BlogBloghttp://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010-02-10T17:16:41ZSquarespaceIn the news . . .http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/2/10/in-the-news.html[Your Name Here]2010-02-10T17:15:46Z2010-02-10T17:15:46ZAlabama Public Radio aired a piece on our effort last week.  Listen here.  Thanks to Daniel Cherry and APR for their coverage of this issue.  

]]>We LOVE our supporters!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/2/1/we-love-our-supporters.html[Your Name Here]2010-02-01T23:07:25Z2010-02-01T23:07:25ZWe want to thank all of the individuals who donated during the month of January.  

Thanks to ROJO restaurant for their continued generosity.  On January 24th ROJO hosted "Send Jennifer to Montgomery" night and we were able to collect donations to reimburse our citizen lobbyist, Jennifer Crook Moore, for her weekly trips to lobby for our midwifery bill in Montgomery. Thanks to the musicians who shared their time and gifts with us:  Brad Armstrong, Lee Bains III, Jason Lucia, Kate Taylor, and Taylor Hollingsworth.  Thanks especially to the individuals and families who came out and gave so generously.

Thanks to everyone who made Birth, a One Act Play by Karen Brody, a beautiful and moving event.  Particular thanks to our director, Elizabeth Hunter, stage manager Robby Naylor, and the six amazing actresses:  Melanie Jeffcoat, Sara Glassman, Gillian Puffer, Amanda Perry, Jessica Latten, and Emily Parks.  We also want to thank our honoree and talkback panelist member Dr. James Head, and our other talkback panelists:  Jennifer Crook Moore, Virginia Crescenzi, Elizabeth Hunter, and Rae Davies.  Many businesses and individuals donated money, time, space, goods, and services to make the evevnt possible: Rojo, Southern Pines Chiropractic, Area 41 Pizza, ASFA, Christine Prichard/Viewtopia, Dana Smithberg/Image Arts, Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham, TicketBiscuit, WorkPlay, Primavera, Chez Lulu, Melissa Barksdale, Cheeky Maiden Soap, Christy Batts, Ashley Love.  HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED!!!!

]]>Oh, Rojo!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/1/25/oh-rojo.html[Your Name Here]2010-01-25T16:25:07Z2010-01-25T16:25:07ZRojo, Rojo!  Como te quiero!  Last night's event was a roaring success.  The side room at Rojo was packed with friends, fans, family, and babies. The folks at Rojo are generous beyond words. Everyone there has a heart of gold!  The music was perfect. Endless thanks to Brad Armstrong, Lee Bains III, Jason Lucia, Kate Taylor, and Taylor Hollingsworth for sharing their time and gifts with us.  Thank you to all of the amazing women who made the event a success, namely Andi Lucia, Dana Gale, Laney DeJonge, and Susan Petrus.  Thanks to Mr. Dana (Jeff) Gale for bringing us into the 21st century. Thanks to everyone who so generously gave of their time and checking accounts to be with us last night.  It makes every minute I have to spend in high heels worth it!

P.S.  Go eat at Rojo!

]]>Upcoming Events, aka Come Out and Have Fun with ABC!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/1/23/upcoming-events-aka-come-out-and-have-fun-with-abc.html[Your Name Here]2010-01-23T16:01:39Z2010-01-23T16:01:39ZConsider this your friendly reminder about ABC's upcoming events.  Come show your love and support for ABC!

  • THIS Sunday, January 24th at Rojo in Birmingham from 6:30 - 11:00 p.m. come listen to music by Dead Fingers (Kate Taylor and Taylor Hollingsworth) and Armstrong Bains (Brad Armstrong, Lee Bains, and Jason Lucia), eat some tasty Rojo fare, and enjoy our company.  There's a $5 suggested donation at the door and at the end of it all, the unbelievably generous folks over at Rojo will donate a percentage of the night's sales to ABC.  Good music, good food, good company, good cause . . . what else could you ask for?
  • Huntsville Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction on Saturday, January 30th at 10:30 a.m. at the Wild Rose Cafe.  Please purchase your tickets in advance here. Come out, eat some tasty flapjacks, and show your love for your fellow midwife lovin' Huntsvillians!
  • Don't miss the Alabama premiere of Birth, a one act play by Karen Brody, at 7pm on January 30th at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Directed by MUSE OF FIRE: Shakespeare at Sloss founder Elizabeth Hunter, this powerful one-act play has been described as "the Vagina Monologues for birth". 

  The play captures the truth about our childbirth crisis today: it is failing most low-risk pregnant women.   Performed as part of a global activist theatre movement known as BOLD, Birth uncovers the secret lives   of regular women in labor as they confront coercion in hospitals and uncover “my body rocks” strategies   for achieving a powerful birth experience. 

  Tickets are $20 advance/$25 at the door and are on sale now!  Seating is limited, so grab yours today.

 

]]>BOLD messages for BOLD women!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/1/23/bold-messages-for-bold-women.html[Your Name Here]2010-01-23T15:50:29Z2010-01-23T15:50:29ZBelow are messages included in the playbill for Birth, a one act play by Karen Brody, which will be performed on Saturday, January 30th at 7 p.m. at the Alabama School of Fine Arts Theatre.  Elizabeth Hunter will be directing.  Tickets for the one time performance are available here.

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*For my sisters Laana, Sonja, Tabi, Lydia, and Ruthi—I love you and am proud of you!

 
*For T.D, I.M, S.H., and P.H—BOLD midwives who give other women the strength to be bold.  I love you and can’t thank you enough!
 
*To my “mommy forever” Yvonne--thanks for giving me life and teaching me so much.  I love you!
 
*To my mom-in-law Denise--you did a terrific job raising my awesome husband!  I love you!
 
*To the BOLD women who serve on ABC’s board and volunteer for Alabama Birth Coalition:  Thank you for all you do for Alabama families.
 
*A special shout-out to Shannon and the BOLD midwives of ALMA.  Alabama moms LOVE midwives! Thank you for everything.
 
*To Judy, one of the BOLDest women I know. . .Your Birth Stories group means the world to me.  Thanks!
 
*For all of the families who are speaking out about the need for better maternity care in Alabama.
 
*I would like to honor all birthing women in Alabama.  It's your birth. . . know your options.  Happy Birthing!
 
*For my mom, Nancy: Thank you for always believing in me.  I will always be here for you through good and bad times as you have been for me!
 
*Terri LaPoint, many thanks go out to you for your kindness.  Because of you, I was able to attend the skills lab last year.  You're amazing!
 
 

 

]]>Rojo's Rockin' for ABC!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/1/11/rojos-rockin-for-abc.html[Your Name Here]2010-01-11T16:59:54Z2010-01-11T16:59:54ZThe incredible folks at Rojo have done it again! Join us on Sunday, January 24th from 6:30 till 11 for food, drinks, and some awesome music provided by Dead Fingers (Kate Taylor and Taylor Hollingsworth) and Armstrong Bains. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Alabama Birth Coalition and particularly our own wonder woman, Jennifer Moore, who will be donating time, energy, and money during the upcoming legislative session. She doesn't get paid for her effort, but we can help send her to Montgomery knowing that she can have a healthy lunch every day and put gas in her car! 

Endless thanks to Laney DeJonge and the folks at Rojo, Kate Taylor, Taylor Hollingsworth, Jason Lucia, Lee Bains, and Brad Armstrong for so generously supporting our cause with their time, talent, and love.

 

 

]]>BIRTH is on the horizonhttp://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2010/1/10/birth-is-on-the-horizon.html[Your Name Here]2010-01-11T02:03:56Z2010-01-11T02:03:56ZDon't forget to get your tickets for the upcoming performance of Birth, a one act play by Karen Brody, on Saturday, January 30th at 7 p.m. at the Alabama School of Fine Arts Theatre.  Tickets are available here on our website.  Buy them now and save a few bucks.  They're $20 in advance and $25 the day of the performance.  

Elizabeth Hunter, the founder and artistic director of Muse of Fire, will be directing a fabulous cast of local actresses (photo below).  Please join us!  

Photo by Christine Prichard/Viewtopia Pictures

]]>Get your tickets NOW!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2009/12/14/get-your-tickets-now.html[Your Name Here]2009-12-14T17:41:17Z2009-12-14T17:41:17ZABC's gone and gotten high tech!  Thanks to our fine friends over at TicketBiscuit, we can now sell tickets to our events through our website.  

