News from NYS Assemblyman Gottfried

Some news from NYS Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, friend of midwives. 


May all babies be born into loving hands...

 K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried Community Update September, 2011

Contraception Is a Medical Necessity - and Will Soon Be Covered 100% by Health Insurance! Under the federal health reform legislation, health insurance plans will be required to offer preventive health services without charging a co-pay or deductible.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determines which preventive health services are included in the requirement.  HHS, under President Obama's leadership, has ruled that contraception will be included under the new law.  Contraception is highly cost-effective, protects women's health, and protects a woman's right to control her body. Too many women who wish to obtain contraceptive care cannot do so because they cannot afford it.  It's not surprising that half of the pregnancies in the United States are unintended.  Unintended pregnancy subjects women to unnecessary and avoidable health care procedures and costs, whether the woman chooses to carry a pregnancy to term or to terminate the pregnancy. In July, a committee of scientists and medical experts appointed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences recommended to HHS that contraceptive and counseling methods to prevent unintended pregnancies be considered preventative health care and thus be provided without cost to the insured person. On August 1, the Obama administration announced that health plans will be required to cover contraceptive drugs and counseling without co-pays or deductibles, starting next year.  However, there is a narrow exemption for religious groups having to offer birth control coverage to their employees.    I joined state legislators from across the country writing to HHSSecretary Kathleen Sebelius, urging her to follow the IOMrecommendation and include contraception in the package of preventive health care.  While women's rights are being chipped away at state by state, this is a step forward at the Federal level to protect a women's right to important health care and contraception access.    Several years ago, New York enacted legislation I co-sponsored that requires health insurance that includes prescription drugs to cover contraception.  The federal decision goes further, to bar co-payments and deductibles.

Home/Birth: a poemic

This sounds so exciting! A reading about birth tomorrow evening in beautiful Athens. 


May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Date and Time: Saturday, October 1st, 8:00 PM

General Admission: Free

Information: info@athensculturalcenter.org

ATHENS CULTURAL CENTER READING SERIES

Home/Birth: a poemic

Authors Arielle Greenberg & Rachel Zucker

Saturday, October 1st, 8:00 PM

The authors, both poets, educators, and home childbirth

advocates, read from their recent book, Home/Birth: a poemic.

“What does it mean to have a home birth? In this new book, poets

Arielle Greenberg and Rachel Zucker give us an unconventional

conversation between two friends and mothers as they try to

understand their own birthing experiences and the options

available to women.”--Maureen Ewing, Mindful Metropolis

Reading curated and introduced by Rebecca Wolff

A reception with the authors follows the reading.

Arielle Greenberg is the author of the poetry collections My Kafka Century

and Given and the chapbooks Shake Her and Farther Down: Songs from

the Allergy Trials. She is co-editor with Lara Glenum of Gurlesque. She is

 Associate Professor at Columbia College Chicago and is the

founder-moderator of the poet-moms listserv. Arielle served on the board

of the national nonprofit Citizens for Midwifery from 2008-2010, and has

been a member of Illinois Families for Midwifery. She ran a mother’s

support group, childbirth preparation classes and did other outreach and

office work for Morningstar Midwifery in Maine and volunteered for the

Maine Association of Certified Professional Midwives; she was also a

contributing editor for the chapter on pregnancy loss for the revised edition

of Our Bodies, Ourselves.

Rachel Zucker is the author of Museum of Accidents, The Bad Wife

Handbook, The Last Clear Narrative, and Eating in the Underworld. She

has taught poetry and writing at Yale, Fordham, Columbia and New York

University and the 92nd Street Y. Rachel is a DONA-certified labor doula

who has attended births at home and in the hospital. She has raised funds

for the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services and Choices in

Childbirth and helped to organize the effort to pass the Midwifery

Modernization Act in New York City. She is currently certifying as a

childbirth educator through the Childbirth Education Association of

Metropolitan New York.

Date and Time: Saturday, October 1st, 8:00 PM

General Admission: Free

Information: info@athensculturalcenter.org

Baby Jude

 Born on September 14, Jude is now three days old. 

He is strong, sweet, alert and so handsome.

And as perfect as he is,he is already getting 

better, better, better, better, better, 

yah, yah, yah!

May all babies be born into loving hands... 

 K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

In honor of Labor Day!

"Too many babies are born in traditional hospital units, says the college, which also warns the current system is neither acceptable nor sustainable in its report on maternity care."

To read the rest of the article, head over here.


May all babies be born into loving hands...



K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Set your calendars for September 16 and 17!

We love Vikki, we love cloth diapers, and this is a great opportunity to learn more and find some great deals on used items for moms and little ones!

May all babies be born into loving hands...




K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com



USED CLOTH DIAPER SWAP: September 16-17...Fri night 4-7 and Sat AM 10-2 at Sonrise Diaper Service and Retail Store...if you are interested in having a table set up to sell/swap/barter..whatever...please drop me a line to let me know...we will have tables for you and the cost is $10. LIMITED SPACES so reserve SOON!

Small Business Owners...please know that you are welcome to come and sell those wares too! :)

USED anything and everything natural baby/Momma is welcome...carriers, cloth diapers, nursing covers, etc...

vcaseyahmed@gmail.com to reserve your spot!

Be Blessed...
Vikki

Vikki Casey-Ahmed
Owner/Operator
Sonrise Diapers
A service and A store
www.sonrisediaperservice.com
518-461-4293

Prenatal/Postpartum Pilates with Debra Goodman!

You asked for a daytime class, and here it is! In this pilates class, women will learn safe exercises for the whole body. Exercises will help women minimize pain issues brought on by pregnancy and postpartum as well as address issues like urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, diastasis recti, and core weakness. Come check it out!

Time: Monday, 1:15-2:20pm
Date: Fall Session: 9/12/11-10/17/11
Location: 17 Computer Drive East, #17A, Albany, NY 12205
Cost: $150, Space is limited.
To Register: www.debragoodman.com or (518) 944-0314



May all babies be born into loving hands...


K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com