Birth Justice

Take Action for Birth Justice TODAY before 2pm!

2012-01-24T04:18:00.000-08:00

Take Action
HB 367 Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act!

We at Mobile Midwife believe that every mother and parent deserves a healthy pregnancy, every baby deserves a healthy birth and everyone deserves to bring their baby into the world with dignity. We are calling you now to take action for Birth Justice in Florida Current policy in Florida prisons allows for physical restraining of pregnant, birthing and postpartum women, which denies health and dignity. We are calling for an explicit ban of this inhumane practice. We are calling for the Florida House of Representatives to unanimously pass HB 367 Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act. We need your help!!!

The good news is that HB 367 Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act has passed the Florida Senate and has been added to the Florida House of Representatives calendar. We had an impact last week when it passed the Criminal Justice committee.

We need you now!!! Our goal is a unanimous pass for the bill in the Rules committee on Tuesday afternoon, January 24 at 2:00 pm. Let’s flood the email and voicemail inboxes of the committee members today so that they hear our voices loud and clear before the vote on Tuesday afternoon: Pass HB 367 Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act!

What you can do now:

Here is the text of the bill: http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2012/524

Here is a link with some analysis of the bill.

Here is a sample email
Dear Committee Member,
I know that it's time to make a decision on HB 367 Health Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act.
Please vote YES on HB 367 because

(Below are suggested talking points you may use in your emails and messages, or you may create your own)
Shackling doesn’t make good sense.
As the bill states, restraining a pregnant prisoner can increase health risks and the potential for physical harm to the woman and her pregnancy. There is no need for shackling, as the vast majority of incarcerated women are there for nonviolent crimes. Shackling does not make anyone safer; it actually creates more danger for the mother and her baby.

Shackling is bad for medical care.
“The Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals Service, the American Correctional Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Public Health Association all oppose restraining women during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery because it is unnecessary and dangerous to a woman's health and well-being” (from HB 367). Precious time can be lost unlocking and removing restraints, if emergency life-saving procedures become necessary. All decisions pertaining to woman’s body during her labor and birth, should be made by that woman and her healthcare providers. Shackling during labor may cause complications during delivery such as hemorrhage or fetal distress.

Shackling is bad for families.
It is hard enough that most incarcerated mothers are forced to say goodbye to their newborns shortly after delivery. Shackling compounds this by preventing mothers from holding and breastfeeding their babies for the short time they are allowed to be together. Birthing restraints also causes emotional distress and trauma for many.

Shackling is bad for Florida.
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia have all outlawed restraining during labor and delivery. Let’s not be the last state to ban this inhumane practice. The rights of all of Florida’s citizens, including the incarcerated ones, must be upheld.

Shackling is an injustice and a violation of human rights.
Birth Justice upholds every person’s right to birth in dignity and with respect. It is every person’s right to birth free from chains. State violence in the form of involuntary physical restraints is a barrier to the health and rights of folks in our communities who are locked up. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure safe and dignified pregnancy, birth and postpartum conditions for everyone in state custody. In solidarity with incarcerated women, we recognize that it is time to reclaim our bodies and our lives.

Vote YES on HB 367.

Sincerely,
Your name

Rules Committee Members

Dorworth, Chris [R]
Chair (850) 488-5843
chris.dorworth@myfloridahouse.gov

Ray, Lake [R] Vice Chair
Phone: (850) 488-4388
lake.ray@myfloridahouse.gov

Watson, Barbara [D] Democratic Ranking Member
Phone: (850) 488-0766
barbara.watson@myfloridahouse.gov

Artiles, Frank [R]
Phone: (850) 488-9550
frank.artiles@myfloridahouse.gov

Brandes, Jeffrey "Jeff" [R]
(850) 488-5719
jeff.brandes@myfloridahouse.gov

Drake, Brad [R]
(850) 488-4726
brad.drake@myfloridahouse.gov

Gaetz, Matt [R]
(850) 488-1170
matt.gaetz@myfloridahouse.gov

Goodson, Tom [R]
(850) 488-3006
tom.goodson@myfloridahouse.gov

Hudson, Matt [R]
(850) 488-1028
matt.hudson@myfloridahouse.gov

Patronis, Jimmy [R]
(850) 488-9696
jimmy.patronis@myfloridahouse.gov

Randolph, Scott [D]
(850) 488-0660
scott.randolph@myfloridahouse.gov

Rehwinkel Vasilinda, Michelle [D]
(850) 488-0965
michelle.rehwinkel@myfloridahouse.gov

Rogers, Hazelle P. "Hazel" [D]
(850) 488-8234
hazelle.rogers@myfloridahouse.gov

Rooney, Jr., Patrick [R]
(850) 488-0322
pat.rooney@myfloridahouse.gov

Sands, Franklin [D]
(850) 488-0590
franklin.sands@myfloridahouse.gov

We thank each and everyone of you. Stay tuned for updates....
For birth justice everywhere,
Mobile Midwife

Midwives, Justice and the Corporatization of Birth

2011-11-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

This statement is made in solidarity with Occupy movements around the world...

