How You Can Help

by admin on January 7, 2010

1.  Subscribe to this website so you can receive information and direction on how you can help with this movement.  Click here to subscribe by email. Legislators told NYSALM (New York State Alliance of Licensed Midwives) that they need to hear from consumers.  Subscribing to this site, joining us on facebook and on twitter are ways we can be counted.  Let's show our numbers! 2. Write to THREE legislators. They need to hear from consumers. You can use our sample letter and talking points. We encourage you to cut and paste and please add your own thoughts, words and personal stories. Also, feel free to add in a picture of your children as an added effect.  We are asking everyone to write to the following three legislators.
  • Assemblywoman Deborah Glick
We need everyone in New York State to contact Assemblywoman Glick.  She is a key player in this legislation.  Email AssemblyWoman Glick here or send her a letter: 853 Broadway Suite 1518 New York, NY 10003
  • Senator Stavisky
We need everyone to contact Senator Stravisky even if she is not your senator.  She needs to hear everyone in New York State. You can email her here or mail her a letter at: 509 Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12247
  • Your Senator
It is very important that you contact the Senator that represents you.  Click here to find your Senator and send them a letter. The site is very easy to use.  We will post clear instructions soon. Please read and consult the talking points so your letters are helpful and effective. 3. Talk to your friends and family in the Finger Lakes area and especially those who live in different parts of NY. Tell them about this website and encourage them to subscribe and write letters. Talk about it and link up to us onfacebook and twitter. 4. Come to an Event. We will be tabling at Greenstar on a regular basis and will be announcing dates and times on this site and on our facebook page. We are planning a Community Gathering this winter. Stay tuned for more details about events in our local area. Are you a talented community organizer/fundraiser?  We could use your help planning the winter Community Gathering.  Email Lauren@freeourmidwives.org if you have skills and time to share. 5. Participate in the Free Our Midwives Photography Project. This project has potential to raise interest and create solidarity amongst New York State consumers.  We have a goal of 1000 pictures!  Help make this possible! 6.  Plan an event for your friends, network and/or area. Don't live near Ithaca--even better.  Host an event that helps inform your friends and neighbors about the legislation and help them write letters.  Invite your friends over for tea and write letters together.  If you need help organizing an event in your local area please email Lauren@freeourmidwives.org for the information to get you started.

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New Year Updates

by admin on January 6, 2010

Happy New Year Everyone! We are looking forward to an exciting year of networking and activism as we make the big push towards freeing New York midwives from the confines of the WPA (written practice agreement). We've been strongly encouraged by the outpouring of community support and the momentum is carrying our movement forward.  We have been continuing to meet to discuss strategy and organization.  There is a lot of energy to move forward and we want to do so mindfully to make sure we are expending our energy in the right directions. Here are a few noteworthy highlights:
  • BirthNet is featured in this month Wishing Well Magazine. We are excited to be working with Wishing Well and widening our scope of community networking.  You can create a profile and review BirthNet's profile and leave comments on the article.  Your support is appreciated.  The article will also be printed in Tompkins Weekly on Monday, January 11.  Be sure to pick up a few copies for friends and family.
  • BirthNet Meetings: We had a great meeting on 12/30/09 with many new faces.  Thank you to everyone who came and brought their good energy and helping hands.  We were able to distribute the work effort and make new connections.  Next meetings are 1/13/10 and 1/27/10 at Cayuga Family Medicine from 6:30-8:00 pm.
  • Greenstar Tabling: Tues 1/12: 5-7pm, Weds 1/20: 4-6 pm  & Thurs 1/28: 5-7 pm . We invite you to stop by and sign letter, ask questions, buy a bumper sticker and have you picture taken for the photography project.  If you would like to volunteer to sit at the table and help please email Clarissa (lissa.farrell@gmail.com).
  • Save the date for Lobby Day on April 12, 2010. Join us on a trip to Albany to talk to legislators on how important it is that they support the Midwifery Modernization Act.
  • Our Facebook family continues to grow!  If you aren't a fan, please become one and please share our postings with your own networks.  You never know who we might reach with the amazing possibility of social media!
  • We have started planning a Community Event for winter. It will be an opportunity to gather as a community and show our support for the MMA.  We have lots of fun and innovative things in the works so stay tuned for dates and times.  If you would like to get involved with the planning we could use your help.  Contact Monica at monica@htva.net to volunteer and find out ways to help.  We would love to hear your great ideas!
  • Do you have relatives who live in other parts of New York State?  Please link them up to us.  This needs to be a state wide effort and we'd love to have the support of grandparents, friends and loved ones.  Show them how to subscribe to this site so we can keep everyone informed as the movement progresses.
I am going to leave you with a Q & A that occurred at the meeting last Wednesday.  We appreciate you support as we strengthen the birth network of New York State and make changes the support health and safe care for all women. Great Question of the night: I understand how this impacts homebirth midwives, but my friends had a hospital birth with midwives- how will this affect them? Midwives in the hospital have employment contacts that act as practice agreements. But it is not entirely the same thing.  Midwives are at risk in hospitals because malpractice insurance to cover those midwives is very high.  Midwives get paid less than ob-gyn docs and have a harder time covering their insurance premiums.  Hospital midwives are at risked of being dropped from the hospital or OB practice when midwifery programs are too expensive.  Eliminating practice agreements for those midwives allow them to practice more freely without risk of being let go because the collaborating entity are unable to support the cost of the midwives’ insurance.

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Birthnet Meeting

by admin on December 27, 2009

There will be a Birthnet meeting Wednesday, December 30th from 6:30-8:00 pm.  We will be meeting at the library in the children's section.  We will be furthering our organizational efforts on the current midwifery legislation.

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