
https://commerce.obgyn.net/cogi2003/
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
We are pleased to invite you to the 4th World Congress on
Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility - COGI, which
will take place in Berlin, Germany, from April 24-27, 2003.
Over the years, the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology has witnessed
enormous expansion in clinical and basic data as well as tremendous
growth in field-related technology. This growth has also created a
greater need to debate the many controversial issues that have
subsequently arisen. The aim of this congress is to bridge the gap
between expansion of information in our field and its consolidation
into clinical practice.
COGI was launched 4 years ago and immediately became known as a
unique meeting in which physician and researchers from all fields of
OB/GYN discuss the most burning issues from all the subspecialties
under the same roof.
This year we plan to add a special section of Controversies in
Neonatology coordinated by prominent physicians and researchers in
this field. This promises to attract neonatologists and expand the
debate into postnatal period.
As evident from the program, the Congress has been designed to
provide an effective forum for discussing and debating these
unresolved controversies, by allowing leading speakers ample time to
present Pros and Cons. In the time remaining, participants will have
the opportunity to interactively suggest and propose their thoughts
on the discussion.
The Congress' goal is to reach actual and agreed upon answers to some
of these controversies, through evidence-based medicine.
A scientific Congress is only as good as its participants. Organizers
and hosts simply provide a framework, which should create an
interesting and appealing ambiance. Only with your help can this
Congress succeed. We anticipate stimulating lectures and exciting
discussions.
We look forward to seeing treasured friends and to making new ones
next year in Berlin.
Please visit our website for constant updates and information on past
and future congresses: https://commerce.obgyn.net/cogi2003/
Yours sincerely,

Congress Chairpersons
Z. Ben Rafael
K. Diedrich
J-W. Dudenhausen
L. Mettler
H.P.G. Schneider
Z. Shoham

From: Gloria Lemay <gloria_lemay@...>

Advanced Online Doula
Training at BirthLove.com:

The schedule of modules is:
Dec--Nutrition for Excellence
Jan 2003--Induction Epidemic
Feb--Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
Mar--Medical Terminology
Apr--Water birth, Lotus Birth
May--Pediatric Exam of the Newborn
June--Prenatal Diagnostic Tests, Genetics
July--Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Aug--Gestational Diabetes
Sept--Business, Promotion, Professionalism
Oct--Well Woman Check up

Gloria Lemay
http://www.birthlove.com/glo_doula.html

Leilah McCracken
http://www.birthlove.com

** I am wondering if this program is appropriate for Doulas as we are
not medical personnel and should not give medical advice. I say this
since I have seen the current module information about herbal
supplements and other (treatments) to reduce or prevent herpes out
break during pregnancy/labor. It suggests we as Doulas educate our
clients about these methods but it is a gray area of the law/medicine
where education becomes providing treatment and not suggestions for
options. I feel if we truly want our status as Doulas to be
recognized we need to remain in that capacity/role!

Leave those herbal remedies and treatment options to the Midwifes and
Physicians, we are talking about a medical condition that needs to be
managed medically, we can as Doulas keep abreast of the options but
when we actually prescribe to our clients one of these remedies we
have crossed the line as an advocate/educator to a medical
practioner. Looking at other modules in this program, I am wondering
when a Doula will actually do a Pediatric Exam of the Newborn or a
Well Woman Check up? It seems that we are assuming roles outside our
realm, if a Doula takes this course and then provides these services
beyond educating about what these modules teach us as a Doula. It is
risky both legally and to our clients, to think that with a single
course we have become prepared to offer medical advice and/or
treatments to our clients.

This is taken directly from their advertisement for this course; "The
subject for November is Herpes Simplex II. If you had a
client who told you that she is free of herpes simplex II
and her husband has frequent outbreaks, what would your
advice be? What supplements, natural remedies, and course of
action would protect her baby? What danger could befall her
baby? What will her medical people be watching for?"

I see the words of "course of action" as a way to say TREATMENT and
as Doulas we don not provide medical treatments! It is not within our
scope of practice to prescribe an herbal remedy or a treatment. Even
as a Nurse, I cannot do that! I can design a Plan of care but it has
to be approved by a physician! Its called practicing medicine without
a license at best and at worst negligence both of which we can be
criminally and civilly liable for if by fate a complication arises
and results in morbidity or mortality. CYA (cover your assets), that
is what I was taught and practice as a Nurse and as a Doula.

**** I wrote this for an other list I am on I hope that no one takes
offense to my posting it here it is a little off topic. But I also
hope that the women on this list will reply to what I have written
too! :)

Some of the comments are not directed towards those on this list whom
I think are more enlightened,:)
My Revelation
By Jami Ullman, LPN, CHIV/AIDS Educator, Doula

I have been a practicing Humanist for many years recently I realized
many insights of a sexual nature about myself. For many years now I
have been a practicing Nurse and have an intense passion for Women's
Health and childbirth specifically. I have been very unsuccessful at
breaking the bearers to males in this area of nursing. Nevertheless,
with a need to work in this area I have broken the bearers in some
ways through the gender non-specific Internet. I have an online Doula
business and am a member of many e groups, list serves and part of
the administration of the Associations of Nurse Advocates for
Childbirth Solutions (ANACS) a professional association for
Childbirth professionals. In recent times I had a revelation about
males in this area not just Nurses.

It seems to me that the major opposition to a male nurse caring for a
laboring woman is not from the client but her partner. I have read on
some of the list serves I am on that many of the spouses or male
partners would prefer a female lesbian provider compared to a male
homosexual provider. The thought as to why this is has intrigued me
as both a male and a person who desires to work in this area of
healthcare as a career beyond this passion that allows me to work
outside the birthing room.

I pondered this while looking into myself for some of the answers. I
too would prefer a female lesbian provider for my spouse of 21 years!
I thought about that and it occurred to me this is not an issue of
gender or sexual preferences but an issue of sexual excitement. Many
males have a fantasy of lesbian lovers and it is appreciated and
condoned, where as these same males (myself included) are completely
turned off by the thought of two males having sex or at least refuse
to admit these desires. To them and myself, the thought of a Female
lesbian OB doing an GYN exam is sexual and not clinical. It is not
that the male Homosexual is less competent or clinical in his duties,
it is that he is not cut right! They would prefer their female
partner seek a female OB even if she is a lesbian, second to a
Homosexual male OB! It is all sexual in nature whether they accept it
or rationalize it in other ways.