Birth Justice is a mother’s right to ensure the well being of herself and her baby; it intersects with all aspects of our lives – social, political, economic, spiritual and emotional. When mothers are empowered, a community is transformed. If we bring our babies into the world with justice, in the natural way, without anyone telling us how to do it, then it nurtures our innate power as mothers to create a free world for our children to play and learn and grow. Birth Justice includes access to holistic, humanistic and culturally centered prenatal, birth and postpartum care (the midwifery model of care), the right to choose when, where, how and with whom to birth as well as the right to breastfeeding support. The complete range of pregnancy, labor and birth options should be available to everyone as an integral part of reproductive justice. These are our rights as mothers.

What is a midwife? Midwife means “with woman.” Midwives are independent care providers for pregnant women. Midwives are the experts in low risk pregnancy and natural birth. They work to meet their communities' needs in homes, birth centers, clinics and hospital facilities. Many midwives accept Medicaid and insurance. The state of Florida has licensed midwives since 1931.

Midwives help women and communities understand the importance of education, health, nutrition, healing and autonomy over one’s own body. Mobile Midwife aims to raise the health of the community and bring the art of midwifery back into our communities by increasing women’s knowledge of their rights and their access to midwives.

Midwifery care has a rich herstory in communities of color, particularly in the Southern region of the US. Black midwives traditionally provided care for their communities during the harshest times in history: slavery, Jim-crow, and Civil Rights eras. They held up health and humanity in dehumanizing times. Midwives also did a lot of holistic health care in general and were an incredible resource in their communities.

Corporatization of Birth

Pregnancy and birth are big business in the United Stares. Currently, the c-section rate in Florida is skyrocketing because the current corporate healthcare system values profit over people and liability over lives. Many women who birth in hospitals are pressured, coerced or forced to have c-sections. Florida currently has one of the highest surgical birth rates in the country. In Miami-Dade county, more than half of babies are born by c-section.

This is not about dollars, this is about health. This is about lives, the lives of our sisters and our babies. African American women are almost four times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as white women. The infant mortality rate in Florida is on the rise when it should be declining. In Miami-Dade County, Black babies are more than twice as likely to die in the first year of life as white babies. These are human rights violations.

This is about our human right to be nurtured, cared for and supported through the natural processes of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. We will accept nothing less.

Mobile Midwife’s vision is to make midwifery care accessible and central to all, especially Black, Brown, immigrant, indigenous, queer, transgender, low-income and other marginalized communities. Through Mobile Midwife, we aim to expand Birth Justice with story telling, popular education, and community organizing to improve access to midwifery care.

Stop the corporatization of our bodies and our births!

Support your local midwives!

Access to quality healthcare is a human right!

Access to midwives is a human right!

Maternal and infant health are human rights!

Resources

For more info about Mobile Midwife: www.mobilemidwife.org

For more info about the corporatization of birth: www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com

For more info about Black midwives: www.ictcmidwives.org

Find a Florida midwife: http://184.168.34.108/ffom_dnn/MidwiferyinFlorida/FindaMidwife.aspx

Report from the SE Summit

2011-10-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

The ICTC Southeast Black Midwives and Healers Summit was amazing - everything from the southern hospitality at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church to Erykah Badu learning to palpate to the elders from Mississippi sharing their birth stories. It was also inspiring to get some grounding in Reproductive Justice issues - including the intersection of birth rights and abortion rights. The personhood amendment is on the ballot in Mississippi, so we stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers there, working to keep the laws respecting our humanity. Our bodies, our lives! Special thanks to Sistersong for your work on this issue.

Mobile Midwife Co-Director and ICTC Florida State Representative, Jamarah Amani, was featured on the Brazen Women panel. She explored the Birth Justice framework and the role of birthworkers as community organizers. There were some blazing organizations present, including Birthing Project USA and Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective.

Next year, in October 2012, the ICTC Black Midwives and Healers Conference will be held in Miami, FL. Mark your calendars - what an exciting event it will be!

