Pregnant inmates in RI lose their shackles, "laughing gas" for labor, and the continuing saga of the birthing tubs... SQUAT news round-up!

Police in Nigeria raided a "baby factory" this week, rescuing 32 pregnant girls between the ages of 15 and 17 who were "being made to make babies for the proprietor." Authorities suspect that the babies were sold into trafficking or prostitution, and possibly illegal adoption. 


Vanderbilt University Hospital became the 4th hospital in the US to offer nitrous oxide to laboring women. Nitrous oxide, which is used commonly in Canada and Europe, is inhaled and allows a woman to remain moving during labor, unlike an epidural. A full and informative discussion of the use of nirtrous oxide in labor can be read at the Our Bodies, Our Blog.

The Rhode Island State Legislature passed a law this week prohibiting pregnant inmates form being shackled or handcuffed during childbirth, and mandates that only the least restrictive restraints be used during the second and third trimester. The Rebecca Project has been working to push such legislation through other states; according to the organization, 11 states currently have rules on the book that prohibits the handcuffing and shackling of pregnant inmates. Check out Birth Behind Bars to learn how to support birth education and support for pregnant inmates. 

The saga of the birthing tubs continues after the FDA seized a shipment in Portland, OR, earlier this month. The FDA released the tubs but warned "we'll be back"; a FDA hearing on the potential status as birthing tubs as medical devices is scheduled for June 7. A sample letter to legislators regarding birth tubs and a woman's right to choose waterbirth is available at Bellies and Babies.


A study in the medical journal Pediatrics found that women with longer maternity leaves tend to breastfeed their babies for longer. An interesting note about the study is that women with longer maternity leaves were more likely (75% compared to 65%) to breastfeed their babies from the get-go. 

Dr. George Tiller

This week saw the 2-year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, an abortion provider in Wichita, Kansas, who was shot in the head while serving as an usher at his church. This week in Wisconsin a man was arrested and charged with a plot to kill an abortion provider; the man's gun accidentally went off in his hotel room, leading the police to him. he told authorities he planned to go to a Planned Parenthood clinic the next day, find an abortion Doctor, and "shoot him in the head."

Hide your birthing tubs--it's time for the SQUAT news round-up!

The Food and Drug Administration seized a shipment of Aquaborn birthing tubs in a Portland, OR, dock, claiming the tubs are unauthorized medical equipment, and have ordered FDA agents to search and destroy the tubs. Barbara Harper, author of Gentle Birth Choices and founder of Waterbirth International, had a conversation with an FDA official in which she was told, “Pregnancy is an illness and birth is a medical event. Therefore, a pool that a woman gives birth in should be classified as medical equipment.” Laurel Ripple-Carpenter, a frequent SQUAT contributor, has a full report on her blog here.

Catherine Ferguson Academy students and supporter

SQUAT has been following the trials of the Catherine Ferguson Academy, a Detroit school for teen mothers and pregnant girls, since the state announced the school would be closed due to budget cuts. Students and school supporters have been voicing their support for the school, and staged a sit-in in May. The Detroit Public Schools announced this week a change to the school consolidation and closure plan, yet the future of the school is still unclear. Stay tuned to SQUAT to learn more about the incredible work of CFA in the upcoming issue of SQUAT, due out in late June. You can contact the superintendent of Detroit schools to show your support for CFA: 14th Floor, Fisher Building, 3011 West Grand Blvd. Detroit, MI 48202. Or call (313) 870-3772.

Over 200 people gathered in Forrest Park, Georgia, to protest a new county law that prohibits breastfeeding toddlers over 2 years old in public. Dozens of women nursed their children in the nurse-in to protest the ordinance, which was enacted to reduce public nudity.

Breastfeeding moms and their supporters gather in Forrest Park, GA. 

(FoxNews)

The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) annual meeting is underway in San Antonia, TX. Up for discussion at the meeting is a proposal to change the ACNM’s name to the American College of Midwives. See our previous blog post to get some context and opinion on this proposal, and download a marketing report (which recommends keeping the current name), at the ACNM web site.

Breastfeeding mothers show different brain activity than those who are formula feeding, according to a study by the National Institute for Mental Health. According to the study, the brains of breast-feeding mothers show a greater response to the sound of their babies' cries than do the brains of mothers who do not breastfeed. The results suggest this brain activity facilitates greater sensitivity from the mother toward her infant as the baby begins to socially interact with the world, the researchers say.

Homebirths on the rise, toxic nursing pillows, nurse-ins and more! It's the SQUAT week-in-review!

Breastfeeding mothers are a lot like exotic dancers, according to a new local law in Forest Park, Georgia. A new city ordinance makes it illegal to breastfeed a child over 2 years old in public, claiming that such an act is publicly indecent. Breastfeedind advocates have responded quickly-- there is now a petition to the Forest Park city council, and a nurse-in scheduled for next Monday in front of Forest Park City Hall.



