SM - Newsletter

Midwives Care, Inc.
becomes
Birth & Beyond: Advocates for Woman Centered Healthcare

The advent of autumn brought with it the metamorphosis of Midwives Care, Inc. into Birth & Beyond: Advocates for Woman Centered Healthcare. Susan Sprigg is the winner of the 'name that organization' contest and our hearty thanks go to her! Our thanks also go to all of the people participating and their enthusiastic creativity to find us a new name. Birth & Beyond: Advocates for Woman Centered Healthcare retains our 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. We continue to welcome donations, although we will not be sending an Annual Appeal letter out this year as we instead focus on our evolution into an advocacy organization. As always, donations can go to our Northside location:

Birth & Beyond
4244 Hamilton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45223
new phone number! 513-541-5999

Mission Statement

Our mission statement has been modified to fit an organization which does not provide direct midwifery services:

The general purpose of the corporation shall be to advocate for woman centered health care that supports and provides options for women of all socioeconomic means and their families, through education, resource and referral, community relations and public policy.

The specific purposes of the corporation shall be:

1. To educate consumers, professionals, and the community about evidence based healthcare, birth options, pregnancy and birth, parenting and well woman healthcare.
2. To impact public policy that supports our mission.
   
3. To provide referrals to community care providers who support woman centered healthcare.
   
4. To function as a resource for individuals and groups regarding women's healthcare.
5. To cultivate community by increasing awareness of women's healthcare options.
6. To bring together diverse members of the community around a common commitment to quality women's healthcare and through that commitment increased access to health care for all residents of the community.
7. To encourage women to improve the quality of their lives through active participation in their pregnancy, birth, parenting and healthcare experiences.
8. To advocate for midwifery presence in all well woman settings and all birth sites.

Our first project is to join forces with website startup www.cincybirth.org and evolve into www.birthnbeyond.org. Please visit the site to see how it is progressing. (Read more about the website below!!) Our previous site, www.midwivescare.org, will be referring people to the new site for some time before we take it off the web.

Another project we are working on is a 5K walk/run in 2007 in order to increase community awareness of our mission and restructuring. We continue to welcome community input into our organization. Interested people are encouraged to participate by attending our various committee meetings which include marketing, 5K, website, and grant writing. These meetings will be posted on the web site calendar.

Where can I get my chart?

This has been a question we've been hearing a lot lately! In closing Midwives Care, Inc. we have decided to send all our charts to the TriHealth midwifery service located on Martin Luther King Drive, (513) 751-5900. We can certainly recommend them to you them for your pregnancy and well woman care. Hopefully, Good Samaritan Hospital will become more patient friendly when their new obstetrical unit opens sometime in 2007. If you chose another care provider they will be able to access your chart from the TriHealth midwives.

What is happening at the building?

The building is presently being used as office space for Birth & Beyond, for childbirth classes, ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) meetings, and LaLeche Multiples meetings. We are interested in renting space to a family practice physician or other health care provider(s). Jackie will also be starting office hours for Annual Gynecological visits (PAP smears, etc.) and home birth support services. If you know of someone who might be interested in renting or if you wish to make an appointment with Jackie please contact Gail Fiebig at (513) 541-5999.

What is going on with the midwives?

We are pleased to let you know that Stephanie had a spontaneous, unmedicated birth of a beautiful 6#13oz girl, Abigail Elise, on Oct. 17. Stephanie has been working on a very part time basis with the University midwives and may begin back with them at some yet to be determined time.

Leah is also working with the University midwives by helping them staff their clinics. Leah continues to support Birth & Beyond with her love and energy.

Jackie has accepted a position at Children's Hospital and began there on November 13. In February she will begin teaching in the University of Philadelphia's Midwifery Program. She will be starting office hours at the former Midwives Care building for GYN visits and home birth support services - call 541-5999 if you are interested in an appointment. Right now an answering machine will take your message and we will get back with you to schedule an appointment. Working with Birth & Beyond will also provide Jackie's heart with needed energy to help improve options for women's health.

Help us spread the cyber-word!

Birth and Beyond: Advocates for Woman Centered Health Care is excited to join with BirthnBeyond.org as our web partner. The website is intended to be a resource for families seeking information about a wide range of birth options as well as prenatal and postpartum care, parenting support, and well-woman care.

The site includes listings of local providers and groups who support health strategies on many levels: midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, massage therapists, parents' groups and more. There is a forum for birth stories of all kinds, from water births at home to emergency C-sections, and a calendar of local events, classes and meetings. In development is a message board for open discussion of pregnancy and birth experiences, good and bad.

Our aim is to educate the public at large about the many women's health options that exist and provide referral information for providers both inside and outside the "mainstream," in order to present as wide a range of potential experiences as possible. We need your help to make BirthnBeyond.org into what we envision it can be: THE go-to website in the Tristate area for birth and women's health information.

Care Providers and Educators: we want to add you to our directory of services! Moms and families: would you like to share your birth story? Join an online discussion group? Suggest a midwife, OB/GYN, or doula to be included in our listings? Go to BirthnBeyond.org, and keep up with us as we grow. Contact webmaster@cincybirth.org for more information.