You may ask how do I know this? I looked at myself, I was willing to
deny the fact that looking at a female's body for me was purely
clinical and that my sexual preferences were left at the door when I
reported to work. This would be like amputating my penis at the door,
impossible it is attached and part of my even if I deny its
existence. ! Do I get sexual urges while providing care? NO I have
been able to squash any personal feelings while providing care, it is
a state of mind and part of my professionalism and ethics I adhere
too. Now outside of clinical situations I am a man and do have those
urges and desires! Does this seem like I am lying to myself? I admire
the female form and the special abilities GOD has given women to bear
and nurse children! Do I see them as sexual beings, YES just as I see
all beings as sexual beings it is a fact of life and holistic as we
are more than just biology.

For many years I would tell people that the breast are intended for
one purpose to nurse a suckling baby to provide nutrition. It is a
lie, I was lying to myself as well as those I have counseled. They
are beautiful and have that innate ability as well as beauty of the
form and curves. I can no longer deny these facts! On a personal
note, I was not breast-fed and feel that I missed a crucial and
critical moment in my life to bond with my mother, I do not know if
this is relevant but it is true. My mother and I have not spoken to
each other in ove 10 years. I also know that in our biology, we have
hormones that are released during suckling to the breast and it is a
natural reaction to the stimulus. During the stimulus of suckling a
hormone is released called Oxytocin, the same hormone that contracts
the uterus after childbirth. An other hormone is also released as a
result of the stimuli of suckling, called prolactin following
childbirth for the "let down" effect at the first feeding following
the birth of the baby. The point of this discussion here about
suckling is that after the time a woman breast feeds the hormone
Oxytocin is still released and during sexual intercourse when the
breast are stimulated, this same hormone has been known to cause an
spasms in the uterine walls and an orgasm in a woman without any
perineum or vaginal stimulation.

Why did I mention this here? Because it's a matter of a state of mind
just as the mother while breast feeding usually does not have an
orgasm, so can a male in a clinical situation curb his normal
response to this sexual stimuli, specifically the female form which I
personally find to be perfect and very sexually attractive! I will
say it was not something I was born with. This skill, is one I had to
hone early in my career. My first female client of childbearing age,
whom I gave a bath was a challenge to curb my natural response to
this stimuli, I had an erection that I had to think away. Once I did
this with success and learned it was a possibility I became that much
a better nurse and care giver! This was back in Nursing School!

Then there are those clients who must be apparent exhibitionist. A
particular client and event comes to mind, that occurred over five
years ago. I had a client in a physician's office that needed a
physical therapy treatment on her lower back in the sacral area, she
was a regular client who I had preformed this treatment on several
times before this. I provided her with towels and a gown, as I always
do and started to leave the room for her privacy. She responded with
wait! She proceeded to remove all her clothing down to her panties.
She took off her bra and I was surely puzzled by this action, as this
is not the area of her body I was working on.

Ouch, that was a moment much later than when I was in school giving
that bath to a client. I had no sexual reaction. I tried to hide my
shock and bewilderment for the sake of the client and so as not to
embarrass her. I think it bewildered her too! As she said something a
few minutes later to the effect of please do not think I take off my
clothes all the time like this, I just wanted this to be quick. Hum,
in my mind, I was shocked at this client's inappropriate behavior,
yes I said her inappropriate behavior. She was a woman who was very
attractive beyond average and of high social status. I often wonder
when I think back to this event, what she was thinking when she did
that?

All I know is what I was thinking. I was not thinking how beautiful
her body is but how inappropriate of her to strip in front of me. I
have come a long way (no pun intended). I told my life partner and
wife about this incident, she was not threatened by what happened and
knows I have truly made a stride for males in my field without
denying my maleness and that this career choice is not a sexual. I
have written this in hopes that many will look at their motives for
saying negative comments about male providers of care on this list,
and look inward where these biases start!


Peace,
Have a Blessed Day,
Jami Ullman, LPN, CHIV/AIDS Community Instructor, Doula

Please visit my club for Doulas and Midwives at
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/columbusmidwifesanddoulas

and my web site at:
http://www.geocities.com/4birthing/crowning.html

I also invite you to join a Nursing Association devoted to improving
the childbirth experience:
http://www.ANACS.org

Are you entering into the next stage of life?
LEARN ABOUT: THE 35 POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF
PERI-MENOPAUSE

1. Hot flashes, night sweats, and/or cold flashes,
clammy feeling
2. Bouts of rapid heart beat
3. Irritability
4. Mood swings, sudden tears
5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without
night sweats)
6. Irregular periods: Shorter, lighter periods;
Heavier periods, flooding; Phantom periods, shorter
cycles, longer cycles
7. Loss of libido
8. Vaginal dryness and a general drying out that can
include eyes, mouth, joints and skin
9. Crashing fatigue
10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease
11. Feeling of dread, apprehension, doom
12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental
confusion; Commonly known as "Brain Fog"
13. Disturbing memory lapses
14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing,
urge incontinence
15. Itchy, crawly skin
16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons
17. Increased tension in muscles
18. Breast tenderness
19. Headache: increase or decrease
20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, gas pain,
nausea
21. Sudden bouts of bloating
22. Depression
23. Exacerbation of existing conditions
24. Increase in allergies
25. Weight gain
26. Hair loss or thinning, head, or whole body,
increase in facial hair
27. Dizziness, light-headedness, loss of balance
28. Changes in body odor
29. Electric shock sensation under the skin and/or in
the head
30. Tingling in the extremities
31. Gum programs, increased bleeding
32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste
in mouth, dry mouth, change in breath odor
33. Osteoporosis (after several years)
34. Changes in fingernails
35. Tinnitus

More Information at:
http://www.meno-queen.com

When he reads my morning pages his heart stands still.  - ... Cliff
said. I sweated like crazy, it felt I had a fever at some point. He
knows I'm back in peri-menopuse, I'm in denial. Sigh. He's ...
http://www.angelfire.com/stars3/lovemoon/PsychiatristWoohaha.html

