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Hi folks...
Four years ago, my oldest daughter was born via what I now believe to be a completely preventable cesarean. This cesarean resulted in months upon months of postpartum depression along with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In a desperate search to prove to myself that I was not alone, I sat down at my computer and searched and searched. I was fortunate enough to find ICAN, where my first email posted and I suddenly had over thirty responses from women who had been there, done that, or were in the middle of it. These women, this organization, literally saved my life. Later, the insight ICAN offered helped me succeed in a VBAC, talking me off the ledge and offering a resounding "You Go, Girl" when I was still shaking from taking a stand.
I have learned so much from ICAN. I am so, so grateful, and the only way I could ever think to give back was to start a chapter here, which I did with the help of Deb, my dear friend and former co-leader, and we had our first meeting in March of '04.
Since then, I have changed meeting times, meeting dates, and meeting locations to accommodate busy schedules. I have tried to provide a range of topics that are interesting and insightful. I have invested hundreds of dollars out of pocket at great expense to my family to be able to offer brochures and information to the women of the area. I spend a decent amount of hours every month maintaining the website, sending information through the yahoogroup, promoting the chapter, responding to emails, and researching and preparing from the upcoming meeting.
Still, I am struggling to get this group off the ground.
I know, not everyone is as passionate as I am about avoiding cesareans and promoting VBACs. Not everyone who has had a c-section has PTSD, or even PPD. But each of you sought out and found this list for some reason that is very personal to you. So with that in mind, I am asking for your support.
There are a few ways to help ICAN of Buffalo:
1) Come to meetings. Even if we don't discuss the topic at hand, it's a very powerful, positive thing to meet with people who can sympathize, who have really "been there". You'll never know the benefit of this if you don't come!
2) If you can't come to Kenmore to meet, I am completely open to having a meeting elsewhere if someone is willing to provide the space. HomeGrown Baby is great - it is free to use, a short walk down the street from my house (which is very helpful on those 9-Degrees Below Zero Wind Chill days when I don't have a car) and has a play area, but it's no good if the location is preventing people from coming. If you would like to host a meeting either in your home or somewhere free, or are willing to donate the funds to pay for a meeting to be held in your area, please contact me directly.
3) I noticed that many of you are not members of ICAN. In order for our local chapter to continue to help other mothers (postage, mail, phone support, etc), we need the income from membership as well as donations. One way to help ICAN of Buffalo is to consider joining ICAN. To help support our mission, please send $30 to ICAN of Buffalo, c/o Rachel Zeller, 143 Shepard Ave., Lower, Kenmore, NY 14217, or via PayPal to icanofbuffalo@... . If you don't feel you can afford that, I ask that you please consider donating any amount to our local chapter so that we can continue to mail out things to women who request information, buy brochures, and support moms. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donation may be tax-deductible.
4) You may not be aware of all that ICAN is doing on a global level. Members receive a subscription of The Clarion, our quarterly newsletter, but non-members may also receive one free Clarion. If you would like to know what ICAN is doing internationally, please send me your name, address, phone, and email.
5) Tell your friends! Spread the word! Put up meeting flyers in your local stores, libraries and meeting places. People need to know that the growing cesarean rate is putting mothers and babies in the line of serious, even life-threatening risks. Women need to know that planning a VBAC is usually safer than a repeat cesarean. Moms need to know that it's ok to question and challenge their care providers until the answer makes sense to them. And it's ok, even normal, to love your baby but hate (or even just not like) the way she came into the world.
Thanks for your time. I look forward to your responses.
Rachel Zeller
Chapter Leader, ICAN of Buffalo
http://hometown.aol.com/icanofbuffalo
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Chapter Leader, ICAN of Buffalo
http://hometown.aol.com/icanofbuffalo
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