Issue 79

Autumn 2006

Theme: The Business of Midwifery

Midwifery, although it comes from the heart, is also a business. This issue of Midwifery Today addresses many ways to professionalize your practice, from writing articles to using the media, improving billing to branching out to related areas. Also included are articles on international programs to bring improved midwifery services to developing countries, medical issues, inspiring homebirths and alternative treatment methods.

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Departments

• Poetry
• From the Editor
  The mother of Midwifery Today shares her thoughts on the barriers self-employment by midwives.
• Networking
• Tricks of the Trade
• Midwifery Model of Care—Phase II: Newborn Care
  Continuing the ongoing discussion about how midwifery should look in the 21st century, Alyssa Martin shares her thoughts on knowing when to intervene in newborn care immediately after birth.
• Marion’s Message 
  Marion recounts her visit to Afghanistan, arranged by her friend Siri, to volunteer as a teacher and insert IUDs
• Media Reviews
• News
• Classified Advertising
• Calendar
• Photo Album

• The Business of Birthing: The Write Way to More Clients—Sheri Menelli and Adriane Smith
  One way to get the word about midwifery out and to advertise your services is by writing articles. The authors share some tips on how to do so.
• Shari Daniels: Maverick Midwife Blazes Trails and Births Babies on TV—Daphne Singingtree—Daphne Singingtree
  Finally, a television show that shows that birth can be normal! Read all about Shari Daniels, the force behind this new show.
• C-sections, Breastfeeding and Bugs for Your Baby: What the Doctor Probably Won’t Tell You—Jeff D. Leach
• Profits and Rewards—Why Don’t Midwives Earn High Salaries?—Michele Klein 
  This article discusses how midwives’ caring natures has conflicted with making money.
• A Vermont Homebirth—Jennifer Carusone 
  Using pictures and poetry to highlight her experience, the author tells about her homebirth.
• Is My Baby Yellow?—Judy Slome Cohain
  An article defining and discussing hyperbilirubinemia, or jaundice, in newborns and recent guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Jaundice Dictionary—Judy Slome Cohain
• Midwifery and Malpractice—Barbara Bridgman Perkins
  A discussion of past and present malpractice crises in the US and how midwives are affected.
• Experiential Learning for Childbirth—Mindy Goorchenko 
  The author explains how believing that something is possible can cause it to happen, and how this concept relates to natural birth.
• “Hands-off” Care and Birth as an Out-of-body Experience—Alison Bastien
  Are women losing touch with their bodies as a result of ultrasounds and other technology? Regular contributor Alison Bastien shares her experiences and solution.
• Wild Geese and a Heron—Tiffany Lundeen 
  A beautifully written account of the author’s homebirth.
• Developing a Freelance Midwifery Consultancy Business—Dianne Garland 
  The author shares her experience with the transition from midwife to midwifery consultant in the UK.
• Probiotics: A Better Way to Treat Infections during Pregnancy—Genevieve Lewis
  Using a real-life example and sharing a recipe for kefir, this midwife shares the facts on probiotics.
• GBS in a Homebirth Setting—Renee Meuse Bishara 
  Group B streptococcus is a common bacterium that can adversely affect vaginally-delivered babies, if not detected and treated. This article covers the various protocols that midwives may use to deal with it.
• Voluntary Licensure—Carol Gray 
  One woman’s opinion on mandatory licensing of midwives.
• Supporting Mothers in Long-term Breastfeeding—Janell E. Robisch 
• Tax Tips for Independent Midwives—Christine P. Silva
  Using three scenarios in which a midwife might practice, accountant and tax preparer Christine Silva provides us with tips for making tax issues less painful.
• Caleb—Jennifer Babisak 
  A heartwarming recounting of homebirth and a mother’s love for her baby.
• The Business of Midwifery: Customizing the Superbill—Linda Lieberman
  The last in a series on the business of midwifery provides an example of a superbill and describes how to create your own.

International Midwife

• Cards & Letters
• Do I have to leave my country and home to have my baby sanely?—Sister MorningStar
  A volunteer at the famous Mexican midwife hospital, C.A.S.A, recounts the birth story of a woman who came from the US to heal the wounds from her first birth while avoiding another c-section.
• Hope in Uganda—Carrie Sparrevohn 
  The Sally Stockley Maternity Project and its work in Uganda is the subject of this article. The author, a volunteer midwife, shares with us the conditions of life there and what we can do to help improve it.
• Stories from Senegal—Patricia Ross, M. Christie McManus, and Sudy Storm 
  These three authors recount their experiences during a trip to Senegal to volunteer in the maternity clinic.
• Getting Back to Nature: Non-Medical Birth Options in Athens, Greece—Julie Nusbaum 
  This article provides a brief overview of the history of birth in Greece, as well as the current situation.
• Eve’s Foundation—Florence Okra 
  Common Ghanian myths about pregnancy and childbirth and the remarkable work being done by Eve’s Foundation to educate women about the facts are covered in this article.
• “Let’s Fika First!” A Look at Swedish Midwifery from a Cultural Perspective—Jo Beth Cairns 
  This article addresses the cultural aspects of midwifery in modern Sweden, as well as providing insight to midwives contemplating working there.

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