Perimenopause Facts and Products  -  Are you experiencing hot
flashes, night sweats, anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia,
headaches, palpitations and irregular menses. Find out more about
Perimenopause.
www.nwd42.com

Perimenopause Home Test - FDA Approved  -  The revival menopause home
test is a new urine test that allows you to measure your FSH levels
in the convenience and privacy of your home.
www.menopause-tests.com

OBGYN.net - OBGYN.net Menopause & Perimenopause  - Physician reviewed
site offering medical professionals and women, the latest news and
information on menopause and perimenopause. ... MENOPAUSE &
PERIMENOPAUSE, ...
http://www.obgyn.net/meno/meno.asp

WebMD - Perimenopause  - ... Perimenopause Perimenopause occurs
during the ... diminished libido. Conditions and Symptoms That Mimic
Menopause and Perimenopause. Some symptoms ...
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1687.50033

Perimenopause information at iVillage.com  - ... perimenopause, Click
Here! Click Here! Click Here! Bed and Bath Clairol eDiets Match.com
Relaxation, ... , Osteoporosis. •, Perimenopause. •, Sex.
Pregnancy. ...
http://www.ivillage.com/topics/health/0,10707,166057,00.html

Menopause Perimenopause symptoms traditional alternative ...  - Learn
about the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause, as well as
treatments for menopause including natural and traditional hormone
replacement therapy (HRT ...
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/menopause/

MenopauseRx  - features information on perimenopause and menopause,
and sells herbs and natural supplements, PMS products, and vitamins
and minerals.
http://www.menopauserx.com/

A BIRTH-CONTROL PILL FOR MEN?
Researchers have closed in on an oral drug men can take that may
prevent pregnancy. Tested so far in rats, the medication is currently
used to treat a genetic disorder called Gaucher's disease. It
probably causes infertility by interfering with the formation of
sphingolipids, which are necessary to produce healthy sperm. But the
effect vanishes within a month of stopping the drug. Side effects are
said to be mild and temporary. Human trials of the drug are on the
way.
Source: "Drug Shows Promise As Male Birth Control Pill" [
http://www.reutershealth.com ], Reuters Health,  December 9, 2002

Cord Blood Clamping


"We have a serious situation of medical persons using or
advocating drugs during labor, rather then encouraging the
mother to birth her child in warm water, and that position
of birth are also important. If the mother is tired and
exhausted, she should be encouraged to birth on her side,
never semi-sitting or flat on her back; gravity positions
are strongly recommended, stride positions, standing, on all
fours, however, the mother feels, intuitively is right for
her baby. All this to be followed with full delayed clamping
of the cord. Ideally, this is waiting for the placenta to be
expelled and all pulsation in the cord ceased. Evidence is
that the cord may pulsation for 20-minutes. What is the rush to
stop it sooner?

The cord should be white/silver, limp and not pulsation.
Ideally, the mother will see the benefit of no clamping or
cutting because there is a risk of Super bug or any blood
disease getting in a clamped and cut cord. Leaving the
infant a "sealed" unit is what the Pioneers practiced prior
to 1923.

The Vancouver Children's Hospital, now has this Superbug, in
their maternity wards. The only hope they may have to stop
the spread of the bug to infants is if they, too, stop
immediate cord clamping and cutting, and leave the cord
unclamped and the baby goes home with mother, as a sealed
unit. Mothers simply have to be re-educated on the merits of
the Lotus method. The cord will fall off in less time then
treating a clamped and cut cord that takes from 8-days to
two weeks to heal and fall off. The Lotus method takes only
2 or 3 days for the cord to seal off. Bonus for baby are no
cord infections and the infant has received all his/her cord
stem cell that otherwise, the Hospital would have taken for
research, with or without the parent's consent. That means
the DNA of both sides of the family is in the hands of
total strangers. Why risk such information to those you will
never meet and how the DNA stem cells may be used?"

These are web sites for more Information.  Some have a
variety of topics:
http://www.cordclamping.com
http://www.123-baby-birth.com
http://www.abham.com/currentevents

D. Young

Excerpt of: Hasty Umbilical Cord Clamping
From: "Donna Young" <dyoung@...>
http://www.abham.com/currentevents


And the  ONLINE BIRTH CENTER NEWS
****************************************
Issue 32.8, Nov. 19, 2002
A publication of the Online Birth Center
http://www.moonlily.com/obc/

*** More Information about the Lotus method
Views on Article - Premature Babies  - ... My research on the cord
cutting is that there is the lotus method, no cutting or clamping, at
all. And delayed, the babies cord pulses blood into its system ...
http://www.indiaparenting.com/articles/data/art06_003book.shtml

Delayed cord clamping  - ... This too, was the Pioneer method now
called the Lotus Method. ... of an infant, year 2000, just after
immediate cord clamping was directed on "all" babies by SOGC ...
http://www.fsneo.org/JourClub/3-019.htm

Lotus Birth  - ... Most babies born in the hospital have their cords
clamped and ... This second method was used at my first three ...
While reading about lotus birth, I learned that the ...
http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/debbiemom/lotusbirth.html

To Mother with Love: What's New  - ... to the Birth section, Is There
a "Method" for Achieving ... from my Birth and Cherishing Our Babies
pages. ... has helpful articles on unassisted and lotus birth, as ...
http://www.mama2mama.org/whatsnew.html

*** Information about Cord Blood Banking
Genes at Work - Cord Blood Banking  - ... Clearly, the timing of cord
clamping during delivery can significantly alter neonatal blood
volume and early clamping of the cord should not be done in order ...
http://www.umdnj.edu/genesatwork/topics/ob_gyn/03_ob_gyn.htm

Alpha Cord Umbilical Blood Bank Network  -  The nation's first
network of cord blood banks, Alpha Cord, Inc. offers you choices and
savings for umbilical cord blood storage.
www.alphacord.com

Cord Blood Registry - The Name to Trust  -  An experienced family
cord blood stem cell bank. Find out why doctors trust Cord Blood
Registry, the de facto standard and a pioneer in cord blood banking
research and development.
www.cordblood.com

Cord Blood Donor Foundation  - established to provide educational
awareness and to conduct further research in the use of cord blood
stem cells.
http://www.cordblooddonor.org/

