Have you noticed the air in your house is dry?  Fly away hair, itchy skin, more coughs and sneezes.  Whenever I think about complaining, I remember what it was like to be pregnant over the holidays.  Our skin is already stretching to make room for baby.   Some pregnant women experience additional itchiness in our hands and feet.  Others have less dry skin.  We each experience pregnancy individually so bring up any concerns you have with your Midwife.

Its the day after Christmas at New Birth Company, and I am soaking up our humidifier (the water wall), the infused water with cranberries and nectarines, the fire (ok, the fire app) and the smell of our Lavender shea butter skin ointment; perfect for rubbing on growing tummies, rough elbows and sore feet.  Stay hydrated Mommies…inside and out !

Hydration for Mommies, Inside and Out

On a blurry eyed post election Wednesday, New Birth Company’s entire clinical staff attended the March of Dimes Perinatal Conference for Health Professionals.  This annual conference brings together all the physicians, midwives, health officials and interest groups in the state of Kansas and Kansas City working on improving pregnancy and infant outcomes.  Headlined by Kansas Secretary of Health Robert Moser, the conference kicked off the collaborative effort, joining 17 other states including Florida and Ohio.

What is exciting for New Birth Company moms, families and our staff, is that we will have a chance to benchmark the outcomes of licensed Midwives  and Birth Centers against the national criteria.   When our Moms are asked, “Why are you going to a birth center and midwife?”  You can proudly answer, ” I know its best for me and my baby to reach at least 39 weeks of pregnancy.  Midwives and Birth Centers will help me achieve that goal. ”

Thanks to the March of Dimes for including us in the Collaborative and proving what our Moms have known for a long time.  Babies are worth the wait !

Check out the 39 Week effort here…

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/pregnancy_hbww.html

Laura Boujakly, RN, has joined the New Birth Company family and we are thrilled. We know she will be an important piece to our ever growing “business of being born”. We are eager for you to meet her.

“It is with great excitement that I can now say I am apart of the wonderful staff at New Birth Company! It has been my desire and dream for a long time to work in a birthing center that encourages and empowers mothers to give birth naturally. Little else gets my heart racing quite as much. I am a hippy at heart. I love to read in my spare time. I absolutely love chasing my nephews and niece around. I cannot wait to have children of my own and look forward to being apart of many incredible birth days at New Birth Company. ” Laura

Spread the news New Birth Company family !
We are credentialed and “in-nework” with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City.  This includes Blue-Care, Blue-Access, Blue Advantage, Blue Advantage-Plus, Freedom Network Select/Freedom Network Leased, and Preferred-Care Blue Risk.  We can now also accept Tri-Care, our nation’s healthcare plan for military members and their families.   Remember, Monday night tours at 6pm.  See you there

New Birth Company pauses to honor our Veteran moms, dads, aunts, uncles, sisters & brothers. We honor each of you and your families for your service and sacrifice.

How can you embrace the entire process of birth from conception to delivery and beyond? One creative tool is the personal journal. Join us as New Birth Company provides a 6 week class: “Journaling for Health”. Whether you’re working through the birth process or some other event in life, journaling can help you move toward mental and emotional health. Process your thoughts and find encouragement in this written tool that also provides a legacy for your child. Taught by Rebecca Thesman-author, editor and teacher of writers’ conferences- “Journaling for Health” will help you capture your thoughts and feelings while providing a written record of this important passage in life. This is a 6 week course starting on Friday October 28th from 9-10. Other class dates include, November 4th, 11th, 18th and December 2nd and 9th.  Join us for Journaling for Health. 
*Please bring your own journals/notebooks/pens/markers

New Birth Company is near completion and it will take your breath away… Of course our final blessing will be when our  rooms are filled with the miracle of a new life. We have received several lovely gifts as well as requests for ideas. We created a wish list at Bed Bath and Beyond and want to share it with you and all of our families.  Type in ”New Birth Company” for both the first and last name. Thank you and bless you for your continued support !   http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/regGiftRegistry.asp?wrn=-1220238756&

Cathy and I were at the birth center last night, walking through all the rooms (with our hard hats on), and checking the list of requirements for Occupancy and Licensure.  Since today is my “birthday”, I called Mom (Jolene) on the way home to hear her retell the story of her ”BIRTH DAYS”.  I’m one of four kids.  When I was born in the mid 70′s, Mom was given an enema, moved to a brightly lit surgical delivery room, given local anesthetic, wrist restraints (!!!) and gave birth in the flat on back lithotomy position.  My younger sibling’s birth days were much better…natural, mom walking, born onto chest, warm water and soft lighting.   Mom talked about Grandma (Martha) who gave birth in the late 40s.  During that era, many women gave birth by “twilight sleep”, which resulted in a knocked out woman thrashing around, thus the wide use of wrist restraints.  Mom doesn’t know if this was the case for Grandma or not.  Martha died when Mom was only 34…my mom didn’t have enough time to ask her.  Grandma’s mother Anna Katie (Great-Grandmother) died herself after birthing her 7th child when she was 32.  My grandma was only 6 when she lost her mom.  And so Anna Katie birthed Martha, and Martha birthed Jolene, and Jolene birthed Kendra and Kendra birthed Madelin.  One way we rebuild our birth culture is to remember our past and understand it.  The best way to do that is to remember the birth stories of our own families.  To listen and not judge.  But to expect something better for our daughters and sisters and friends.  We shall not forget so quickly that all of us deserve incredible birth days. 

Ask your mother, aunts & grandmothers about their birth stories….write them down…remember them…and pass them on to your daughters (and your sons)…and give them a big hug of thanks from New Birth Company.

Dear New Birth Company Family-

We are excited to give you an update on our status with BCBS and give you some homework !  Back in June, Cathy was the first of our midwives to be approved by the BCBS of Kansas City credentialing committee.  This means that BCBS believes Cathy to have the appropriate credentials and skills to serve their members (Kelly and Justine are next). Next, while we are finalizing our financial agreement,  we prepare to receive our certificate of occupancy from the city of Overland Park (scheduled for September 9th) and our license to operate as a birth center from the State of Kansas (shortly thereafter).  BCBS will then credential our facility, allowing families with BCBS to birth at the center with in-network status.  BCBS has indicated their interest in creating a short term waiver status for Moms to start receiving their prenatal visits with us during this interim period.

What we need from women with BCBS:  Please send your Name (as listed on your BCBS card), your Member ID, and Plan Sponsor (employer) directly to me at kendra@newbirthcompany.com.  If you are pregnant, add your Estimated Due Date.  Please put BCBS in your email subject line.   Spread the word to your friends and colleagues over facebook to help the effort to open BCBS to midwives and birth centers…but please keep your information safe by responding with your information to us directly.   We would like to send an initial list of  interested BCBS moms by Thursday evening 8/25. 

Let’s birth this baby together and open the door to more options for natural childbirth for all women in Kansas City.   Thank you !