Morning Star Spring 2008 Newsletter

And welcome to another issue of the MorningStar Newsletter! I am so ready to welcome the

warm and humid air that accompanies the tender growth of daffodils, tulips and all the beautifulsights, sounds and smells of the Earth as she awakens from her winter slumber. After two fullmonths of traveling and time spent reconnecting with family and other important parts of my life,I feel refreshed, renewed and ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work!

In doing the research and collecting articles and information for this issue, I am again humbled,inspired and awed by the miracle that is our bodies, and the life-giving capacity that is part of us.This has once again been highlighted by the new research revealing that human breast milkcontains stem cells. I believe there is much that is yet to be “discovered” by science that ‘proves’how nature has equipped us so perfectly well to grow, bear and nurture our young, as well asdiscover the myriad of ways we as humans have managed,inadvertently, to disturb and disrupt this perfectly designed process.

Blessings to you all, Mothers and Fathers, as youare celebrated for your respectively importantroles in family life. I hope your spirits too feel theswell of and sweetness of the energy of Spring.

Love, Paula Bernini Feigal, CPM

Owner/Director, Morning Star Women’s Health and Birth Center

Apr/May/Jun 2008

Volume 4, Issue 16

Apr/May/Jun 2008Apr/May/Jun 2008Welcome Spring!

It has been such a blessing seeing and getting to know manyof you as you come to the Birth Center for your appointments,or chatting on the phone when you call. I have been privilegedto meet some of your babies and hold them in my arms. Thankyou so much!

With Spring comes growth, new life! It is a time of change.This is also true for me and my position at the Birth Center.

As a mother of 6 children, I am not a stranger to traveling theroad of pregnancy and birth. For many years I have felt calledto assist women of all ages in having the opportunity to experi-ence, truly experience, birth as a journey, a right of passage anda spiritual experience that should be met with open armsthrough support and education. Therefore, I am planning tostart my training with the Association of Labor Assistants andChildbirth Educators (ALACE) to become a Birthing Assistant,or Doula. Being at the Birth Center gave me the final inspira-tion that I needed to just go ahead and do it! You may havenoticed me at one of your classes recently as I am also beginning

my Childbirth Education training. The opportunity to glean allthat I can from Paula’s vast knowledge and experience is toogreat to not sit in on these classes, especially since I will even-tually be teaching some of these classes when my certification iscomplete. You will be seeing me more and more.

So, beginning the end of March you will be seeing me in anew and different capacity! I will begin assisting the midwivesby taking care of cleaning after births. I may be coming to theBirth Center while you are still in labor. Although I am excitedto be so close to the miraculous process of new life, I will remainunobtrusive and respectful of you and your family. If you areinterested in having me be a part of your birth as a Doula to helpme meet certification requirements, I would be honored!

I am excited to pursue these new endeavors and I look for-ward to getting to know more of you better. Again, you haveblessed my life and I thank you!

Spring Greetings from Renee

Inside This Issue:

Birth Announcements 2

News of Interest 2

Schedule of Events 3

Nathan’s 5Birth Preparation

WI Birth Statistics 6

Nutrition in Pregnancy 7

The “Middle Wife” 7

Aaron’s Birth Story 8

Motherhood 10

Tracy’s Birth Story 11

Quote of the Quarter 11

Inside This Issue:


News of Interest 2


Nathan’s 5Birth Preparation





Motherhood 10



Inside This Issue:


News of Interest 2


Nathan’s 5 Birth Preparation





Motherhood 10



Sons, Caden Alexander and Rowan

William Nash, January 19, 2008 at3:13 am and 3:28 am, 6 lbs, 13 oz.and 7 lbs, 11 oz. Born to Dina andCorey Nash of Champlin, MN. Thetwins came just a little early and were born at Red CedarMedical Center with the help of Dr. Eric Sorenson and staff.

Son, Noah James Fulk, February 14, 2008 at 5:54 am, 7 lbs, 15oz. Born to Denise and Dwayne Fulk of Arpin with the helpof Dr. Feigal and staff at RCMC.

Daughter, Presleigh Evelyn Olson-Buehler, March 22, 2008 at3:00 am, 8 lbs, 1 oz. Born to Antoinette and Alex Olson-Buehler or Eau Claire.

Daughter, Phoenix Rosalie Krizek-Score, March 25, 2008 at10:50 pm, 8 lbs, 0 oz. Born to Madalyn and Luke Krizek-Scoreof River Falls.

Birth Announcements

Page 2 The Morning Star Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 16

Sunday, 10 February 2008 by Catherine Madden

The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human

breast milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years sci-

entists will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions

as far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and

Parkinson’s disease.