Umbilical Cord Blood Bank  - public cord blood bank whose purpose is
to support bone marrow transplants by banking cord blood from a
variety of ethnic groups.
http://www.cordblood.med.ucla.edu/

Cord Blood Transplant Links from GrannyBarb and Art's Leukemia ...  -
GrannyBarb and Art's. Cord Blood Transplant Resources. Contents. ...
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants. Journal Articles. Outcomes among
562 ...
http://www.acor.org/diseases/hematology/Leukemia/cord.html

Touching More Lives: American Red Cross National Cord Blood ...  -
  ... blood banking program, similar in some respects to our blood
banking program, " said Heidi Patterson, the national director of the
Red Cross cord blood program ...
http://www.redcross.org/news/bm/cord/010209a.html

*** More Info and Policy Statements about Crd Clamping
The Neurological Damage Caused by Immediate Umbilical Cord ...  - ...
Immediate cord clamping is advocated by ACOG to obtain blood samples
for medico-legal documentation and to hasten transfer of some babies
to a resuscitation ...
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/1/prweb31880.php

Cord Blood Banking for Potential Future Transplantation:
Subject ...  - ... There may be a temptation to practice immediate
cord clamping aggressively to increase the volume of cord blood that
can be harvested for cord blood banking. ...
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9860.html

The Dangers of Early Clamping of the Umbilical Cord  - ... life in
the minutes following birth, and how early cord clamping disrupts
this process; many of the birth injuries caused by loss of blood
(hypovolemia) and ...
http://www.cordclamping.com/

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF DELEGATES (RTF)  - ... The use
of umbilical cord blood raises two main ethical problems. First, the
exact timing of the clamping has a significant impact on the
neonate. ...
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/upload/mm/16/a-02res504.doc


You may ask why I pose both a medical option of Cord Blood banking
and the Lotus Method togather on the same page? I think it is
possible to do both have delayied clamping and to bank the blood for
stem cells. It is my humble opinion, what do you think? Is it
medically viable to save the stem cells after waiting for the cord to
stop pulsing? Is the stem cells still there in what blood is left to
harvest?

The North American Invitational Summit: Bonding and
Attachment in the Family--Addressing the Root Causes of
Social Problems at the Earliest Stages of Life.


Special Summit on Bonding and Attachment in the Family
From: "John W. Travis, MD (Jack)" <jwtravis@...>
I have met Jack once at a seminar here in Columbus, Ohio approximately
5 years ago, he is a very good speaker and enlightened leader in the
field!
I am happy to be able to send you this announcement
for the North American Invitational Summit: Bonding and
Attachment in the Family--Addressing the Root Causes of
Social Problems at the Earliest Stages of Life.

Sponsored by the Alliance for Transforming the Lives of
Children and the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, along
with co-sponsors The Global Maternal/Child Health
Association, Mothering Magazine, The Natural Child Project,
and Touch the Future Foundation, this unprecedented
gathering will bring together leading-edge organizations and
individuals who are dedicated to strengthening the level of
bonding and attachment in families. The Summit will be held
on March 27-30, 2003, at La Casa de Maria Retreat Center,
http://www.lacasademaria.org/ll_architecture.html a
beautiful retreat facility overlooking Santa Barbara.
Details can be found at
http://atlc.org/Activities/summit1.php.

I sent this once and I am not sure it "went" so my
appologies if you are receving this twice.

I am new to the group and wanted to say hello and
introduce myself.

I am a male and I have been interested in midwfery for
some time. I played an active role in the births of
both of my children and my sister has invited me to
attend her homebirth, which should be sometime in
December.

As a males, I did not realize until recently that this
field may actually be open to me. For right now, I am
just reaserching the field and trying to get a feel
for what its like out there for a male midwife. I have
the full support of my family.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hi and I hope to get to
know some of you folks.

Kelly Harris


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your site
http://webhosting.yahoo.com

New Non-Surgical Sterilization Process

Women who do not want to give another thought to birth control now
have a new option besides going under the knife. Traditional
sterilization is now the most widely used form of birth control: 180
million women worldwide have undergone the procedure, which involves
cutting and tying the fallopian tubes to keep the eggs that are
released from the ovaries from reaching the uterus. Like any surgery,
it requires incisions (in the abdomen) and general anesthesia. The
new method does not, though it seems to block the fallopian tubes
just as effectively. A flexible, spring like device, called Essure,
is inserted through the vagina and the uterus and into each tube.
Over time, a mesh material embedded in the coils causes scar tissue
to grow around them, eventually plugging the tubes. This process can
take three months, during which women must use an alternative form of
contraception. Although the cost is the same (approximately $2,500),
the Essure method can be done in a doctor's office
.
Source: "FDA Approves Sterilization Method" [
http://www.usatoday.com ], USA Today, November 4, 2002

*** I wonder about the long-term effects of this. I would rationalize
that this procedure mimics (PCOS) Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome and
produces scar tissue, which I would think could lead to complications
like PID and other pain syndromes. I think it is every women's right
to choose when and if they get pregnant but I do not think this is
the method I would choose, to many risks that seem apparent to anyone
in the field, how did this get past the FDA? I also wonder how long
this method was studied and if any post mortem studies have been done
to see the long-term effects? I think it is an other silicone scandal
up and coming IMHO.

Interested in reading about other ways to prevent pregnancy? Get the
straight facts! I am going to attempt to up load a useful tool for
that purpose in our clubs files area.

Is your body ready to have a baby?
MOMMIES-TO-BE SHOULD GET IN THE EXERCISE GROOVE
Pregnant women used to be confined and coddled. Not anymore. Women
who are expecting can safely exercise and, as a result, see big
payoffs in the delivery room and later on. Fit women are better able
to cope with labor and may recover faster and more easily than those
who are not. What's more, there is evidence that staying fit during
pregnancy reduces the risk of a common pregnancy woe: gestational
diabetes. This has led the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists to recommend that pregnant women exercise most, if not
all, days of the week for 30 minutes. Still, pregnant women may need
to modify their workouts. For instance, instead of moving your arms
up and down during an aerobics workout, use your hands to hold your
belly. However, experts say some moms-to-be should sit it out,
including those carrying multiples and those with persistent
bleeding, placenta previa, a risk of premature labor, ruptured
membranes and preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension). Remember
to always get your doctor's approval before working out.
Source: "Latest Advice on Pregnancy: Keep on Kickin'" [
http://www.nytimes.com ], The New York Times, November 5, 2002

Considering having a little one of your own? Take this quiz [
http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/health/quiz/baby_ready.html ] to
find out whether your body is baby-ready.

