A Mother's Love Birth Center

"Our community breakfast was a good turnout." with Rachel Williston & Roger Mayhew & other LOVING volunteers. click on pics for laughs

The state of Missouri may have a legal loophole that might enable the creation of our own midwifery credential. Lets hear from the midwives of color out there- what would such a credential look like?

"Just" a nurse. "Just" a midwife. People should be respected for who they are and what they do. This contestant showed she has a real skill and professionalism. She would have had my vote.

Many of you have expressed interest in where Keith and I are heading next as we fight for midwifery rights in Missouri. A quick update...We got notice that we lost the appeal for Keith to intervene in our A Mother's Love Birth Center argument against the DHSS. That appeal was heard in May. They did not vote on the merits of our case, just whether Keith could step in since the business itself was closed. Keith is going to ask the Board of Nursing to recognize 2 things about ...APRNS (Advanced Practice Nurses) 1- They are practicing nursing in its full scope 2- Diagnosing and prescribing is part of nursing What can you do??? You are welcome to tell the Board of Nursing your thoughts on this. Anyone is allowed to tell a board in the state of Missouri what you, the citizen, wants them to do. Ideas you might talk about in a letter : 1-Why did you choose a midwife or APRN for your care or the care of your family? 2-Do you prefer nursing theory or philosophy to that of medicine and why? 3-Your story: This can either be HAPPY -- I picked a midwife and got the care I wanted because she was "allowed" to practice in her full scope, You might be worried that other people are not so lucky, or that other practitioners do not have that luxury because their back up doctors are not so understanding. You might be worried that your favorite ARNP/CNM might lose this ability at any time because her back up doctor might die or quit or get tired of fighting his peers. or SAD-- I chose a CNM or ARNP to get midwifery/nursing care and instead got a mini-medicine. This is not what I ordered! You can send any letters you write to Board of Nursing 3605 Missouri Boulevard P.O. Box 656 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0656 When Does it Need to be Sent?? By Sept 1st if you want it to be considered during the time when Keith's petition is before them. Please forward to anyone who used/uses a CNM or FP ARNP for birth or family care anywhere in the state of Missouri; or if they wish they could, but cannot find the type of care they desire. Rachel Williston, MSN, CNM, CPM

Ever feel like voting doesn't do enough to make your voice heard? We are starting a movement to make government agencies, such as the Board of Healing Arts and Department of Health and Senior Services, responsible to consumers and other people whose lives they change. Professional boards aren't muscle for professional associations: they must act in the interest of citizens. Missouri regulatory agencies are not following the law: the Board of Healing Arts recently disciplined ...a local physician for listening to a client instead of forcing her to follow hospital regulations, and the birth centers have to follow regulations the licensing agency has admitted are illegal. They get away with this because the people who are most affected by these decisions have not had a voice in these regulations. YOU NEED TO STEP UP and SHARE YOUR VOICE! Did you know that there is a way for you to have a say in board regulations? Missouri law allows ANY PERSON to petition regulatory agencies to change their rules! These boards ignore consumers, patients, and "lesser" professionals because we have not been filing these petitions and making our voices heard. No more! You don't have to be an "expert" to have your voice heard. Just tell them that they need to start paying attention to citizens instead of the medical association. We will be submitting petitions at the end of July, 2015. We would love for you to sign on and join in. We will have three ways you can help: (1) Contact us via email, FB, or call Keith at 913.207.5450, and we will help you write out your own story so we can take it to the Board; (2) we will draft a single petition to be signed by a lot of people that you can sign on in support (we will update you when it is finished); or (3) call David Klarich’s office at 314.727.0101 to find out more about standing up for your rights before the Board. We are going to start by petitioning for changes to the Advanced Practice Nurse regulations. This will tell ALL government agencies that we the people are watching!

Amazing! Brought tears.

Want to know what ACOG is planning to do to your midwife? Read it here. Want to stop keep your midwife? Join Friends of Missouri Midwives; The Big Push for Midwives Campaign; and/or Missouri Midwives Association today.

For Immediate Release Contact: Red Quill Communications, Inc. Thursday, May 7, 2015 (816) 506-4630 or [email protected] STATE OF MISSOURI TRIES TO PUT BIRTH CENTERS UNDER ITS THUMB...Continue reading

This week is the week, Tomorrow is the day. Keith will argue in front of the Western District Court of Appeals. If you pray please do so. If you believe in light and love send it our way. We will take it all. He starts at 1030 am and is limited. For those of you attending with us, please be prepared for all technical arguments. You might not even hear the word midwife. This is how appeals work is. I will update again when we know something.

We need a more honest healthcare system. What are we doing because it is supported by evidence, and what are we doing because we just believe we should be doing something?

Keith filed a lawsuit against the State of Missouri on Tuesday, asking the court to remove unreasonable barriers to Nurse-Practitioners and Midwives. The law should treat all practitioners the same, and it should be the scope of training and competence that determines scope of practice, not an random and unexplained statute or regulation.

Mothers and Midwives are Fed up and won't take it any more.

If someone told you that you had no rights. . . would you just shrug your shoulders and let them take them? Or would you stand up to make a difference?

In the next year, Keith will be pushing for midwives and mothers in Missouri. Where will you be? What will you be doing?