Birth Matters

Leisurely day in the office creating beautiful #placenta art with my students

http://bit.ly/drstusd

Did anyone else watch the GMOs Revealed series? All of us in the office did, and here's your chance in case you missed it! GMOs Revealed is up again for free all weekend. Please take the time and listen- for the unborn, babies, children and yourself.

upcoming local Red Tent event! if you haven't been before, a Red Tent is a place for women to come together and share (or just listen) to each other's birth stories- the triumphant, the tragic, the hard, the easy, the joyous, the battle, and everything else in between. a beautifully sacred space for growth, healing, and connection. sharing your story, or even just listening to others' stories, can be incredibly healing and empowering!

Thank you for lending your voices to protect families in CA! Great work, friends!

We need your calls today! SB457 the Anti-Midwifery Bill introduced by Senator Bates would outlaw home birth for someone living more than 20 minutes from a hospital. It would also require families to get permission from a physician to have a midwife-attended home birth if they had a previous abdominal surgery like a Cesarean or even gall bladder removal. Please go to our website to read the call to action and learn what to say to your state senator when you call them today! http://www.cafamiliesformidwives.org//Stop-Anti-Midwifery-

Midwives, sweet families, lovers of midwifery and of women and babies in general...we need your help!! There is some pretty heavy midwifery-related legislation trying to break through in our state, and our state legislators need to hear from you - face-to-face - about why midwifery matters. Your visits can help *stop* these proposed amendments before they get introduced, which will allow us to keep our focus on proactive work improving access to midwifery care in California.... ACTION STEP: VISIT YOUR STATE LEGISLATOR What you can do: We will make it easy! Visit your state legislator in their local district office while the state Senate and Assembly are on "spring break." During the visit, you will share your concerns about this bill and your support for consumer-friendly midwife legislation. All consumers and midwives planning visits will receive a training and a fact sheet to bring along. You do not need to be a policy worker to visit your state legislator! Your passion for midwifery care is what is most important. How to get started: 1. Find your senator and assemblymember and their contact information here: http://www.legislature.ca.gov//legisl/your_legislator.html 2. Gather your people. You can visit on your own or bring a client, friend, or family member. All adults who attend should live in the district. Aim for 2-5 adults per visit. Bring BABIES if you can! We recommend not bringing along toddlers or active kids. 3. Prioritize visiting your senator. If you can't get an appointment with your senator or you're willing to make two visits, then make an appointment with your assemblymember. 4. Schedule an appointment in the district (local) office using the contact info above. Please try to schedule the appointment to occur ASAP- this week if possible. 5. What to say when scheduling: "My name is XXX and I am a constituent of senator YYY (or assemblymember ZZZ). I would like to make an appointment to discuss why midwives are important to me and why I oppose SB457, and I support AB1612 and SB798. I will be brining along [names of other visitors]. 5. Email Sarah at [email protected] as soon as you schedule the appointment. Please provide your phone number also. 6. Sarah or another legislative advocate will provide you with written material and brief verbal coaching by phone. THANK YOU for protecting midwifery, women, babies, and families.

The Birth Matters midwife assistants (aka The Kellys) say: Happy BabyFest!

The BabyFest 2017 schedule!

We will be at BabyFest 2017, will you?!

This stork brought a sweet blessing to a sweet family today! Can you believe that this beauty landed in the front yard the day labor began?!

http://vaccinesrevealed.com/ The 9 Part Docu-Series Begins Tonight.