Happy Anniversary BJ blog... Happy Midwives Week... End Shackling NOW!

2011-10-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the spirit of Birth Justice!

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Birth Justice blog! It also National Midwives Week in the U.S. and Licensed Midwives Week in the state of Florida!

In this light, we are honoring the struggles of incarcerated women who labor and birth in chains. Who are not able to hold and breastfeed their babies because their bodies are locked down. Whose babies are robbed of their right to enter the world in peace. Whose human rights are being disregarded through state violence.

Please check out the article below from COLORLINES about the growing movement to end this dangerous and unjust shackling once and for all.

Stay tuned to the Birth Justice blog for more about anti-shackling work in Florida and beyond. Coming soon!

The Movement to Stop Prisons From Shackling Women in Labor Builds - COLORLINES

No First Birthday

2011-09-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

No First Birthday

by Shafia M. Monroe

Worldwide the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), is participating in September Infant Mortality Awareness Month with the goal of reducing infant mortality for every family. Please join the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), in observing September Infant Mortality Awareness Month by sponsoring a birthday commemorative called "No First Birthday".

You can observe "No First Birthday" by placing and lighting candles on a large sheet cake for each baby who died before age one, in your state or community. In their memory, we will call out one name per candle as the candle is blown out. This is in recognition of all babies who had "No First Birthday" due to infant mortality causes. In place of the happy birthday song, we will have a moment of silence and reflection. The cake is not to be eaten but will receive a burial instead. However, other food will be available to share. Parents are welcome to tell their story of the loss of their baby, and Unnatural Causes: When the Bough Breaks DVD, will be shown followed by discussion on solutions to end infant mortality. Please contact ICTC for the "No First Birthday" template.

Infant mortality is the death of a baby, who dies before reaching its' first year birthday. It's devastating to the family and their community. Their loss is our loss. There are many medical reasons for infant mortality, such as congenital abnormalities, premature birth, low birth weight, Sudden Unexplained Infants Deaths, (SUID), accidents, and pregnancy related maternal complications.

The USA infant mortality rate in the African American/black community has remained two and half times higher than the national average for decades and is climbing again.

In 2006 the African American infant mortality rate was 12.9 per 1,000 live births while the white infant mortality rate was 5.57 per live births. This is almost two and half times higher for black babies.

Infant mortality is deeper than just medical factors, it is a societal problem reflecting the health of a nation. Infant mortality is a spiritual and ethical social problem as well, that results in medical consequences for the infant, leading to its death.

In 2005, 46 percent of the black infant mortality rate was related to preterm birth. Preterm birth is tied to stress, poverty, poor nutrition, poor breastfeeding rates, lack of quality health care, community-based midwives and doulas.

As midwives, doulas and birth workers we can strengthen our resolve to reduce infant mortality through preconception health, access to early and culturally appropriate prenatal care, long term breastfeeding, father support groups, home visits, and advocating for social justice. Midwives can be the voice to challenge the societal inequities that contribute to poor birth outcomes; such as poverty, toxic environments, racial profiling, food deserts and racism induced stress. All of these determinants have been proven to contribute to infant mortality in the black community.
1. "Neonatologists James Collins and Richard David believe that African American women are at increased risk during pregnancy, not because of something innate to their biology, but because of the cumulative impact of racism they experience over their lifetime - an impact that can outweigh even the benefits of higher social and class status".

According to the CDC, infant mortality (death of a child before one year of age)
is "associated with a variety of factors such as maternal health, quality and access to medical care, socioeconomic conditions, and public health practices''(www.cdc.gov).

As midwives, doulas and healers, we must be the voice for social justice; and follow the example of the Egyptian midwives. They refused to racially profile the Hebrews and would not participate in killing their first born. Birth justice, is a byproduct of social justice. Birth justice for black women must address racial profiling, health inequities, and human right issues. It includes the elimination of easy access to drugs, guns and gang violence in the black community, fair employment opportunities, housing, better transportation systems facilitating pregnant and new mothers accessing culturally competent care, and increasing the number of black midwives, doulas and healers.

Infant Mortality Awareness Month, calls midwives, doulas and birth workers to educate themselves and others on the social determinants of infant mortality. Join ICTC to help bring awareness and solutions to reducing infant mortality.

Please join the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), in observing September Infant Mortality Awareness Month by sponsoring a birthday commemorative, called "No First Birthday". Please contact ICTC if you want to be a part of the planning. We will host the event in the last week of September at the new ICTC site, 3821 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, 97212.

