State of Florida Celebrates International Day of the Midwife

April 30, 2010 (Florida) -- May 5th is the International Day of the Midwife, a day set aside in 1991 by the International Confederation of Midwives and observed in over 50 nations worldwide. In 1992, Florida Governor Lawton Chiles joined in this celebration by adding Florida to the growing list of states and countries that observe this day.

The World Health Organization states: “On the International Day of the Midwife, we pay tribute to the work of the midwives who are key healthcare providers in facilities and communities. They provide the high‐quality and cost‐effective package of care desperately needed by millions of women around the world. The World Health Organization recognizes the contribution of midwives to the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and renews its support to quality midwifery!”

Special Events Throughout Florida

In honor of this day, Florida Friends of Midwives, a non-profit consumer organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida, will host events throughout the state, and support those hosted by sister organizations. On May 5th, The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery will host their annual celebration of the day in Gainesville, featuring special guests Jill Sonke and Cindy Nelly of the University of Florida Center for the Arts in Healthcare Research and Education (CAHRE). Sonke and Nelly have spearheaded arts in medicine missions in Rwanda, the Congo, and most recently Haiti. On May 6th in Sarasota, Florida Friends of Midwives will host an exclusive screening of Guerrilla Midwife, a documentary recently showcased at the Sarasota Film Festival. The film follows midwife Robin Lim along the streets of Bali and into the Acehnese refugee camps of the Indonesian Archipelago, where the midwifery model of care is put to the test, at the epicenter of the turmoil following the December 2004 Tsunami. And on May 8th, the Miami Florida Friends of Midwives chapter will show the film Laboring Under an Illusion, an anthropological exploration of media-generated myths about childbirth.

A Florida Midwife’s Perspective of International Midwifery

No stranger to the international disparity in childbirth practice, Orlando Licensed Midwife Jennie Joseph was the first foreign-trained midwife to be licensed under the Midwifery Practice Act in Florida in 1994. “I trained as a midwife in England 31 years ago and graduated in May of 1981 with the knowledge that midwifery was the 'gold standard' of care for women worldwide,” says Joseph. “Imagine my surprise on arriving in the US in 1989, where I quickly discovered a total lack of interest, understanding or even acknowledgment of the importance of midwives for a nations health.”

Ms. Joseph is executive director of The Birth Place, a free-standing birthing facility in Winter Garden, and the developer of The JJ WAY, a Maternal Child Healthcare delivery model for indigent women. “Today, I begin to have hope that American's are opening up to the benefits of midwifery in matters of choice, safety, empowerment and economy; that we realize that the midwifery model of care can be the vehicle that moves us higher up on the list of countries providing exemplary maternity care for it's citizens, and that truly 'a midwife for every mother' is not an impossible dream,” says Joseph. “A heartfelt thank you to all the midwives - past, present and future and Happy International Midwives Day!”

Midwives have a long and valued history in Florida. The state first passed legislation to license direct-entry midwives in 1931, and the first Certified Nurse Midwife was licensed in Florida in 1970. Florida’s midwives have continued to tirelessly serve the families of Florida and to ensure the continued availability of safe, evidence-based birthing options for Florida’s families.

About Florida Friends of Midwives: Florida Friends of Midwives is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's families. For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.

Tickets on Sale Friday for An Evening with Ina May Gaskin

Tickets to An Evening with Ina May Gaskin go on sale via PayPal on Friday, 9/18, at approximately 10:00 am. Only 150 guests will have the privilege of dining with Ina May, so please get your tickets early!

Tickets include dinner, a cash bar, and live music with Radio Free Carmela and the Transmitters at the gorgeous Boathouse of the Sarasota Hyatt Regency Hotel. Doors will open at approximately 5:30 on November 1st, immediately following the free panel discussion Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond, at the same hotel. The panel discussion is free but reservations are strongly recommended, and may be made by emailing laura@kangaroopromotions.net.

Links to buy tickets may be found Friday morning on the Florida Friends of Midwives website (http://www.flmidwifery.org/) as well as on the blog http://www.borninsarasota.blogspot.com/.

Tickets are $35 for the event only, or $60 with a signed book of your choice--Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, or her newest--not even released yet--Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding!

I hope to see many of you there...this is the opportunity of a lifetime to pay thanks to someone who is directly responsible for paving the way to the availability of direct-entry midwifery we all care about so deeply. Thank you and I can answer any questions you have!

Laura Gilkey, Vice President
Florida Friends of Midwives

An Evening with Ina May Gaskin

Ticket Only $35.00 Ticket and Signed Copy of Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding $60.00 Ticket and Signed Copy of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth $60.00 Ticket and Signed Copy of Spiritual Midwifery $60.00

Call for Regional Group Leaders

As the work facing FFOM becomes clearer, the need for committed volunteers is critical. Over the next few weeks, you will see several requests for committee members.

Think about ways in which you can help preserve birth options in our state. Where do your talents lie? What can you contribute?

As Regional Groups Coordinator, I am charged with the task of recruiting at least one Regional Group Leader for each of the 8 regions shown here.Some regions may ultimately be represented by more than one individual, depending of the size/number of metropolitan areas in a region. The following should answer your questions about why these groups will be so important in the work of FFOM.

Why are Regional Groups so important?

Florida is a diverse state, and the characteristics of its population, economy, communities, and environment vary widely from Pensacola to Miami, from Jacksonville to Clearwater. When FFOM was originally founded in 1989, it was made up of several regional friends of midwives groups who all decided to get together so they could become more effective. We'd like to keep that idea alive through the creation of regional groups. Regional groups will provide a local and regional perspective to our work and help us adequately address the issues that impact every region of the state.

What do Regional Groups do?

Regional groups are local groups of parents and professionals who share information, offer support, and protect the rights of women and families to make informed choices within their local community. Regional groups can get together for social and networking functions. We encourage local leaders to hold regular meetings and engage in bigger projects by participating in FFOM's educational, advocacy, and fund raising efforts.

If you are interested in leading a Regional Group in your area or have questions about regional groups, we encourage you to contact us at regions@flmidwifery.org.