Midwifery: January 2005 Archives

This would make a great gift for your favorite midwife!

Any woman who has been pregnant has probably experienced at least a few moments like this. Even in the most uncomplicated and easy birth, there are moments where one realizes just how close she is to the divide between life and death. Men and women both live out the consequences of original sin with sorrow and toil in their daily lives. One is not superior to the other.
A few of my midwife friends have also done hospice work. They all tell me there is an amazing similarity between preparing someone to give birth and/or to die well. As Catholic Christians, we are called to pray for a 'good death' but what we mean by that is very different from euthanasia (which literally translates to 'good death'). The good death in Catholic tradition is one in which the Sacraments are present, the person has had time to prepare for the journey, and any suffering has been offered up in union with the suffering of Christ on the cross. Hopefully, the person dying will be surrounded by family and friends all saying the Prayers for the Dying.
Those of you who are cradle Catholics - are there any specific prayers for a women in childbirth? I know that there were prayers of thanksgiving after birth (the so-called 'Churching of Women"). I know that during some of my labors I simply clung to the verse of Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me".
St Gerard, St Gianna, pray for all pregnant women, especially those now laboring to give birth.
St Joseph, pray for us that we be given the grace of a happy death.

First time in 40 years

Just wanted to let every one know that Ina May Gaskin will be in Kansas
City, MO on Friday evening March 4 2005 and all day Saturday March 5th for
the 10th Annual Conference of "Midwife means...with woman". This is being
presented by the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American College of
Nurse Midwives and sponsored by Saint Luke's hospital of Kansas City.

Conditions very difficult for those who survived
I wrote a big check and sent it to CRS - my heart breaks at what my sister midwives are up against. I wish that I could just go there and help, but I don't know the language or the culture and so I just continue to pray for them.

Did you know that Cuba does better than the USA?
Here is an interesting editorial comment on this.

... the miracle of birth for British women
Survey shows that mothers' dreams of holistic experience end in hospital shock
I grew up thinking of Britain as the haven of midwifery care and home birth, but I think that has been passed on to the Netherlands. However, the health care system in the Netherlands has its own negative issues, particularly in the care of the dying and of the handicapped.
If I ever have the time to delve deeply into it, I want to work on applying the Holy Father's Theology of the Body to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting issues. Maybe after I retire I can pursue a doctorate in theology.......

symptothermal NFP
There is also a program out there for Billings, and I have heard that one is under development for Creighton model.

The Delightful Secrets of Sex. (I wonder who wrote the headline?)
The Facts of Life & Marriage

(thanks to Dawn Eden)
A slap on the wrist for false and misleading advertising (PDF file, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Mifepristone (RU-486) black box warnings
Depo-Provera black box warning
warnings on Strattera (a drug for ADHD)
and for further depressing reading - the current drug shortages list.