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Earlier this week, we heard that the midwives were rallying at the Capital in Salem, OR with legislators.  They have been under an immense amount of heat over the recent months as more and more families are speaking out about the shockingly low level of care received from midwives.  With 24 hours notice we gather a group of families, some driving for HOURS to come be a voice for those that have suffered preventable injuries under the care of midwives. 

I am so proud and grateful for those that dropped everything to come stand with us.
It was such an empowering day.  I thought about all the stories I have heard about women injured, babies that died . . . and our own experience at Abel's birth.  I hope that families everywhere find the strength to publicly voice their experience and heartache and that legislators finally step up and say that no romanticized ideal is worth a baby's right to the best chance at life.

ALL birth providers should:

-be held to the same high standard of risk assessment, accountability and transparency.

-be licensed.

-carry malpractice insurance.

-follow evidence based practices.

-have their outcomes reported to an unbiased, separate organization to be presented to the public quickly so that consumers can make an educated decision.


This is not about taking away a woman's right.  By offering misleading information, withholding statistics and not holding themselves accountable in any way- it is the midwifery community that is taking away a woman's right to an Educated Decision.

One preventable death or disability, is ONE too many.

Please Stand UP for Abel and contact your legislator.   In particular Rep. Parrish, who spoke at the midwifery rally voicing her support and making the horrific claim that Midwifery saves the state 2.5 million dollars a year.  My son's lifetime expense to the state will be astronomical.  Sadly, most of the children injured get to the hospital to late to be revived.  Just because they died instead of having a costly C-section or NICU stay does not make it a benefit to the state.  That is a shocking statement that turns my stomach.  Especially, when Representative Parrish said it to the face of the victims.  The lose of each babies life or quality of life a cost that can not be calculated,to the families, the state and society as a whole.

Senator Bates, Representative Greenlick, Representative Hoyle and Representative Keny-Guyer are also in key positions to make decisions on this issue.

Mom & Dad
2/19/2012 12:30:00 pm

We are so proud of you Kris and Greg. Abel is so lucky to have such great parents!

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Terri C
2/19/2012 01:40:59 pm

You and Abel are "da bomb."

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Terri C
2/19/2012 01:52:34 pm

The whole thing is beautiful--how anyone could not be touched by your posters, the photos, the balloons, you very articulate folks speaking--it's mindblowing. Also I think Abel is a natural when it comes to dealing w/the public. Loved the photo of him practically on top of the microphone. Keep on keeping on and thank you.

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Dawn
2/23/2012 02:08:59 pm

I think it's horrible that you suffered so much at the hands of poorly trained midwives. However, that does NOT give you the right to purposely misrepresent the words of someone else. For you to say that what Rep. Parrish meant by her statement was that money is saved because babies die instead of spending time in the NICU is TERRIBLE. I understand that you are hurting and in pain, but that kind of misrepresentation of what someone says is just awful. She did not mean that the money was saved when babies skipped the NICU or a c-section in favor of dying. She meant that money was saved by the fact that midwifery care is generally much less expensive, while *usually* still resulting in good outcomes. That's it.

I am incredibly sorry for your difficulties and I sincerely hope Oregon gets its act together in terms of midwifery legislation, and I'm glad I live in a place with many options for safe, highly trained midwifery care. However, purposely misrepresenting the words of someone in order to make them look evil and uncaring is pretty horrible. This kind of thing will not help you heal, nor does it make your message more palatable to those who mistakenly believe that it's better for midwives to remain poorly trained and unlicensed.

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Krissy
2/23/2012 11:06:58 pm

Well, several people wrote Parrish in response to her being pro-choice when it comes to home birth. Her only response to the money was that it was not her main goal, freedom to birth however you want even if it can lead to death or injury was her platform from what I take. Of course Parrish only sent out a form letter. Same response to everyone no matter what there questions were. It is just irresponsible to throw figures out there, the public hears a sound byte and goes with it, "oh look honey, midwifes are cheaper". The main point is that Parrish did not talk to anyone on the other side of the fence and how do you really form an opinion without doing so? The midwives also had some man talking about his mother being gassed at his birth. This is very outdated information. The mother that said her babies have celiac disease due to being born by cesarean? The statements made that day were not educated or well thought out. I just want Parrish to realize she needs more information. But maybe she doesn't really care. Maybe it's all for a donation for her campaign.

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2/23/2012 02:55:36 pm

Dawn, I am not sure why you are offended. Instead of actually gathering her own, unbiased information Rep. Parrish repeated a number that midwives have been waving around since 1993 at least. We save 2.5 million dollars! This is the most simplistic service for service comparison. A Doctor has more expenses because they are more skilled, have much more education, malpractice insurance, and modern technology at their finger tips. Now Midwives want that stuff to be there when their births go horribly wrong but it costs them nothing. Hospitals pay to have every drug possible on hand at all times, all blood types. Doctors are prepared to do a little more to prevent deaths and injuries which costs a little more upfront. Midwives do not track their outcomes so we know they are not including information like my son's NICU stay, Ambulance ride, procedures, therapies, doctors, specialists, chiropractors, equipment, school equipment, disabilities programs . . . for his LIFE TIME into the equation.

Your IP says you are in Honolulu so you may have a different system (I truly hope so). I have heard several stories from Women where they have ended up paying huge out of pocket expenses as well as expenses to their insurance when they ended up being transferred and both the hospital and midwives were paid.

Plain and simply by praising that midwifery saves 2.5 million dollars a year you are supporting poor service and outcomes in exchange for a tiny drop in the State's Budget. If you really want to save money for the state, let's just order all hospitals to only provide the same care and services of midwives. Think of all the money we will save!! (oops, and deaths and disabilities.)

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