Your first order of business after reading this exciting news is to head to our "Buy Tickets" page and grab a couple (or ten) tickets for the one-time performance of Birth, a One Act Play by Karen Brody.  ABC will benefit directly from your purchase.  The performance will be held on Saturday, January 30th at 7:00 p.m. at the Alabama School of Fine Arts theatre.  

]]>Save the date!http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2009/12/6/save-the-date.html[Your Name Here]2009-12-07T03:14:08Z2009-12-07T03:14:08ZOn January 30th, 2010 at 7 pm, the Alabama Birth Coalition will present Birth, a one-act play by Karen Brody, at the Alabama School of Fine Arts Theatre.  Proceeds will benefit the Alabama Birth Coalition's work of educating families about evidence-based maternity care practices and increasing childbirth options.  Tickets will soon be available for purchase online.  Stay tuned!

]]>Successful Walk for Midwives Raises Awarenesshttp://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/blog/2009/11/2/successful-walk-for-midwives-raises-awareness.html[Your Name Here]2009-11-02T16:39:10Z2009-11-02T16:39:10ZPerfect fall weather provided an ideal setting for the Alabama Birth Coalition’s “Walk  for  Midwives” events held throughout the state on Saturday, October  3rd.  Approximately  400 people, from newborns to grandparents, turned out to walk in Huntsville, Cullman, Birmingham, and Dothan, helping to raise public awareness and nearly $15,000 in funds to assist the campaign to license Certified Professional Midwives in Alabama.

While research consistently confirms the safety of planned out-of-hospital birth attended by a trained midwife, Alabamians do not have that legal option.  The state currently recognizes only Certified Nurse Midwives, who are not trained in out-of-hospital care, and are only attending hospital births. Families who desire out-of-hospital birth must travel outside of the  state,  find a midwife willing to risk prosecution, or give birth unassisted. The Alabama Birth Coalition seeks to pass legislation that will permit Certified Professional Midwives, who are specifically trained in out-of-hospital birth, to practice in Alabama.

HANNAH ELLIS, walk coordinator for Huntsville said: "It's very important that we license Certified Professional Midwives because Alabama moms are choosing to give birth in out-of-hospital settings, and we want to make sure they have access to Certified Professional Midwives who are trained to help them give birth safely in out of hospital settings." Huntsville’s ABC station, WAAY 31, was on hand as supporters carried signs and walked through Big Spring Park.

LEANNE REED, walk coordinator for Birmingham reported: “We had a fantastic turnout at the Birmingham Walk, with about 175 people of all ages. “Folks enjoyed visiting while they had breakfast and checked out the terrific silent  auction, coordinated by our ICAN team Kaleigh Naylor and Carli Biddle.  At  9:30,  Dana Gale led the walk around a gorgeous park and residential area. Media from CBS42 and Alabama Public Radio were on hand to cover the event.

ASHLEY  MOTZENBECKER, walk coordinator for Dothan stated: “We had an enthusiastic group of walkers.” Dothan’s walk in Eastgate Park was followed by a Red Tent Event, where participants shared birth stories. "I’ve been longing to connect with other like-minded families in this area, for safer birth and for midwives!” said Amanda Martin, a Dothan area supporter.

CHATTY FREEMAN, walk coordinator for Cullman said: “The number of people who turned out for our walk and bake sale was encouraging. Hopefully legislators will notice that this is important to Alabama families and will have a positive impact on the legislative effort.” Currently, many families from the Cullman area travel to Tennessee in order to deliver with Certified Professional Midwives, and they are looking forward to the day when they can choose a CPM in Alabama.

The Walk for Midwives generated an enormous amount of energy and awareness of the issue. It is hoped that policymakers in Alabama will take notice and recognize the need to change our laws, allowing families to choose Certified Professional Midwives, who provide safe, proven, and cost-effective care

If you missed the walk, but would still like to make a contribution, we encourage you to do so either via Paypal on our website or by check to Alabama Birth Coalition, P.O. Box 121, Montevallo, AL  35115.

If you would like to buy a t-shirt from the walk, please e-mail albirthnorth@gmail.com. Adult sizes are $15 and youth sizes are $10 each.

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