But what Dr. Mark Cregan is excited about

right now is the promise that his discovery could

be the start of many more exciting revelations

about the potency of breast milk.

He believes that it not only meets all the nutri-

tional needs of a growing infant but contains key

markers that guide his or her development into

adulthood.

“We already know how breast milk provides for

the baby’s nutritional needs, but we are only just

beginning to understand that it probably performs

many other functions,” says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist at The

University of Western Australia.

He says that, in essence, a new mother’s mammary glands take

over from the placenta to provide the development guidance to

ensure a baby’s genetic destiny is fulfilled.

“It is setting the baby up for the perfect development,” he says.

“We already know that babies who are breast fed have an IQ advan-

tage and that there’s a raft of other health benefits. Researchers also

believe that the protective effects of being breast fed continue well

into adult life.

“The point is that many mothers see milks as identical - formula

milk and breast milk look the same so they must be the same. But we

know now that they are quite different and a lot of the effects of

breast milk versus formula don’t become apparent for decades.

Formula companies have focussed on matching breast milk’s

nutritional qualities but formula can never provide the

developmental guidance.”

It was Dr Cregan’s interest in infant health that led him to

investigate the complex cellular components of human milk. “I was

looking at this vast complexity of cells and I thought, ‘No one knows

anything about them’.”

His hunch was that if breast milk contains all

these cells, surely it has their precursors, too?

His team cultured cells from human breast milk

and found a population that tested positive for the

stem cell marker, nestin. Further analysis showed

that a side population of the stem cells were of

multiple lineages with the potential to

differentiate into multiple cell types. This means

the cells could potentially be “reprogrammed” to

form many types of human tissue.

He presented his research at the end of January

to 200 of the world’s leading experts in the field at

the International Conference of the Society for Research on Human

Milk and Lactation in Perth.

“We have shown these cells have all the physical characteristics of

stem cells. What we will do next is to see if they behave like stem

cells,” he says.

If so, they promise to provide researchers with an entirely ethical

means of harvesting stem cells for research without the debate that

has dogged the harvesting of cells from embryos.

Further research on immune cells, which have also been found in

breast milk and have already been shown to survive the baby’s

digestive process, could provide a pathway to developing targets to

beat certain viruses or bacteria. _________________________________________________

A story provided by ScienceNetwork WA - Activate your connections to

science. To comment on this article go to the original story here. Reprinted

with permission.

News of Interest

Mammary stem cells (red/blue) and

differentiated adult mammary cells (green)

isolated from human breast milk.

Dr. Emily Smith is proud toannounce the opening of hernew office in Eau Claire at829 West Clairemont Ave(next to the old Leath

Furniture building). She haspartnered with Dr. Angela Prissel and Leslie Schuch to form Smith

& Prissel Chiropractic and Advanced Massage Therapies. Stopon in to check out the new space and say “hi”!

Congratulations Dr. Emily!

Breast Milk Contains Stem Cells

New Intern this Summer

Morning Star Birth Center will bewelcoming an intern this summerfrom the UW Eau Claire School ofNursing. Megan Kotecki, athird-year nursing student will bestarting in May. She will be involvedin all aspects of client care. Watchfor bio in the next newsletter!Welcome Megan!

May 2008Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

April 2008

The Morning Star Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 16 Page 3

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Schedule of EventsMother’s Teas are free, no registration required.Early Home Care and Handling ComplicationsClasses are required for all first-time MorningStar clients. Others are welcome to attend for a$15 charge. Registration is required. All cou-ples are welcome to register for the ChildbirthEducation Series, the cost is $75.00

l April 1st, 9-10:30 am: Handling

Complications

l April 5th, 10-11:30 am: Early Home Care

l April 17th, 10-11:30 am: Handling

Complications

l April 17th, 12-2:00 pm: Mother’s Tea:

Guest Presenter: Christina Mroz, CertifiedYoga Instructor. Topic: Ceasing TheLeaking! Does sneezing, coughing and jump-ing cause a little leaking? It’s more commonthan you think. Stress incontinence can beprevented and corrected by strengtheningyour pelvic floor muscles. Join us as we helpyou reconnect with the muscles that supportbladder control. Christina Mroz is the ownerand creator of Complete Motions LLC,which she runs out of her home in Kellogg,MN. Through Complete Motions, she spe-cializes in Health Coaching and HolyYoga/Pilates Instruction. Christina has beenworking in the health and wellness profes-sion for over 7 years. Her passion is toinspire women to live a healthier life inMind, Body, and Soul. Christina has beenteaching yoga for over 7 years and Pilates forover 4 years. In the evenings, she is oftenteaching Holy Yoga (Christ-center yoga) andPilates classes in different communitiesalong the Mississippi River.