Infant Mortality Awareness Resources

www.ictcmidwives.org/resources.html

http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=9026&lvl=2&lvlid=195

www.cdc.gov/omhd/amh/factsheets/infront.htm

http://revcom.us/a/087/infantmortality-en.html

http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/episode_descriptions.php?page=2

Mobile Midwife LAUNCH PARTY!

2011-07-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings beloved community!
Our LAUNCH PARTY IS TONIGHT! See you on the BEACH!

Mobile Midwife at SISTER SONG!

2011-07-14T05:13:00.000-07:00

Mobile Midwife will be at the Sister Song Conference!

Thursday, July 15, 2011, 10-11:30 am LOVE Plenary, will include Birth Justice as a Reproductive Justice Issue

Friday, July 16, 2011, 10-12:00 pm Birth Justice Strategy Session, co-facilitated with Black Women Birthing Resistance

Friday, July 16, 2011, 4-6:00 p.m Birthing the future: Indigenous Birth Stories and Birth Justice. Film Screening of Bringing in Da Spirit and Born at Home.

Saturday, July 17, 2011 2:30-4:00 pm Birthing Justice: A Mother’s Right To Access, Education and Support

Birth Justice Now! The Birth of Mobile Midwife

2011-06-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings Beloved Community!

In the spirit of unity, we write to you as we move forward on our journey to Birth Justice.

With you, our beloved community, we have marched for justice in Atlanta, Detroit, Oakland and many other cities, fought for midwifery care in Miami, facilitated childbirth preparation circles, developed a framework for Birth Justice, and attended the births of some of your children.

We now call on you to walk with us in building Birth Justice in Miami and beyond. Our walk is rooted in the Reproductive Justice movement; it must be innovative, autonomous, and led by women of color. It is for this purpose we are birthing Mobile Midwife, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Through Mobile Midwife, we aim to expand Birth Justice with story telling, popular education, and community organizing to improve access to midwifery care.

We’ve heard your birth stories that reflect the trauma and crisis we’ve endured. These birth stories share our survival, courage, resistance, and (yes!) our hope and joy. Sharing and documenting these stories are healing and revolutionary acts. Each story moves like a ripple across water, merging to create a powerful wave of Birth Justice!

We’ve learned with and from you. Using popular education and community organizing, we will continue to examine the roots of inequality and injustice in relation to childbirth. Armed with this knowledge, and with you, our beloved community, we can demand and create the type of change we desire when it comes to our reproductive health.

We've cared with you and for you. In spite of an increasingly violent medical environment, midwifery care creates space to have safe, gentle, and empowered birth experiences. Midwifery care is holistic, healing, and humanistic. It has rich herstory, legacy, and roots in communities of color. Our vision for Mobile Midwife is to make this care accessible and central to all, especially Black, Brown, immigrant, indigenous, queer, transgender, low-income and other marginalized communities.

This journey to build Birth Justice has only been possible thanks to your support. Let us continue to share and build this movement together!

Join us on Thursday, July 14th for our Mobile Midwife Launch Party in Miami. More details coming soon!

With Respect and Love,
Mobile Midwives

Jamarah Amani Anjali Sardeshmukh

Let's Talk About It!: Aftermath: Midwives, Birth Justice, and more Mayo...

2011-06-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

Let's Talk About It!: Aftermath: Midwives, Birth Justice, and more Mayo...: " In case you missed the last show, we talked Birth Justice with Anjali Sardeshmukh and Jamarah Amani from Birth Workers of Color and Tami..."

Birthworkers of Color Hosts Rally On Behalf Of Midwives

2011-05-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Birthworkers of Color Hosts Rally On Behalf Of Midwives

(For Immediate Release-Miami, Fl)-May 5, 2011- Birthworkers of Color, a local collective of midwives, doulas, childbirth educators and breastfeeding counselors held a rally in honor of the International Day of the Midwife and to raise awareness to the high c-section rates and rising maternal and infant mortality. The rally was held on 33rd Street and Biscayne Blvd in Miami. The rally was attended by midwives, mothers and lots of babies and supporters. The mission of the group is protect and expand midwifery, especially in Black communities where maternal and infant health disparities are the worst.

70 people raised their voices in support of expanding access to midwives in Miami-Dade County and beyond as a solution to the health crisis. The rally organizer, Jamarah Amani, stated, “A woman should be able to walk into any public health clinic or hospital and request the services of a midwife. It is a woman’s right be educated about her birth options during her pregnancy and to be counseled to make the best decision for herself and her family – whether that is home birth, birth center or hospital.”

