Order your 2011 Born at Home Calendar!

This beautiful calendar features photos of children born at home in Iowa, and families' stories about why they chose home birth. Calendars are only $12, and make wonderful gifts! Order one for yourself or a loved one, or better yet, sponsor a calendar for your state senator or representative.

Sponsor a Calendar

If you would like to sponsor a calendar, we will send you the calendar addressed and ready to mail to your state Senator or Representative. Order now!

A Message from Megan, FOIM Lobbyist

Hello!  My name is Megan Day, and I am lobbying on behalf of Friends of Iowa Midwives. 

I became involved in Friends of Iowa Midwives in Nov, 2008.  I have been a doula for 17 years, throughout Central, and Southern Iowa.  I am a stay-at-home mother of two little ladies, whom were born at home.  I have worn many hats, but my passion has always been birth related. 

I know first-hand, and from clients, the struggle families face when choosing a home-birth midwife. In Central Iowa, there are no CPM’s, and only 3 practicing CNM’s attending home birth.  The home births I’ve attended are beautiful, but they should be happening at a higher rate.  More low-risk families should be afforded the opportunity to use a Certified Professional Midwife, with the comfort of knowing she is legal and/or licensed.  More insurance companies should be covering the cost of home birth.  More hospitals should be friendly to transfers.  More people should be educated.  I had to do more. 

I attended a FOIM meeting in Nov of 2008, became involved, and attended a few lobbying days in 2009.  In 2010, I went to the Capitol on the first day of the session, to talk to our lobbyist, and my representative and senator.  I met with a few other legislators (as many as would speak to me).  I kept going back, until I ran out of people to talk with, realizing that most of the Representatives would take a few minutes to listen.  Suddenly, it was mid-session, and I was made aware that it was time to register as a “volunteer” lobbyist, before FOIM got in trouble for non-reporting.    

I understand why it’s important for families to choose the provider and place of birth.  I know the statistics, and I know what the current birth climate is first hand.  I also have the availability to be at the Capitol.  So, with that, and the connections I have made, I am now a “real” lobbyist.  

I attended each meeting at the Capitol we were invited to, as your representative.  I have spoken to your legislator, on your behalf.  I have worked with our sponsors, and our co-sponsors to bring this bill to the attention of the legislators. 

Last session we started with 13 Representatives supporting our issue, but we were never able to take a full committee vote. This year, we started with 17 sponsors, from both parties, and made it to the full committee.  Our assigned committee was State Government, who deals with licensing issues.  We had a committee vote, and came out with the majority in support of sending our bill to the floor for a full House vote.  We never did see a full floor vote in the House, nor did we see any action in the Senate.  Our bill rested.  However, what we came away with was many, many more bipartisan supporters.  Next session, we start over with sub-committees.

There will be many times this upcoming session when I reach out for your support.  Legislators don’t mind hearing from me, but they LOVE hearing from you, their constituent.  They hold town meetings or coffees, and look for your there.  If they are not hearing or seeing constituents in support of the legislation, they assume there is no interest in their community for that issue.  There is certainly strong opposition, and they do hear from them.  This is why your support is key!  

I hope you remain committed to Friends of Iowa Midwives while we push for the legalization and licensure of midwives.  I can not push at the Capitol without your support at home.  Write a note to your Representative and Senator, give them a call at home, or stop by a community coffee event.  Whatever you do, stay involved and vocal!  Donate generously to FOIM if you can, and ask for friends and family to donate on your behalf for Christmas!

Sincerely,

Megan

Submit your photos for our 2011 Calendar!

2010 Calendar

Our 2010 Born at Home Calendars were so popular last year that we are bringing this project back in time for the holidays! If you would like to be included in our 2011 Calendar, send us photos of your kids born at home in Iowa!

The deadline for photo submissions is November 14. We prefer high resolution photos. Send your submissions to: foimcalendar@yahoo.com.

You can send as many photos as you like - we will narrow it down. Along with your photo, please include a paragraph that responds to the question "Why we had our child(ren) at home" and include the location where the birth took place. A committee will select the finalists and we'll get back in touch with you for permissions.

We would like to see families represented from across the state, so please share this notice far and wide!


Q: Do the pictures have to be from the birth?
A: No. Any beloved photo of your homeborn child is appropriate. Last year, we included family portraits, pregnancy pictures, professional and amateur snapshots, and pics of the kids all grown up. Find your favorites and send them in!

Q: Does the baby have to have born this year?
A: No. It's important to demonstrate to people that homebirth is NOT new in Iowa, and that families of all kinds have been using the services of Iowa midwives for decades. Anyone born at home is welcome, so get your pics of grandma and send 'em in!

Walk for Midwives 2010

Thanks to everyone who attended Iowa Walks for Midwives, and thanks to all our sponsors!
We had great turnout across the state. In Iowa City, we put our handprints and signatures on the banner we walked with, and we'll be taking that banner to the Capitol in January as a representation of our community's support for midwifery. Here are some photos from the Iowa City walk.

Labor Day Picnic Special Guest: Tribe Unda Bellydance

Tribe Unda Bellydance is Eastern Iowa's premiere American Tribal Style Bellydance troupe, led by Melanie Moore, Certified Professional Midwife. They will be performing at 3:15 at our Labor Day picnic in Iowa City. Don't miss it!

Labor Day Picnic: Special Guest

We are delighted to feature Diane Tinker, birth doula from Des Moines, IA, as a special guest at our Labor Day Picnic and Silent Auction! Diane was recently published in an anthology titled Bearing Witness: Childbirth Stories Told by Doulas, and will be reading from that collection, as well as signing books, at the picnic. Books will be availabe for purchase. Diane says:

As a birth doula who has been practicing all over Central Iowa and beyond for nearly 15 years and having witnessed and supported women, their partners, and families through hundreds of births in both the hospital and home setting, I am very excited to have been choosen to be a contributing author of this book. It is a creation of poems and stories about birth written from a doula’s perspective. As doulas, we have an honor and privledge of being chosen to be part of a very intimate experience in a woman's life. We bear witness to one of life's greatest miracles - birth - time and again. In this process we also bear witness to the powerful forces of birth, the strength and capabilities of women and the the obstacles that are sometimes put in the way of a normal, natural process. This is a collection of our inside or bird's eye views from the birth space and our way of life as doulas that has been edited & authored by fellow doulas Lisa Doran and Lisa Caron.

More information about the collection:
Bearing Witness is an anthology of 50 stories about doulas working with birthing families. Stories of joy, awe, miracles. Stories that are gut wrenchingly funny and stories that are sad and difficult to hear. There is wisdom in these pages. These stories are presented here to you from the heart. The contributors to Bearing Witness are women who have made a lifestyle out of rising from their warm beds in the middle of the night to answer pages from their clients, of leaving their home and families sometimes for days on end. We do this because most doulas want to help change our birth customs. We want to educate women and advocate for natural childbirth so that they achieve a positive birth experience and feel strong and confident in themselves and will mother their babies in a healthy way. Birth needs to become human again. It needs to reclaim its wild primacy. Peace on earth does indeed begin with birth.

Auction preview: Enwrapture Vintage Silk Skirts

If you love wrap skirts, you will love Enwrapture Vintage skirts! These double layer skirts come in a variety of gorgeous tones and can be tied in over 100 different ways! Our auction will feature two 24" length Enwrapture Vintage skirts! They retail at $50!

Bid on these and more at our Labor Day Picnic & Silent Auction at Wetherby Park in IC from 2-6 pm!