Hello dear readers,
It is with great joy that I announced that the Oakland Green Party has voted unanimously to support AB1308 – this bill contains changes to the present Midwifery Law which will make home birth and birth center births available to many more women, especially low income and women of color. This option will have a direct impact in addressing the distressing infant mortality rate in State of California.
Please read the information below and letter from Treesa Mclean of California Families for Access to Midwives – show your individual support and give the governor a call to express your support for this important bill.
I thank the Oakland Greens and I thank everyone who reads this for taking the time to make that call and spread the word! Reproductive choice includes being able to choose the caregiver and setting of ones birth experience… Feel free contact me lsamsarahmorgan@gmail.col with questions as well as CA Families for Access to Midwifery (info to follow).
Peace and baby blessings – Samsarah Morgan (Urban Nana)
Doula, Parenting Educator, Midwife Apprentice, Mother, Grandmother, Minister and Counselor.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Treesa McLean
Subject: CFAM
To: lsamsarahmorgan@gmail.com
Dear Samsarah,
First I would like to thank you for the opportunity to address the Oakland Green Party, yesterday. I appreciate being able to speak directly with the members of our community.
Below I have written a short introduction to California Families for Access to Midwives, and to the bill AB 1308. Thank you for supporting our work in helping families have access to the many choices pregnant women deserve.
Dear Green Party Members,
I am Treesa Mclean, a Licensed Midwife in the San Francisco Bay Area. I provide homebirth services to families in my community. I am a birth activist, and volunteer with an organization called California Families for Access to Midwives.
California Families for Access to Midwives includes mothers, fathers, families and their communities who advocate safe, affordable and healthy birth options. CFAM is working to improve the health of mothers and babies by increasing access to midwifery care.
As the Vice President of CFAM I am asking the members of the Green Party of California to join us in asking Governor Brown to sign Assembly Bill 1308. AB 1308 is an historic bill that was written with imput from Doctors, Midwives and families in California. It does several things including making Licensed Midwives independent practioners, allow us to take the first steps in becoming medi-cal providers for the first time. The changes will also allow midwives to order tests, medications, and devices they need to care for their clients. The changes in this bill will allow more families in California to choose midwifery care, 48% of women in California qualify for medical during pregnancy. The changes in this bill will allow low income women to begin to access the same care that more affluent women in California have enjoyed.
Midwifery care is woman and family centered. It has been demonstrated that midwifery care can decrease the number of interventions that mothers and babies are subjected to in the hospital, increasing the health of our families. Midwifery care and homebirth has over and over been shown to be a safe alternative to hospital birth for low risk women. All women should have access to safe, affordable women centered care!
Please call or write
Governor Brown
phone 916-445-2842
http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php
Below I have given some more in depth information and links about the process of the writing and lobbying around AB 1308.
This year CFAM was formed in response to a bill sponsored by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) , and carried by Assemblywoman Bonilla, that would effect the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act. Bonilla introduced a bill AB 1308, into the legislature, that was sponsored to change the licensed midwifery law in California. The California Association of Midwives began lobbying on behalf of midwives and families, to make sure that the changes were positive ones, and would not unduly curtail midwifery in California. At a certain point they hit a brick wall. CFAM was formed to give voice to the families that this law would directly affect.
And the families voices were heard, they wanted midwifery care, and they wanted to increase the number of families who could get it. Because of the overwhelming response of California Families, CAM and ACOG went back to the table and wrote an historic bill, historic because it removed physician supervision ( which is both unattainable, and unworkable in California) and because all parties agreed on the bill, and no opposition was presented. The bill passed both the assembly and senate unanimously!
CFAM Analysis of the bill
California Association of Midwives Legislative updates
http://www.californiamidwives.org/Admin/default.aspx
Birth With Treesa, Midwifery Services
Treesa McLean, LM, CPM
License #LM285
www.birthwithtreesa.com
Cell: 510-427-5487
Office: 510-581-1013
PS
you can visit CFAM at
Cafamiliesformidwives.org
and sign up for updates
—
L. Samsarah Morgan DD Cht
Nia Healing Center,Birth Professionals of the Bay Area,
Bay Area Birth Keeper Doulas,
Oakland Better Birth Foundation
510-393-7380 – cell
510-655-8045- fax