End of Summer Roundup

With Labor Day fast approaching, I wanted to get one more post in and let you all know about all the exciting birthy things that have happened this summer:


The NYS Department of Health is embarking on a largescale restructuring of NYS Medicaid. My fabulous supervisor at Healthy Start Brooklyn, who helps run the free doula program for low-income Brooklyn mamas that I participate in, has submitted a proposal for Medicaid to cover birth doula services. This measure is a public health no-brainer: better health outcomes for mamas and babies AND a big time money saver in the long run (remember my early post: women who work with doulas are more likely to have undisturbed births, and undisturbed birth is super cheap). We need as many people as possible to chime in and suggest that Medicaid cover doula support. Go to this link, click on the Help Redesign Medicaid box to the left, and since my supervisor has already submitted a detailed suggestion, all you need to write is "Medicaid should cover doula services."


I was on the NPR blog, baby!

There was a great segment on homebirth on ABC's Good Morning America, featuring Karen Jefferson, a great NYC midwife who I had the pleasure of interviewing for the senior undergraduate thesis:

Finally, Miles for Midwives 2011 is on October 1st!  Don't worry, I'll follow up with more information on participating and donating soon.

Wishing everyone a Happy Labor Day!

Back to Doula-land

I'm back, after a completely doula-free, off-call holiday period. It was weird not being on-call, and it's hard to be on-call again. I keep double-checking that my phone is on, if I have enough hard copies of birth plans in a client's file, if my birth ball pump is in my bag.

My last week was a blitz of work at Metro Minis, potential-client meet-and-greets, prenatals with clients, and the always exciting, always overwhelming Birth Focus Meet the Doula Open House, which is basically speed-dating for doulas. Good news: I was only able to interview with three couples, but I got hired by two of them! I'm chalking a lot of it up to the fact that I'm one of the more experienced doulas of my lower-priced level...

Tomorrow, I'm going to an orientation for the doula program at Healthy Start Brooklyn. Healthy Start is a federally funded program that is trying to address infant mortality, low birth weight, and racial disparities in perinatal outcomes. I'll be matched with women enrolled in the program and it seems like I won't only be their birth doula, but also in some ways, their whole-mom-life doula. Part of prenatal meetings won't just be determining who'll be around to help immediately postpartum; they'll also be about helping the mom put in outlet covers, cabinet locks, and setting up the crib and changing table. Before I ask questions like, "Do you want to be able to eat and drink during labor?" I'll have to determine if they have food security at all. And If I see any evidence of domestic violence, I have to report and address it. This is going to be intense. But these are the women who could benefit from doula care the most, so I'm excited to try.

Nina at Metro Minis is making a needle-point representation of the international symbol for breastfeeding. It's hilarious and awesome. Here's the symbol, but I've got to take a picture of the actual needle-point when its done: