From a press release:
North Carolina Friends of Midwives (NCFOM) is organizing its annual Mountain Walk and Boogie for Midwives that begins at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 3, at The Millroom in Asheville. Attendees will walk downtown then return to The Millroom for live music featuring Laura Blackley, David Earl Tomlinson, and The Jamboogie Band. There will be a silent auction and door prizes. Tickets are available at www.ncfomwalkformidwives.myevent.com for $15 per person or $50 per family.
The walk will benefit NCFOM’s efforts to increase access to evidence-based midwifery care for North Carolina’s pregnant mothers. The specific focus for 2015 is passing legislation in North Carolina to license and regulate Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), who are trained as specialists in out-of-hospital maternity care, as 28 other states have done including neighboring states SC, TN, & VA. Currently, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are the only licensed midwives in North Carolina and there are an insufficient number of CNMs attending homebirths to meet the demand. Senate Bill 542 to decriminalize direct entry midwives and Senate Bill 543 to license Certified Professional Midwives are active in the legislature right now.
North Carolina midwives serve pregnant women in hospitals, free-standing birth centers, and homes. More pregnant women are seeking midwifery care in all birth settings because of the lower rates of intervention, significantly lower c-section rates, and the high degree of patient satisfaction. NCFOM strongly supports increasing the autonomy and number of midwives as a key to serving the needs of North Carolina families and improving infant and maternal health outcomes.
“In WNC we are quickly losing options for birth. We recently learned Pardee Hospital will close their midwifery practice. Brevard hospital is closing their birth facility. The birth center in Fort Mill, SC is closing. Mission Hospital does not allow water birth. The midwives who have been attending at home are experiencing more legal pressure and many are unwilling to practice until the laws are changed. As a mother of 5 children born at home, I am alarmed that our state is willing to limit our choices and effectively force mothers into hospital birth or unassisted birth. CPMs are the providers who are trained and willing to serve the mothers seeking homebirths. This fundraiser allows us to continue our work to improve access to these midwives for the safety of mothers and babies. And we are going to have a great time!,” said Sonya Stone, walk coordinator and NCFOM Treasurer.
The Mountain Walk & Boogie for Midwives is being sponsored by BarefootandPaleo.com, Cashiers Chiropractic & Acupuncture, North Carolina Midwives Alliance, Doula Association of the Mountain Area (DAMA), Homegrown Babies, Solid Rock Builders, One Love Chiropractic, Mountain Midwifery Arts, and True Health Wellness Center.
North Carolina Friends of Midwives is a grassroots organization of midwife advocates dedicated to promoting, supporting, and protecting midwifery in North Carolina. For more information visit: www.ncfom.org.
Thank you for sharing the news of this event and the current climate for birthing women in NC. As the legislative cross over deadline nears, I am looking to our Senate to move ahead and answer the call for women seeking midwives. We are encouraged by the support of communities across the state pitching in to make events on May 3 in Asheville, Charlotte, and Garner a success. We invite the Asheville community to join us on Sunday for a wonderful family event for a great cause. #walkformidwives #midwivesmatter #freedomtobirth #avlwalkformidwives
Thank you for covering this important event! Parents in North Carolina deserve the right to birth the way they want and to have trained professionals available to help. Freedom to Birth for North Carolina residents!