Albuquerque Doulas Make a Difference

Although the national cesarean rate is 25% (or higher?), the cesarean rate for clients of the Doula Program at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque averages 12%!

Thank you Kelly Camden, Certified Doula, for sending in this information.

(Kelly's own birth story can be found in Journey into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth.)

Doulas on the rise in San Diego

I've noticed an interesting trend in San Diego in the last 4 years. When I first began teaching, I'd ask my students if they knew what a doula did. Only 1-2 % had heard of doulas. Four years later, about 99% of them know what a doula is.

For those of you teaching doulas in San Diego, I'd certainly love to know the percentage increase in the number of doulas in the last few years.

San Diego - Good News

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas has been designated as the only "Baby-Friendly" hospital in San Diego County! This designation was awarded by Baby-Friendly USA, which implemented the UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in the United States.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), launched in 1991, is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). BFHI encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Based on the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding," this prestigious international award recognizes hospitals and birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their newborns.

UCSD Medical Center in San Diego is currently working toward Baby-Friendly certification.

For more information on the Baby Friendly Initiative, go to http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org/eng/03.html

New book provides inspiration to expectant women

Sheri Menelli has just published her first book, Journey into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth.

These 48 birth stories, from home births to hospital births, are helping women realize their multitude of options during pregnancy and birth.

In addition to being inspirational, these stories help quell the fear of many expectant mothers.

For more information on submitting your story, or for more birth stories online, please visit www.journeyintomotherhood.com

I Need Your Help!

Too often we hear about all of the bad procedures, policies and outcomes of birth. We concentrate so hard on what isn't working that we forget about all of the wonderful changes we have seen in the birthing world in the last several years.

I believe that the pendulum is shifting. We are seeing a lot of positive changes happening in San Diego, California. I think this movement is spreading.

Please send me an e-mail if you know of any good news in birth. Do you know of a doctor who has made a shift in their thinking about birth? Do you know of a hospital that has decided to become mother-baby friendly? Are you seeing new hospitals allowing waterbirth? Is there a new book or DVD that helps women to have a better experience? If it is positive, please send it to me at change@journeyintomotherhood.com

I also encourage you to spread the word about this blog. I'd love to see postive news published in magazines, newspapers and newsletters.

Thanks for sharing and helping me to create postive change in birth!

Love,
Sheri Menelli, author of Journey into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth