Elephant Circle resources and efforts during COVID-19
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Hello Elephant Circle fans!
Like many of you, we have been busy responding and adapting to the world of COVID-19.
We wanted to share our recent efforts and resources.
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Birth Justice Briefing on the National Academy's Birth Settings Report February 2020
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A bi-partisan Congressional committee commissioned “an evidence-based analysis of the complex findings in the research on birth settings, focusing particularly on health outcomes experienced by sub-populations of women.” The report, Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access and Choice was released on 2/6/20 by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
Read MoreThe impact of HB19-1174 on Direct Entry Midwives in Colorado - Consumer Protection for "surprise billing."
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HB19-1174 is designed to protect consumers from “surprise billing,” as a result of healthcare encouners, especially with out-of-network providers. You can find HB19-1174 here, and a good explanation of the bill here. This legislation goes into effect January 1, 2020, and applies to all providers regulated by DORA, including Direct Entry Midwives (DEMs).
Read MoreBirth Justice, Like Reproductive Justice: Reclaiming Our Time
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Funding Equity: Birth Justice and Human Rights in Maternal and Infant Health is a collection of position papers on the critical role of funders in promoting birth justice and human rights in the U.S. and worldwide. This essay is the Elephant Circle's contribution to the collection.
Read MoreBlack Student Midwife- a financial Dilemma →
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We have failed Black student midwives, and unless we overhaul the educational institutions and preceptorships contracts which hold them financially hostage, we will continue to fail Black mothers and babies. Period.
Midwifery Matters Special Edition: Anti-Racism and Equity in Midwifery
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Midwifery Matters will publish a special summer edition to highlight creative solutions to the systemic racism we know exists within the practice of midwifery as well as policies, education, and workforce - but will also explore the impact these models have on both providers and communities of color.
Read MoreThank you!
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We set our sights on raising $5000. Thanks to the generosity of our Elephant Circle community, we did it! Thank you!
Read MoreAn Open Letter regarding the Division of Access and Equity at MANA
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As a result, our efforts within MANA do not feel viable, generative or sustainable. We have determined that the best place for our work to continue is not as a Division of MANA, but through our own projects and organizations (more details soon). And while such a departure is certainly not new (recall the Midwives of Color Section at MANA who disbanded in 2012), each generation adds something to the generations who come before, and so we offer our footsteps and fingerprints and these words to those who come next.
Read MoreMy take on the most recent paper on cannabis and human milk, "Marijuana Use by Breastfeeding Mothers and Cannabinoid Concentrations in Breastmilk."
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My take on the most recent paper on cannabis use and human milk published in Pediatrics in August 2018. I begin this post with my summary of the paper and what I believe are the most important take-away messages - at the end, I integrate what we learned in 2018 with the pre-existing scientific literature.
Read MoreHello Circle Blog Readers!
/Hello Readers! My name is Cynthia and I will be writing for the Elephant Circle Blog each month. I just want to introduce myself and give a little bit of background as to how I became connected with Elephant Circle and where I am headed in my own birth work and birth justice journey.
Read MoreThe expanded re-cap of the lecture by Drs. Teresa Baker and Thomas Hale on their recent publication, “Transfer of Inhaled Cannabis into Human Breast Milk.”
/Dr. Teresa Baker and Dr. Thomas Hale traveled from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in Amarillo, Texas to Denver, Colorado to present their paper, “Transfer of Inhaled Cannabis Into Human Breast Milk.” This is the expanded re-cap of the lecture they gave on the findings of their paper.
Read MoreMy take on the recent paper, "Recommendations From Cannabis Dispensaries About First-Trimester Cannabis Use."
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This is part of a series of posts commenting on a recent paper on cannabis and parenting. In these analyses, I offer my years of experience reading and writing scientific papers along with a perspective centered in mammalian physiology and harm reduction. This often results in an view that is different from the headlines that report the publishing of these papers.
Read MorePublication of Colorado data! "Transfer of Inhaled Cannabis Into Human Breast Milk" by T. Baker, P. Datta, K. Rewers-Felkins, H. Thompson, R. Kallem and T. Hale.
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Drs. Teresa Baker and Thomas Hale collaborated with Elephant Circle to collect data on the transfer of D9-THC and its metabolites into human milk after smoking cannabis flower.
Read MoreCircling Back to Midwifery
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I envision a time when a diverse body of midwives can work together strategically and in collaboration with supporters to make it easier to become a midwife, remain a midwife, and access a midwife.
Read MoreUpdate on the Colorado Birth Center Rulemaking Process
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This post is an update to the previous one calling for birth center consumers past, present and future to get involved! We hope you will join us on July 19, 2017!
Read MoreCircling back to Ina May and the conference in Texas
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Heather's thoughts: What can white women learn from Ina May about racism and birth outcomes, our relationship to our heroes, and actively disrupting white supremacy?
Read MoreWorking Ecologically
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The dynamic tension of working ecologically helps us hold each other accountable, helps ensure that many different people have access to power, and helps prevent one person or group from growing too big.
Read MoreMy Gender Inclusive Language Experiment
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What happens when a birth educator queries families about their experience of listening to her presentations using gender inclusive language? The results may surprise you!
Read MoreWho is a Parent Under Colorado Law?
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This post provides an overview of how Colorado law figures out who a "legal" parent is.
Read MoreBirth Center Consumers past, present and future: We need you!
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Want to be involved in the final push to expand and revise the Colorado Birth Center regulations? This post gives you all the information you need to know and a chance to sign up to stay informed. Join us to improve maternity care in Colorado!
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