MOTHERHOOD BOOSTS BRAINPOWER
Being a mother changes your shape and your sleep habits, but it may
also bestow a big health benefit. A recent study from the University
of Richmond found that mothers are smarter and less vulnerable to
Alzheimer's disease, thanks to protective reproductive hormones that
flood the brain during pregnancy. Researchers found that rats that
had raised two or more litters did significantly better in memory and
skill tests than rats that had no offspring. Moreover, rats with the
most pregnancies had lower levels of a protein called amyloid
precursor protein, which is linked with the development of
Alzheimer's in humans. Although the study involved rats, the authors
believe that the findings apply to humans as well. The reproductive
hormone estrogen, for instance, is known to protect the brain.
Source: "Motherhood Makes Women Smarter, Study Suggests" [
www.reutershealth.com ], Reuters Health, November 7, 2002

From: Gloria Lemay <gloria_lemay@...>

Advanced Online Doula
Training at BirthLove.com:

The schedule of modules is:
Dec--Nutrition for Excellence
Jan 2003--Induction Epidemic
Feb--Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
Mar--Medical Terminology
Apr--Water birth, Lotus Birth
May--Pediatric Exam of the Newborn
June--Prenatal Diagnostic Tests, Genetics
July--Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Aug--Gestational Diabetes
Sept--Business, Promotion, Professionalism
Oct--Well Woman Check up

Gloria Lemay
http://www.birthlove.com/glo_doula.html

Leilah McCracken
http://www.birthlove.com

** I am wondering if this program is appropriate for Doulas as we are
not medical personnel and should not give medical advice. I say this
since I have seen the current module information about herbal
supplements and other (treatments) to reduce or prevent herpes out
break during pregnancy/labor. It suggests we as Doulas educate our
clients about these methods but it is a gray area of the law/medicine
where education becomes providing treatment and not suggestions for
options. I feel if we truly want our status as Doulas to be
recognized we need to remain in that capacity/role!

Leave those herbal remedies and treatment options to the Midwifes and
Physicians, we are talking about a medical condition that needs to be
managed medically, we can as Doulas keep abreast of the options but
when we actually prescribe to our clients one of these remedies we
have crossed the line as an advocate/educator to a medical
practioner. Looking at other modules in this program, I am wondering
when a Doula will actually do a Pediatric Exam of the Newborn or a
Well Woman Check up? It seems that we are assuming roles outside our
realm, if a Doula takes this course and then provides these services
beyond educating about what these modules teach us as a Doula. It is
risky both legally and to our clients, to think that with a single
course we have become prepared to offer medical advice and/or
treatments to our clients.

This is taken directly from their advertisement for this course; "The
subject for November is Herpes Simplex II. If you had a
client who told you that she is free of herpes simplex II
and her husband has frequent outbreaks, what would your
advice be? What supplements, natural remedies, and course of
action would protect her baby? What danger could befall her
baby? What will her medical people be watching for?"

I see the words of "course of action" as a way to say TREATMENT and
as Doulas we don not provide medical treatments! It is not within our
scope of practice to prescribe an herbal remedy or a treatment. Even
as a Nurse, I cannot do that! I can design a Plan of care but it has
to be approved by a physician! Its called practicing medicine without
a license at best and at worst negligence both of which we can be
criminally and civilly liable for if by fate a complication arises
and results in morbidity or mortality. CYA (cover your assets), that
is what I was taught and practice as a Nurse and as a Doula.

NO REST FOR THE PREGNANT
Every year nearly a million pregnant American women are put on bed
rest for at least a week for such conditions as preterm labor,
pregnancy-related hypertension, preeclampsia and multiple pregnancy.
Yet there's little scientific evidence to support this prescription.
Out of four of the studies done on women carrying more than one
fetus, two found no benefits from bed rest or hospitalization, and
the other two showed that these interventions actually increase the
chance of preterm birth. What's more, researchers say, women on bed
rest often experience muscle loss, indigestion, dizziness,
depression, sleep changes and fatigue. Some experts even say that
activity may provide the best insurance against prenatal problems: A
recent study found the chance of preterm birth was lower
for women who exercise during pregnancy than for those who did not
work out.
Source: "Forget the Rest" [ http://www.washingtonpost.com ], The
Washington Post, December 10, 2002

Greetings and Seasons Greetings To All!

I have recently had a event in my family life, actually my Nieces
Family as it was her pregnancy and childbirth experience. She had not
attended any childbirth preparation classes and has a HX of a c-
Section from her first pregnancy and also Gestational DM.  So she was
cared for by a OB/Gyn Doc, and did not want much from me besides a
little information here and there. I gave her info about
Breastfeeding and all that entails i.e. storage, complications,
pumping .... and we talked about her plans for this labor. She
planned to have a VBAC, Yea!

Well, first things first. Since she had a HX of GDM she got ultra
sounds out the yahoo and also a fasting blood glucose, and urine
screens. Any way they all showed her to be negative of DM this
pregnancy and the baby appeared almost full term (38 weeks) at the
last check up. So when she went into labor (that week) and went to
the hospital everything was thought to be in order! The hospital said
she they would try to stop the labor with Mg So and when they got the
contractions spaced to about 30 minutes apart she was sent home. Her
doc decided to schedule a elective section after a week of this labor
not progressing bah hum bug!

The section went off without a hitch and my Nieces birth plan went
out the window as she had trust her Doc and not her body, albeit her
contractions for a week were getting her irritable and all that so
she figured take the bay out the easy way, typical American looking
for a softer and easier way! Well the operation was a success but
they almost lost the baby! it was not at term or even near term as
thought before. My Niece had GDM and some how it was not caught! My
Niece, (Kelly) was released from the hospital (4 days later) when the
baby was transferred to Children's Hospital NICU from a community
hospitals NICU.