Schedule of Events(continued)

l April 26th, 12-1:30 pm:

Early Home Care

l April 7th, 10th, 14th,

17th, 6-8:30 pm:

Childbirth Education

Series, $75.00 registra-

tion required

l May 8th, 4-5:30 pm:

Handling

Complications

l May 15th, 10-11:30 am:

Early Home Care

l May 15th, 12:00-2:00 pm: Mother's Tea.

Facilitator: Paula Bernini Feigal, CPM.

Topic: Making the change to Mother-

friendly birth care: 10 ways you can make

a difference! Are you interested in helping

women have the best possible birth experi-

ence? Do you want to see Mother-Friendly

maternity care become

the norm in our cul-

ture? Join us to learn

easy and power-

ful ways you

can help

make it hap-

pen!

l May 24th, 12-1:30 pm: Handling

Complications

l May 27th, 3-4:30 pm: Early Home Care

Morning Star Women’s Health& Birth Center

321 13th St. SE Menomonie, WI 54751-2032

Phone: (715) 231-3100 Fax: (715) 231-3101Web: www.MorningStarBirth.com

E-mail: [email protected]

Handling Complications10-11:30 am

Mother’s Tea 12-2 pm

Childbirth Education6-8:30 pm

HandlingComplications

9-10:30 am

Early HomeCare

10-11:30 am

ChildbirthEducation6-8:30 pm

ChildbirthEducation 6-8:30 pm


Early HomeCare

12-1:30 pm


4-5:30 pm


12-1:30 pm

EarlyHomeCare

10-11:30 am

Mother’s Tea12-2 pm

Early HomeCare

3-4:30 pm


June 2008Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Schedule of Eventsl June 2nd, 5th, 9th, 12th 6:00-8:30 pm:

Childbirth Education, $75.00, Registrationis required.

l June 3rd, 3:00-4:30 pm: Early Home Care

l June 7th, 12:00-1:30 pm: Handling

Complications

l June 17th, 3:00-4:30 pm: Handling

Complications

l June 19th, 12:00-2:00 pm: Mother’s Tea:

Presentor: Sue Grohn, Guidance Counselorand Certified Hypnotherapist of Red Cedar

Support Services. Topic: Raising

Confident Children. Raisingindependent, confident childrenreally starts at the moment ofbirth. Every experience ourchildren have can be used tofoster their growth and add

richness to their lives. Learn how parentscan maximize those experiences, and avoidsome of the common pitfalls that we allstumble on from time to time. Sue can bereached at www.redcedarsupport.com or viaemail at [email protected]. Call715-977-1050 for more information.

l June 21st, 12:00-1:30 pm: Early Home

Care

The WWCC Thanks You!The Western Wisconsin Childbirth Coalition sponsored four

area screenings of the film “The Business of Being Born”. More than100 people came to see the film and listen to area professionals dis-cuss the points and issues that the film brought up. You can find outmore about the WWCC, become a member, join a committee andmore by visiting the website at www.thewwcc.org

In Case You Missed It:The Business of BeingBorn is Coming to theSmall Screen

The Business of Being Born isnow available for rental andonline viewing from Netflix atwww.netflix.com starting $4.99(depending on your Netflixplan). The DVD will containa half-hour of bonus materials,including follow-up interviews with the filmmakers and their sub-jects.

DVDs will be available for purchase starting May 6, 2008 foraround $20 to $30. You can reserve an advance copy or multiplecopies on The Business of Being Born website, http://thebusinessof-beingborn.com. They will contact you with the exact price andshipping dates as they become available.

This film is a wonderful tool for education and provides a terrif-ic opportunity to discuss the state of maternity care. Having itavailable for rental, download, or purchase will expand the possibleaudience even more and help bring even broader awareness theissues around birth.

Change in Library PolicyTo check library books out or to

return your library books, please seeRenee in the office for assistance. Toensure that everyone has access to ourreading materials, we ask that thecheck-out time be limited to onemonth. We understand that havingthe library is a wonderful resource forour clients and we encourage you to uti-lize it!

Thank you so much for your cooperation.

The following books are Missing In Action or seriously over due. Ifyou have these books, or if you realize that you have lost a book onthe list, please return the book or contact us for replacement infor-mation.

Missing Titles:

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

Understanding Breast Changes; A Health Guide for All Women

Mothering the New Mother

Take Charge of Your Child’s Health

The New Our Bodies, Ourselves

Over Due:

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

Mother’s Intention- How Belief Shapes Birth

MISSING:

OVERDUE

by Nathan Hoffman

There are ways we all prepare for things that happen in our life.