For more information about Birthworkers of Color please contact: Jamarah Amani at 786.587.8741.

International Day of the Midwife Rally

2011-04-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jamarah Amani

Tel: 786/587-8741

Email: jamarah@gmail.com

MOTHERS AND CONCERNED COMMUNITY RALLY IN SUPPORT OF MIDWIVES

The public is invited to the International Day of the Midwife Rally on Thursday May 5, 2011 at 5pm in Miami to raise awareness about the important role of midwives in improving maternal and infant health.

April 21, 2011 – Miami, FL – Midwives take to the road to tackle maternal mortality. Midwives and their supporters around the world are gathering to raise awareness to tackle global inequalities in maternal and infant health. On Thursday May 5^th at 5pm, Birthworkers of Color United, a local collective of midwives, doulas, childbirth educators and breastfeeding counselors, will lead mothers and community in a rally on 33^rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami to mark the International Day of the Midwife. Over 340,000 women die each year, with millions more suffering infection and disability, as a result of preventable causes. Locally, in Miami-Dade county, the infant mortality rate is rising and disproportionately impacting African-American communities. According to the Miami-Dade County Health Department, Black babies are twice as likely to die in the first year of life as White babies.

Birthworkers of Color United is committed to reducing inequality, through greater access to essential midwifery care locally and worldwide. Mothers and midwives around the world will be walking with us, in their respective locations. The goal is to demonstrate commitment to tackling maternal and newborn mortality by standing shoulder to shoulder with midwives and mothers around the world. Mothers and babies deserve to get the support they need through increased global and local commitment to midwifery services.

The walk on the 5th of May is the start of a journey that finishes at the International Confederation of Midwives Congress in Durban, South Africa, a global gathering where 3000 midwives will share evidence of what works to reduce maternal mortality and improve the care and support available to mothers and newborns around the world. For more information contact Jamarah Amani at 786-587-8741 orjamarah@gmail.com.

###

Welcome to the Birth Justice Blog!

2010-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the spirit of those yet born! Welcome to the Birth Justice blog. We are excited to be bringing you our first post on Birth Justice in honor of Midwives’ Week.

We are a group of birth workers (midwives, doulas, breastfeeding educators, etc) and mothers in South Florida. We are growing radical childbirth education circles and leadership development of mothers in the historically Black community of Overtown and the surrounding areas.

The herstory of midwifery in Florida is at once inspiring and infuriating. In 1920, there were 4000 midwives. Today there are 110 licensed midwives in this state. We stand on the shoulders of many ancestors whose stories have been neglected and disrespected. They say that when an elder passes, it is like burning down a library. So imagine, for a moment, all the wealth of birthing knowledge that has been lost because no one took the time to sit with and listen to the stories of those thousands of elder midwives.

We are reclaiming our story, the stories of our grannies and our ancestors, in the name of those yet born. What birth experiences will our daughters have? Our granddaughters? What will birth look like in seven generations? Not an assembly line chopping block of unnecesareans. We refuse! We resist!

We are consciously creating a community of birthworkers and mamas to organize, strategize and create the communities we want for our children. Many of us have had traumatic birth experiences, been robbed of our right to breastfeed and to parent our children.

We are healing. We know that healing is part of this work. We know that we must decolonize our bodies, our minds and our spirits in order to be free. We know that we are part of a powerful movement to create another, more just world. There is a deep knowing that birth and motherhood are paths to liberation.

Please breathe deep and enjoy the moment as you browse our site. We would love your feedback, your birth stories and your visions of Birth Justice.

When I say Birth, you say Justice… Birth!!!

Birth Justice

Take Action for Birth Justice TODAY before 2pm!

Take Action HB 367 Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act!

What you can do now:

Rules Committee Members

Midwives, Justice and the Corporatization of Birth

Report from the SE Summit

Happy Anniversary BJ blog... Happy Midwives Week... End Shackling NOW!

No First Birthday

Mobile Midwife LAUNCH PARTY!

Mobile Midwife at SISTER SONG!

Birth Justice Now! The Birth of Mobile Midwife

Let's Talk About It!: Aftermath: Midwives, Birth Justice, and more Mayo...

Birthworkers of Color Hosts Rally On Behalf Of Midwives

International Day of the Midwife Rally

The public is invited to the International Day of the Midwife Rally on Thursday May 5, 2011 at 5pm in Miami to raise awareness about the important role of midwives in improving maternal and infant health.

Welcome to the Birth Justice Blog!

Take Action
HB 367 Healthy Pregnancies for Incarcerated Women Act!