She had planned to breast feed that went out the window too! That is
until the NICU nurses at Children's Hospital,  convinced her of its
nutritional value for the antibodies. She began pumping a week after
the birth yet she ha 2 breast pumps before the birth from her shower,
one a hand held battery operated unit and the other a double pumper!
after a week of pumping and storing bottles of frozen breast milk, an
over abundance of supply at that time since the babies input was only
1 ounce every 3 or 4 hours and he would not be released from the
hospital till he was taking in 3 ounces every 4 hours. Besides he was
on a respirator and in an artificial coma. The baby was fed through a
NG tube after it was taken off the respirator, about a week after its
birth, Blah.

The last obstacle for the baby (Elijah Lloyd'lee) I call him Lloyd,
to come home was Kelly had to decided to STOP breastfeeding. She said
it felt funny to pump it. She also stated she had enough on hand to
supplement the feedings of formula for a month and Lloyd would get
the nutritional qualities I had stressed to her , I had also stressed
the emotional benefits too but it was over she would not BF the baby
not once. Lloyd has only known the bottle and it surely is a lost
moment. The Nurses had told her she had to decide and that Lloyd
would have take feedings of the formula only for a day without
complications before he could come home. So even Kelly's plan to
implement a supplemental feeding with Breast milk was squashed.

My rationale for placing this here is this "Women who have had a C-
Section often think a VBAC is an option but when they experience some
pain the first reaction is to go back to what they already know to
work and forget about the "Noble" plan to have a baby the way GOD
intended" Its like a pie in the sky dream for many, I think, IMHO!
Also the same goes for Breastfeeding. Its a shame, Me included, that
many Americans always want the softer and easier way regardless of
what it actually may risk or what it's results in the future will
entail.

Peace,
Have a Blessed Day,
Jami Ullman, LPN, CHIV/AIDS Community Instructor, Doula

Please visit my club for Doulas and Midwives at
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/columbusmidwifesanddoulas

and my web site at:
http://www.geocities.com/4birthing/crowning.html

I also invite you to join a Nursing Association devoted to improving
the childbirth experience:
http://www.ANACS.org

Renew a friendship this Christmas



www.nursesreconnected.com/resource



Merry Christmas

from

Nurses Reconnected

Hello,

I am new here and thought that I would introduce
myself.

I was first introduced to this through Jamie's male
midwifes group. I am not yet a midwife but I do have a
strong interest in the subject. I was active in the
births of both of my children, and my sister has
invited me to attend her home birth, which should
occure sometime in December.

It was not until very recently that I realized that
this field just may be open to males! My family is
supportive of my interest and is incourageing me to
reaserch the field.

In closing, I look forward to getting to know some of
you folks!

Kelly

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your site
http://webhosting.yahoo.com

http://phrusa.org/students/campus_action.html#1

I think this site has great potential for our efforts to help women
and birthing mothers. It has great ideas for grassroots organisations.

Greetings,

From what I see and hear on the web and the news about VBAC is that
it is not happening as an option for woman who want this option in an
hospital enviroment. I read on several lists that this is occurring
and in direct opposition to their professional organisations
guidelines position statement from:
http://www.childbirth.org/section/VBAC1.html

ACOG VBAC Guidelines

"In 1995 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
(ACOG) published updated guidelines for a vaginal birth after a
cesarean. In the guides physicians are strongly encouraged to counsel
and encourage women to plan labor rather than schedule a repeat
surgery. Based on current evidence almost all women with prior
cesareans can plan a VBAC."  Here is the summary:

"Vaginal birth after cesarean delivery should not be limited to large
specialty hospital settings. Well-equppoed basic and speciality
hospitals with the capacity to respond to intrapartum emergencies are
appropriate settings for VBAC (A: II-3)." Then I read on a ACOG NEWS
RELEASE
For Release: Embargoed until December 12, 2001
9:00 AM EST

ACOG Addresses Latest Controversies in Obstetrics


"US rate's of cesarean deliveries, which rose from a rate of 5.5
percent of all births in 1970, to a high of 24.7 percent of births in
1988. The rate began to drop in the years 1989 to 1997, following
medical efforts to promote Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
delivery. But the rate rose again to 22 percent in 1999, following
case reports of increased incidence of uterine rupture in women
attempting VBAC.
From:http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr12-
12-01.cfm


I see they can not even keep their plans and objectives in focus and
the people who suffer is our clients who are denied the right to
trial labors and a VBAC experience. It is no wonder they are sending
mixed messages which results in the client being even less sure of
thier natural ability to birth a baby, which makes our jobs even that
much harder in preparation of a vaginal birth. THEY SCARE THE HELL
out of the clients, which results in the client becoming a less than
active meber of the healthcare team and a passive patient a role that
Nurses have tried through advocacy and education to make a change in
the American Model of Healthcare. And then as a means to insure their
domination over the field of Obstetrix they make this position
statement:

http://www.acog.com/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr07-31-02-
3.cfm

ACOG NEWS RELEASE
For Release: Embargoed until July 31, 2002
12:01 AM ET

Home Births Double Risk of Newborn Death
WASHINGTON, DC -- The risk of death to newborns delivered at home is
nearly twice that of newborns delivered in hospitals, according to a
study in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.


It seems they are covering thier bases to keep the monopoly or at
least the majority of this area of healthcare for themselves! Just
look at what they have to say about advance practice nurses:


--- In columbusmidwifesanddoulas@y..., karlamorgan <no_reply@y...>
wrote:
>
> Hi Jamie:
>   so sorry that you have to deal w/that stuff...seems like you have
> been very clear re: this is a forum for childbirth!!
>   Two topics that seem to "get" me on a regular basis, as a home-
> birth attendant...1)GBS+ (I don't do IV antibiotics at home), and
2)
> VBAC...at our local Levl II hospital, they refused to do any more
> VBAC's, so they want home births...which is great, but...what are
> hospital based midwives doing?
>
> Keep up the good work, and welcome back!  Karla
>
>
>

Here is how your Senators voted and defeated the bill from:
http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/aids/durbspectvote_061002.html

VOTE: Durbin-Specter Amendment (600 million for global AIDS)
Needed 60 votes to pass

YEAS (46)

Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
Joseph Biden (D-DE)
Bob Graham (D-FL)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Max Cleland (D-GA)
Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
John Kerry (D-MA)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Paul Wellstone (D-MN)
Jean Carnahan (D-MO)
Max Baucus (D-MT)
John Edwards (D-NC)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
Robert Torricelli (D-NJ)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Mike DeWine (R-OH)
Gordon Smith (R-OR)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
James Jeffords (I-VT)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Herbert Kohl (D-WI)
John Rockefeller (D-WV)

NAYS (49):

Frank Murkowski (R-AK)
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
John McCain (R-AZ)
Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Thomas Carper (D-DE)
Zell Miller (D-GA)
Charles Grassley (R-IA)
Michael Crapo (R-ID)
Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
John Breaux ((D-LA)
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Kit Bond (R-MO)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Churck Hagel (R-NE)
Ben Nelson (NE)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Robert Smith (R-NH)
Pete Domenici (R-NM)
John Ensign (R-NV)
George Voinovich (R-OH)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Don Nickles (R-OK)
Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
Strom Thurmond (R-SC)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Bill Frist (R-TN)
Fred Thompson (R-TN)
Phil Gramm (R-TX)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
George Allen (R-VA)
John Warner (R-VA)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Craig Thomas (R-WY)

NOT VOTING (5):

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)
Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Jesse Helms (R-NC)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Thomas Daschle (D-SD)
  Releases:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
10-18-02: PHR Says WHO's Plan is Feasible
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
10-11-02: Global Fund Press Release
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
10-09-02: Top Docs & Nurses Call on Bush to Take Lead
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
  08-13-02: Bush Rejection of AIDS Funding Shameful
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
06-19-02: Health Profs Call on Bush to Fight AIDS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
06-09-02: Senate Failure on Global Fund
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
01-28-02: Bush's 2003 Budget: A Missed Opportunity
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
10-23-01: Civil Society Sign-On Letter
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
06-26-01: Human Rights Abuses Spur AIDS Pandemic
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
06-26-01: Open Letter - AIDS and Human Rights Call for Action
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
05-11-01: US Must Augment HIV/AIDS Funding


We need to work on this issue as it is posted at this web site and
others we need some immediate support for this Pandemic (World Wide
Epidemic)  to be curbed before our clients, yours, and my loved ones
are affected personally.

I have 2 teenage sons and thank GOD I live in America where the risk
of exposure is less yet still a great threat! I have taught both of
my sons about safe and safer sex, knowing full well that a teenager
will do the opposite of what they are told to do I hope they heard my
plea for them to think before the hormones do a number on them and
they pay for it with their lives, the rest of their lives as little
quality as it maybe after they contract the virus HIV and then sub
come to the deadly disease AIDS.

Please note that you can not support one point in this letter without
supporting the other seven points. Also note that a recent vote was
taken for a bill that incorporate some these points, it was defeated,
I will post a reply with the voting record of each representative as
a reply.

PHR Letter to President Bush re: AIDS Policy

This letter is from;
http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/aids/letter061902.html

June 18, 2002

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20509

Dear President Bush:

As physicians and nurses who are committed to the prevention of
HIV/AIDS and the care and treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS in the
United States and abroad, we welcome reports that you will announce
this week a major new initiative on the global epidemic. Yet we
confront a modern plague that has far outstripped our worst fears and
has reversed the health and demographic improvements of the last four
decades. If unchecked, the global HIV/AIDS epidemic will be the
greatest health disaster in human history. New attention and recent
new funding initiatives, while welcome, are clearly insufficient to
prevent that disaster, already well under way, from fully
materializing. On the basis of our medical and scientific experience
with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we believe there are eight essential
components in the effort that are urgently needed now. We
respectfully offer them as suggestions for the global leadership your
new program can achieve.

First, we appeal to you to announce a multi-year commitment of at
least $2.5 billion annually to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis, and Malaria, beginning this year. The Secretary General
of the United Nations has called for up to $10 billion annually for
the Global Fund. We believe that greater amounts will soon be
necessary to prevent new infections and treat those infected with the
disease as it spreads exponentially in China, India, Russia, and in
the countries of Africa, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet
republics. We are dismayed at the growing gap between the funds that
are required to comprehensively address the epidemic and the funds
that are available. The United States could help close this gap by
offering to the Global Fund, twenty-five percent, or $2.5 billion, of
the $10 billion needed this year and every year, in keeping with the
assessed US contribution to other international endeavors.

Second, we urge that the US announce a major new bilateral HIV/AIDS
initiative to support, expand, and train the human health
infrastructure in poor countries. Doctors, nurses, AIDS educators and
counselors, and health workers in poor countries are the only hope
for stopping the greatest public health disaster in human history,
but they themselves are succumbing to the disease, and to
psychological trauma from the overwhelming disease burden they are
attempting to address. We urge that your new proposal include
generous new bilateral funding that is specifically designated for
the support of today's health workers. We also urge accelerated
recruitment and training of a new generation of nurses, doctors, and
other health workers. A considerable portion of this funding should
be designated for under-served slum and poor, rural areas.

Third, we urge that the United States on an urgent basis assist AIDS-
afflicted countries with the purchase of pharmaceuticals for
infectious disease, including antiretrovirals, at best world prices.
We strongly support the flexibility afforded to developing countries
facing public health emergencies, as agreed at the Doha Trade Round,
and urge that providing AIDS drugs at affordable prices be a priority
for the Bush Administration's AIDS programs. We recommend that the US
provide a capacity building component in the area of pharmaceutical
purchase, dissemination, quality control, monitoring, and information
management.

Fourth, we strongly support comprehensive mother-to-child-
transmission (MTCT) prevention programs, and urge that all such
programs include a family treatment component. Existing MTCT
infrastructure should be expanded to include treatment of mothers and
all other infected family members, as well as the nurses, doctors, or
other health care workers administering the programs, and their
family members. A new program, called MTCT Plus, funded by 8 private
foundations is developing the model on which such global programs can
be built. We encourage you to support selected MTCT prevention sites
by providing assistance, training, drugs and diagnostics, and
laboratory and operational support to develop material and human
infrastructure with which to administer comprehensive prevention,
care and treatment programs.

