Our Valentines Say: We LOVE Midwives!

Alabama legislators can expect to get lots of Valentines this year--"We Love Midwives Valentines" that is.  Alabama Birth Coalition kicked off the first of its state-wide Valentine-Making Parties in Florence, Alabama today.  Local supporters gathered art and craft supplies.  They got together to make Valentines that shared their love of Certified Professional Midwives and asked for their senators and representatives support in passing a bill to license Certified Professional Midwives in Alabama.  If you would like to join Alabama Birth Coalition in flooding Montgomery with "We love Midwives Valentines," please check out the information on our Facebook page and RSVP to a Valentine-Making Party near you.  If you can't make a party, you can still be a part of the movement!  Make a Valentine that shows your support for Certified Professional Midwives, and mail it from your home.  Click here to find your legislators' contact information by entering your zip code. 

 

Rep Phil Williams Meets Local ABC Supporters

January 25, 2012: Representative Phil Williams met with Harvest-area Alabama Birth Coalition supporters at Snappy Tomato Pizza in Harvest, Alabama.  Around 100 local supporters came out to meet Representative Williams and share with him their desire to see Certified Professional Midwives licensed in Alabama. 

The week ahead . . .

Here's how to get the most out of your visit to the State House... 

It's official!  We are on the calendar for Wednesday's Senate Health Committee meeting.  The meeting will take place in Room 727 (They scheduled it in a large room in preparation for a crowd.  Let's not disappoint!) of the State House at 11:30 a.m.  Please plan on arriving early and remember to allow plenty of time to find parking. CARPOOL if at all possible! Below is an outline to help you make the very most of your visit to Montgomery.

• In preparation, please educate yourself on what to say and what NOT to say.  The fine folks over at the Alabama Midwives Alliance have made this easy for you.  Please direct your attention to lobbying lessons one, four, and six.  It is extremely important that you be well-versed in the arguments in favor of SB238, as well as the arguments against it. Remember:  "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." 

• Call your legislators ahead of time to let them know you will be in Montgomery in support of SB238 and ask for a personal meeting with them.  To find your legislators, head here.  You can either call them at their home office today or call them at their Montgomery office tomorrow.  

• Dress professionally.  Leave the non-nurslings at home. Don't bring strollers.  Use the nice lounges in the restrooms (located on every floor) to nurse and soothe babies.  Be polite.  Be respectful.  Be good listeners.  There is a time and a place for everything.  We must be wise and choose our battles.  This is about passing legislation to legalize CPMs in Alabama and nothing more.  Read lobbying lesson eight for more detailed information about the logistics of getting to and around Montgomery.

• We will not need anyone to actually speak at the public hearing as we already have speakers lined up.  What we need most of all from our supporters is just that--a show of support by attending this hearing and by making contact with your legislators while you're on site.  Your personal legislators are the ones that need to hear from you most.  Please make every effort to make these contacts.

In summary: come prepared, dress nicely, follow the rules, and be respectful.  And always remember that it's much easier to catch flies with honey than it is with vinegar.  I can not wait to see all of your shining faces in the halls of the State House on Wednesday! Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard.  

Onward,
Jennifer and the rest of the ABC Board

This is what you've been waiting for!

It is my sincere hope that the public hearing that has been called for SB238 will be placed on next week's Senate Health Committee agenda.  What does this mean?  It means that we need your warm bodies in the State House for the committee meeting!  I do not have the exact details as of yet, but generally Senate Health Committee meetings are held on Wednesdays during the mid-morning.  I beg your patience while I wait on the details.  In the meantime, I'd like to ask that you all please take a look at your calendars and find a way to make it to Montgomery next week.  

Over at the Alabama Midwives Alliance website, you can find some super handy lessons for spending time in the State House.  Please read them carefully, ESPECIALLY LESSON #8, and heed the advice.  After years of doing this, I have quickly learned what helps our cause and what hinders it.

    

Here is a quick summary of Lesson #8:

• Dress nicely.  Our goal is to look as professional as possible.
• Be polite, quiet, and respectful when attending committee meetings, speaking with legislators, or even just hanging out in the halls.
• There is a time and place for everything, and we assure you that it will NOT help our cause to push the envelope regarding public breastfeeding, to have older children running around, or to clog the tiny halls with a stroller. Please trust me on this one.  Please. Should a baby require attention, all of the restrooms have a nice lounge area where you can tend to them without disrupting the committee meeting.
• Parking is a NIGHTMARE.  If at all possible, please carpool. Directions for getting to the State House and parking suggestions are included in Lesson #8.

I will send out an update as soon as I have the schedule for next week.  As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at jennifer.crook.moore[at]gmail[dot]com or 205/873.1332.  And please, spread the word like wild fire.  The new motto after the recent passing of the State Ethics Reform law is "Constituents First."  Let's hold 'em to it!

Onward,

Jennifer and the rest of the ABC Board

You Begin This Way . . .

The World Premiere of 

You Begin This Way!

6pm February 28th at WorkPlay Theatre
500 23rd Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233

Click Here to Buy Tickets- $20 in advance/$25 the day of the show

Be one of the very first to see this touching film about two first-time mothers from Alabama who are faced with making decisions about how, where, and with whom to have their babies. Made through the efforts of an all-local, all-volunteer cast and crew, You Begin This Way will hit home for anyone who sees it- even those who have not yet been faced with the decisions the characters in this film must make.  

Proceeds from this premiere event with benefit the Alabama Birth Coalition and help to further its mission of improving maternity care for Alabama women through the promotion of evidence-based maternity care, increasing access to midwives, and educating maternity consumers. .

The cost for this premiere event includes the screening of the movie as well as a reception. If you can't make it to this event, be on the look-out for screenings near you coming soon! DVDs of You Begin This Way  will also be available for sale.

For more information, contact the Alabama Birth Coalition atalbirthcoalition@gmail.com or find us online at www.alabamabirthcoalition.org.