Most of the audience stayed for the discussion after the film--we had lively conversations about VBAC bans, the disappearing art of vaginal breech birth, how to find midwives in midwife-unfriendly states, and how to bring about changes in our current maternity care system. The discussion carried on for several more hours at my house.
We also did made birth art with silk painting and learned how to make jewelry.
On Friday night, the dinner conversation must have been quite exciting because Zari fell asleep right in the middle of eating.
More pictures forthcoming, once other attendees send me theirs! Many thanks to everyone for coming from so far away. We had women from Iowa, Arizona, Missouri, Connecticut, and Michigan!
Melanie says that I look a lot like this when I am falling asleep in stats class.....that may be from the Freeze side of the family.
ReplyDeleteOMG! She is so cute:))
ReplyDeleteWhat? I missed this? I would appreciate next time if you wait until I have a baby, so I can attend. I'm glad you had such a great time. All the crafts remind me of last Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI'll send you my pictures, at least the ones I still have. Matt got a little crazy while he was playing with my camera yesterday, and erased several pictures I had of Magda, Liam, and Zari. I was NOT pleased. I'll get the rest to you soon, though.
ReplyDeleteRixa, this was such an important and informative and mostly, FUN time. Thank you a trillion times over for letting us all take over your home. I will be sending/posting pics soon as well. I will also be compiling any info I can for the women of your state in order to help out with what seemed to be a MAJOR shortage of homebirth midwives, or at least, a seeming impossibility of connecting the women to the providers they so desperately need and want.
ReplyDeleteSUCH a blast.
looks like fun, wish i could have been there. Oh, I forgot....my baby is dead.
ReplyDeletewas that last anonymous comment meant to be a jab at home-birthers? if you don't like the blog or the discussion on it, don't read it. k.b.
ReplyDeleteBritt, I'll definitely throw you a birth & babies party when you have one!! It was a great time.
ReplyDeleteWe have both a major shortage of home birth midwives (something like 75% of them have left in the past decade due to legal persecution) and a real hard time locating them (due again to our legal situation). It's so frustrating because midwifery used to be more alegal here, but after various rulings and cases, it has changed status to illegal--aka the practice of medicine without a license. Despite many, many attempts to decriminalize midwifery, the state medical associations have successfully lobbied against it.
Not sure what that dead baby comment was supposed to mean. A major reason I am concerned with our current birth climate is that it is unhealthy for both mothers and babies. Ah well...
We talked about forming a dictatorship in which every woman had free and unlimited access to childbirth choices, complete support for out-of-hospital birth of every kind, where breastfeeding was normal, where families didn't have to agonize between working and taking care of their little ones--all that good stuff. Anyone care to join me? I will be your benevolent dictator (insert sinister laughter).
"Anyone care to join me? I will be your benevolent dictator (insert sinister laughter)"
ReplyDeleteMe! I'll live under your dictatorship any time ;) Just keep the bread coming out of the oven and we'll all be happy!
I'm with Jen!
ReplyDeleteOh by the way, Rixa, I forgot to get your bread recipe before I left. Could you post it? I'm dying for some more of it. It was so yummy.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rixa for the wonderful time! One very productive and creative day! (and then one flu-ridden... sorry I was no fun). We were indeed in good hands with our gracious hostess and Fearless Leader Rixa, heehee! although I think a birthing free-for-all would be better described by anarchy than dictatorship... now please don't sentence me to the forced labor camps for saying so! LOL
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a good time. I hope y'all solved some of the world's problems! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to our BOBB screening on 12/8. Every time I read about a BOBB event I get even more excited to see it!
Wow, what an amazing time everyone had! I wish I could have been there! I would have been too "star-struck" in the presence of my favorite bloggers to do much more than babble incoherently, I'm sure. ;)
ReplyDeleteK.B.
ReplyDeleteI did have a "homebirth"....and my baby died as a result.
-anonymous
Looks so wondeful, Rixa!
ReplyDeleteThose plates are beautiful.
Thanks for organizing the viewing. My friend and I LOVED it and thanks to the help of all the ladies I was able to get in touch with Bernice and it looks like I'll be able to be at home for my child's birth as well.
ReplyDeleteTotally excited with a smidge of scared silly.
From someone who was there who has not had a baby...Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, food, and discussion! The selection criteria did NOT exclude men, women without babies, or women with a good hospital/FP/OB experience, nor did it require a homebirth, a bad hospital experience, or a nursling. Being passionate about choices in maternal care and childbirth will require advocacy from all before we can change the world. :)
ReplyDelete