Fifth, we appeal to you to help insure that prevention efforts are
strengthened in parallel with a significant expansion of treatment of
infectious diseases, including AIDS. It is now widely understood and
endorsed by health professionals most experienced in combating
HIV/AIDS that prevention is most successful when it is paired with
treatment, and that treatment must include education and counseling
components to prevent erosion of prevention infrastructure and
development of viral resistance to drugs. Treatment facilitates
prevention through ongoing delivery of prevention messages to the
highest risk populations. A range of support services are also
important to maximize the ability to stay in care and benefit from
lifesaving therapies.

Sixth, we urge your Administration to address forthrightly women's
inability to protect themselves from unwanted and/or unprotected sex.
We respectfully urge you to include a major new assistance program
aimed at upgrading women and girls' legal and economic status,
enlarging women and girls' access to health care (including
reproductive health care) and assisting governments in preventing and
prosecuting rape. We strongly support funding for the development of
microbicides and dissemination of female condoms. We urge a concerted
diplomatic initiative, as well, to stigmatize those governments whose
officials are complicit in the violent transmission of HIV/AIDS,
including rape by soldiers and participation in sex trafficking and
child prostitution.

Seventh, we appeal to you to enlarge existing foreign aid programs
that benefit the poor, particularly women and children. New resources
for the Global Fund should not be provided at the expense of other
bilateral maternal and child health programs. We recommend that
a "fire wall" be built around current poverty alleviation programs,
and that new initiatives be launched with new resources.

Eighth, we respectfully urge you to consider the development of
an "AIDS Corps" of Americans (and foreign nationals resident in the
US) to encourage direct collaboration between US-based and developing
country health and medical personnel. American doctors, nurses,
public health workers, and other health professionals could
collaborate with their counterparts in countries hard-hit by HIV/AIDS
and other infectious diseases. Doctors, nurses, and public health
figures in many countries may welcome the support, training, and
technical assistance of U.S. experts in prevention, treatment,
pharmaceutical purchase, and information management. In turn, Western
doctors could profit greatly from the experiences of their
counterparts who are battling AIDS and other diseases in resource-
deprived settings. We would caution against diverting vitally needed
resources from African, Asian, and European health workers themselves
to their American counterparts. Thus we urge that such an initiative
be funded under the auspices of the Peace Corps or some other agency
that does not compete for funds with the GFATM or bilateral poverty
reduction programs.

In closing, we wish to assure you that in addition to providing
professional, medical assistance to the US government as it forms a
comprehensive response to the global AIDS pandemic, we also offer to
help you educate the American public about the need for the U.S.
foreign aid required to finance such an endeavor.

Sincerely,

Carol Baker, M.D.
Baylor College of Medicine

Alen Berkman, M.D.
Columbia University

Donald S. Burke, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Joseph Colagreco MS, APRN, BC, ANP-C
Division of Nursing, New York University

Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School

Joyce Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., R.N.
Case Western Reserve University

H. Jack Geiger, M.D.
City University of New York

Eric Goosby, M.D.
Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation

Ashley Haase, M.D.
University of Minnesota

Howard Hiatt, M.D.
Brigham & Women's Hospital

Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Partners in Health

Peter Lamptey, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Family Health International

Robert Lawrence, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Richard Marlink, M.D.
Harvard AIDS Institute

Joia Mukherjee, M.D.. M.P.H.
Partners in Health

Allan Rosenfield, M.D.
Columbia University

Ronald Waldman, M.D., M.P.H.
Columbia University

Greetings,

I have seen recently several members leave the club. I do not know
exactly why but it maybe that I have deleted some offensive post that
had links to porn sites or that I posted some offensive messages
about controversial issues. Well people I have to tell you that
Midwifes do more than "CATCH BABUES". Many provide well woman
healthcare and annul exams as well as contraceptives for their
clients. In some areas of the world, they are the only source for
healthcare for hundreds of miles. Therefore, I am here to tell you as
I stated in the home page this club is an exchange of client services
and how we handle them. In addition, it is to enlighten or educate
others who want into this area of healthcare or to keep abreast of
what is currently happening in this area. I hope that my sharing of
such issues as "the Gag rule" and other legal stuff going on has not
turned many who I consider my peers against this club or me.

I would like to inform the club there is a call for action in the
area of AIDS prevention and treatment. We need your support not in
words or money (both are nice if you can do it)! However, please look
at this sites here and follow the directions to help inform our
leaders and the public at large about this Pandemic! This is the
Black Plague of the 21 Century! Infectious disease epidemiologists
concur that HIV/AIDS is still in its early and middle stages in most
countries and that without immediate large-scale action, the pandemic
will spiral further out of control.  By 2010, it is estimated that
over 40 million children will be orphaned because of AIDS. Africa has
been most severely hit, but the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in Asia will
increase total annual deaths in the 15-49 year-old Asian populations
by up to 40 percent by 2010. If this plague continues to spread at
the current rate, it will kill more people in the first ten years of
the 21st century than were killed in all the wars of the 20th century
combined.


A Physicians for Human Rights Project in coordination with Partners
In Health is promoting this project and I am making my voice heard in
an artistic way! Global AIDS Action Quilt Campaign for Health
Professionals Here is the URL
http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/aids/quilt.html

I also signed the petition at this URL
http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/aids/call.php#1

I know some will think this is off topic but I think NOT! We care for
women and families and this is an issue that we cannot hide our heads
and deny its existence, nor is this a subject about morality. But for
those who think its is a subject of morality I have this to say FIRST
HIV the virus that causes AIDS does not discriminate it is an equal
opportunity virus! Second for those who think it is a just end for
those who practice an immoral lifestyle (IV Drug use, promiscuous and
Homosexuality) the fastest growing group of AIDS cases is females 20
to 30 years old. Hums aren't those the average ages of our
clients?
Finally, I would rather see a sexually active child reduce exposure
to the virus, than a dead young adult. Condoms do save lives and
those lives of the families affected by this disease.

I will be posting more information about areas of HEALTHCARE that
affect our clients and our world as they present themselves. I am
back and searching the web for those of us who practice what we
preach. Our clients needs come before our wants! In a perfect world,
all children will have happy homes and loving parents. In a perfect
world we would not have abortions, in a perfect world woman would
have the ability to have a child when they want one and an income to
support them and the family. In a perfect world children would not go
to bed hungry or die from starvation. We do not live in a perfect
world! However, we can do a little here and there to make it
tolerable.