Birth
Call the Midwife, If You Can
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To honor National Midwifery Week, I ask anyone starting a family to investigate for yourself the outcomes produced by midwifery care.
affordable care act
 Midwife and baby.jpg)
Birthing of Health Care Plan Put Midwives in Limbo
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About half of all U.S. births are covered by Medicaid, which means decisions about delivery practices under this part of the Affordable Care Act could ripple far and wide. The American College of Nurse Midwives is assessing all 277 marketplace plans.
Birth
Placenta Spiritually Revered, But Not in the West
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This afterbirth has spiritual and religious significance in different parts of the world, says Y.W. Loke in this excerpt from “Life’s Vital Link.” But perhaps it’s overlooked in Western culture since birth has “become so cold and clinical.”
Arts & Culture
We’re Not Sick or on Break; We’re Having a Baby
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It’s time to do something about the lack of paid parental leave in the United States. Does anyone realize that this deprivation leaves us in the company of such under-developed countries as Papua New Guinea and Swaziland?
Arts & Culture
Birthing Options Grow Scarce after C-Sections
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In her doula work Hana Askren finds that women who want a vaginal birth after a Caesarean often cannot find a doctor or hospital to provide this kind of care.
Health & Science
C-Section Jump Allied With Higher Medical Bills
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Any woman who senses pressure to deliver by C-section is backed up by statistics showing a jump in these deliveries, from 1-in-5 a decade ago to 1-in-3 today. Insurance companies say they are trying to curb the more costly procedure.
Health & Science
NYC’s High Maternal Deaths Defy Usual Explanations
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New York’s high rate of maternal mortality exposes glaring risks for black women. But a detailed 2010 city report eliminated many usual suspects for the maternal morality gap: poverty, obesity, pre-existing conditions. The first story of a series.
Crime & Law
Shackling Pregnant Women Spurs Prison-Reform Push
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Thirty six states received failing grades for using various restraints on the belly and arms of incarcerated woman during labor and delivery in a recent report. On Monday, activists gathered online to discuss follow-through.
Health & Science
NYC Targets Black Women for Breastfeeding
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Public hospitals in New York City are marketing breastfeeding directly to their patients, a third of whom are African American. The plan is part of a goal to obtain official “Baby Friendly” designations for 11 hospitals.