You might want to think twice about the nursing pillow you're using. A new report this week in Environmental Science and Technology reported that 80 percent of baby products contained toxic or untested flame retardants. Many flame retardants are suspected carcinogens, and toddlers have been found to the three times the level of these chemicals in their bodies compared to adults.

Babies born using increased interventions did not fair any better after birth than those without, according a study of 30,000 births in upstate New York. The study showed no difference in birth outcomes (including whether or nota baby required ventillation,  was transferred to an intensive care hospital, or had a low agpar score) between babies born through c-section or induction, suggesting that a routine reliance on such interventions does not help the health of infants. (Yeah, we could have told ya that!)

Maryland-based midwife Karen Carr, who recently plead guilty to two felonies in Virginia to avoid jail time for her role in a breech homebirth, is now under investigation in Maryland, according to the Washington Post. Karr's case has ignited, yet again, the debate about the safety of homebirth and the rights of women and midwives. See one SQUAT Editor's story of her experience with Karen Carr on a previous blog post.

More women are choosing homebirth--A review of birth certificate information found a 20 percent increase in women choosing to birth at home between 2004 and 2008.

And women who use a licensed midwife to give birth at home in Vermont will now be covered by their insurance, thanks to a new bill signed into law this week. The law will require insurance companies to cover home births attended by licensed midwives; 3 percent of births in Vermont happen at home, the highest rate in the country. 

Extra! Extra! It's time for the SQUAT News Round-up!

Midwives and supporters gather outside the Arizona state capital
 on theInternational Day of the Midwife
Source: Desert Free Press

Last week people around the world celebrated the International Day of the Midwife, organizing walks and talks to celebrate the role of midwives in serving women and babies, particularly in developing countries. The Virtual International Day of the Midwife hosted a 24-hour online conference, and the proceedings are now available online.

Afghanistan is the worst place to be a mother, according to Save the Children's Annual Global Mother's Index. One of every 11 women die in childbirth in Afghanistan, and only one of every five children in the country will live to age 5. In contrast, Norway was deemed the best place to be a mother, with the US at spot 31.

Ashley, a student at
Catherine Ferguson Academy
Photo by Corinne Vermeulen, NY Time

Teen mothers in Detroit are fighting to keep their school, the Catherine Ferguson Academy, from being shut down. The school serves pregnant and teen moms, and has a 95% graduation rate. Stay tuned for the Summer 2011 issue of SQUAT, where Editor Jaydee Sperry will interview some of the students affected by the potential closure.

The LA Times reported on the flood of anti-abortion bills moving through state legislatures around the US.

This News from April is worth re-reporting: A study of pregnancy-related deaths in California found that the rising rate of C-sections plays a large role in maternal death.

Yet another benefit of breastfeeding was reported by British researchers this week in a study that finds fewer behavioral problems in children who were breastfed for at least 4 months. 

And this is certainly news-worthy-- the deadline for submissions to the Summer 2011 issue of SQUAT is almost upon us! Check out our submissions rules and get your writing or art to us by May 15!

News Headlines

Midwife Amy Medwin (left) was recently arrested.

• Midwife Amy Medwin arrested for practicing midwifery in North Carolina Feb. 23, 2011 "Amy Medwin was arrested Sunday morning and charged with giving unauthorized practice of midwifery after a newborn was born in an east Charlotte home and rushed to the hospital." More information on how to support Amy here: http://www.ncfom.org/

• Georgia law could give death penalty for miscarriage Feb. 23, 2011 "There's a new bill on the block that may have reached the apex (I hope) of woman-hating craziness. Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin—who last year proposed making rape and domestic violence "victims" into "accusers"—has introduced a 10-page bill that would criminalize miscarriages and make abortion in Georgia completely illegal. Both miscarriages and abortions would be potentially punishable by death: any "prenatal murder" in the words of the bill, including "human involvement" in a miscarriage, would be a felony and carry a penalty of life in prison or death."

• The "Skeptical OB" speaks on how natural childbirth educators are lying to pregnant women Feb. 23, 2011 (warning, this article is pretty intense) "...natural childbirth is not simply a specific set of choices; it's a philosophy that idealizes a specific set of choices and makes value judgments about women who choose differently. Moreover, it is a philosophy that rests on specific empirical claims; claims that are disingenuous, untrue, or occasionally outright lies."

• Incarcerated woman dies from an ectopic pregnancy Feb. 22, 2011 "A pregnant Marion County jail inmate died from internal bleeding caused by an abnormal pregnancy, police said Tuesday. But Amber Redden's family wants to know why she wasn't taken to a hospital before she died."

• UK university trains midwives in sign language Feb. 21, 2011 "Student midwives at a university in Leicester are the first in the UK to be taught basic sign language so they can help deaf women during labour."

• FDA issues severe warning on pre-term labor drug 'Terbutaline' Feb. 18, 2011 "The drug is FDA-approved to prevent and treat symptoms associated with asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, and was being used for off-label obstetric purposes, including treating preterm labor. There is no evidence that using Terbutaline improves infant outcomes, and carries risk of serious adverse effects, including maternal death."

• 61-year-old surrogate grandmother gives birth to her grandson Feb. 15, 2011 "A Chicago woman gave birth to her first grandson last week. Kristine Casey, 61, served as a surrogate for her daughter, Sara Connell, 35, who had tried unsuccessfully for years to have a baby. When Finnean Lee Connell arrived via cesarean section, Casey became the oldest woman in Chicago's recorded history to give birth."

• Sudan focuses on high maternal mortality rate Feb. 10, 2011 "The United Nations humanitarian office in South Sudan's capital, Juba, says that 1 in 7 women who become pregnant “will probably die from pregnancy-related causes.”'

• UK Midwifery Training Numbers Fall Feb. 8, 2011 "The number of midwifery training places is dropping despite the Prime Minister's promise to recruit 3,000 more midwives, research has suggested."

• Moms fight hospital over photography ban Feb. 3, 2011 "Spurred by a hospital policy not allowing any photography or video until five minutes after birth, an online petition has hundreds of people expressing outrage that a hospital would prevent parents from recording such a moment that could never be recaptured."

Jack Lalanne, the Godfather of Fitness died at the age of 96 years

The founder of Fitness in America, Jack Lalanne died on Sunday, at the age of 96 years. Jack Lalanne is the American icon, known for his show The Jack Lalanne Show. The Godfather of Fitness is her nickname.

According to Rick Hersh, agents Lalanne, he died on Sunday at his home Morro Bay because of respiratory failure caused by pneumonia.

The Jack Lalanne Show started in 1951 as a local program on ABC Television Station San Francisco and then moved into a national program in 1959. At the time of equipment for gymnastics is very simple, it just uses a chair and a towel - no special equipment.


"I told the truth, I practice what I teach. I helped many people to obtain a better life, "says Lalanne.

In 1930, on his birthday he has to take action to swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco with his hands on bogrol condition and doing push - ups within 19 ½ minutes. He did not invite us to be like him, breaking a record like his, but he invites us, for at least three or four days a week for exercise, makes our blood circulation around and makes the muscles work.

In 1936, he founded the first health club in Oakland, California. For his efforts generated a lot of fitness machines like this now.

Also at the 95th birthday he had time to write a book called "Young Live Forever", in it he discusses how to stay healthy and active well into old continued. Although old age, Lalanne continue to work every morning for two hours. He spent half the museum fitness equipment in his possession and a half hour walk or swim.


He suggested that how busy we have to do sports, because of inactivity the muscles of the body due to too much silence is a killer. It's never too late to exercise. Unconsciously, we've hurt our own bodies by not utilize them optimally, do not use our muscles.

When he was 15 years old is a child who resides in the fall have diabetes. He was present at an event, where speakers said that for people who have diabetes, then they can be reborn into a new human being by following the laws of nature: Exercising and eating the right foods. The next day he stopped eating foods that contain lots of sugar, and he also joined the YMCA Berkeley, California. After finding enlightenment at that age, Lalanne lucky to get a copy of the classic medical book Gray's Anatomy. By the time she got out of high school, he knew enough about the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This knowledge turned out to give much benefit how he could do the exercises themselves and create their own fitness equipment.

Tom Goldman in 2004 spent a day with Lalanne before he died. He said he gave the motivation that, anything in life is possible if you make it happen and do not exceed the limit your eating. Because ten seconds on the lips, it will cause a lifelong disease in the hip. How busy, use the time to exercise.

Many memories left by Jack Lalanne on his wife, Elaine (78). Lalanne has a word, the word love. In a question, he said, "I not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and partner of the most loved by everyone who is expecting it."

The moral of this news, in my view:
Exercising balanced by eating the right foods, it is particularly important, so we can enjoy Young Live Forever.

Let’s Play Catch Up!

by Melissa Garvey, ACNM Writer and EditorWe’ve been quiet at Midwife Connection lately, so let’s pick up the pace again by catching up on the latest ACNM news.Flu season is on the way. ACNM, CDC, and other professional organizations issued a joint statement on the importance of seasonal flu vaccination—especially for pregnant and postpartum women.Collaborative practice between midwives and

Time Out for Good News

by Melissa Garvey, ACNM Writer and EditorIt’s a busy week at ACNM. We’re getting ready to open registration for our Annual Meeting and staying on top of a flurry of midwifery advocacy. In the midst of the activity, it’s been especially gratifying to see a hefty amount of positive press about midwives pop up in my inbox each morning. It feels great to have a chance to pause and revel in interviews

H.R. 2824 bill on federal support for comparative effective research

Nursing should be aware of the current Federal Bill H.R. 2824 in support of federally funded comparative effectiveness research. A recent NY Times article gives a good description of this. This potentially has a lot of implications for nursing research.