Pregnancy and birth quickly became first on my list when, on October

1st at 6:00 a.m., my wife Shanna and I found out that we were expect-

ing.

It was a relief to know that we had cleared the first hurdle of many

more to come. Many things went through my mind as I went on with

my day; where will we go for care? Our best friends had gone to

Morning Star for the birth of their daughter and I knew that’s what

Shanna wanted. How will this work financially and will insurance

cover it? Will I be a good father? What makes a good birth partner? I

had so many other questions.

When we visited Morning Star it was obvious that this is where I

felt most comfortable. I could tell that Shanna was very calm and that

calmed me. As the pregnancy progressed, I started to feel more over-

whelmed. My wife had done an awesome job at helping me under-

stand the questions I asked, but there is so much to know. Where do

we start?

I’m not saying that I am like every male, but some will agree that

birth classes are not at the top of their to-do list. I thought it would be

boring. The first class we took at Morning Star was the Childbirth

Education Class series. I’m so glad we had the opportunity to take this

class because of all the knowledge we gained about the birth process.

After the first night I looked forward going back! It gave Shanna and

I so much to talk about and research. It gave us an opportunity to work

together and communicate about preparing for birth. Another class,

Handling Complications, was a great opportunity to ask more ques-

tions and listen to other great questions. I thought I would be nervous

about hearing about complications that can happen in birth, but I’ve

come to learn and trust that women’s bodies were designed to have

babies and how complications can be handled efficiently by our

trained and watchful birth team. Also, we have a medical back-up plan

established in case we need hospital care. My confidence level in how

much knowledge I have gained about pregnancy and birth is unbe-

lievable.

I have also learned that Midwives are something that Americans as

a society need to be more appreciative of and willing to utilize. We

chose to birth in an out-of-hospital setting. With this being our first

baby, what I know about hospital birth is not from first hand experi-

ence; however I’ve learned that often times standard procedures just

don’t seem to be done for the benefit of the mother and baby, like

starting or speeding up labor, limiting mom’s ability to change posi-

tions and doing c-sections. It is soothing for me to know that when it

comes time for birth that we have a great knowledge of what will be

happening throughout the process.

I’m sure that there are many things that we will have to decide yet,

but with great friends, family and midwives, the path is definitely more

clear for me than 30 weeks ago. I look forward to the up coming weeks

and the visits to Morning Star where more of my questions can be

answered.

A First-Time Father’s Perspective on Preparing for a ChildA First-Time Father’s Perspective on Preparing for a Child

Babies who are delivered by elective c-section have anincreased risk of respiratory problems, in comparison to thosewho are born vaginally or by emergency c-section. This isaccording to a study of 2678 births at 37 to 39 weeks gesta-tion published in the British Medical Journal. The earlier-bornbabies were more likely to have respiratory problems; thesame was true in terms of severity, with those born at 37weeks having five times the risk. These results held true even

after excluding complications, including diabetes,pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction andbreech presentation.

- BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39405.539282.BE, published online 11 Dec 2007

Two recent media pieces on birth are evidence of heightenedawareness about birth in the national media.

On February18 CNN aired asegment oncesarean sec-tion, and as oneperson noted,they did “agreat job oftalking aboutthe increasingc-section rate,risks of c-sec-tion, risks ofinduction, etc.”While theymentioned theoften made claim that more women are asking for cesareans, later inthe segment they discredited this notion. You can watch the seg-

ment at: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2008/02/18/cohen.csections.cnn

The other item is an article in the Feb. 20 edition of Newsweekmagazine: “The Delivery Debate: Why deciding how and where tohave a baby is more confusing than ever.” Not too long, but very pos-itive, this article includes mention of Ricki Lake’s film, The Big Push

for Midwives, and Childbirth Connection! There is also an ongoingseries of comments, and you can comment too! Read this article athttp://www.newsweek.com/id/113700

Maternity Care in the Media!


A Review of Wisconsin Birth Statistics

by Erin Kraiss

Anyone who has attempted to uncov-

er birth statistics has probably realized that it is not an easy task. It can

be especially hard if you want to find out the statistics of your local hos-

pital, no matter if you are pregnant or just interested. So, why is this

information so hard to

find? Why is this infor-

mation not made avail-

able by hospital staff or

administrators? Most

importantly, why are

there so few reports or

stories publicizing this

information? The good

news is that the informa-

tion is out there; you

just have to do a lot of

work to uncover it.

In conducting

research of my own I dis-

covered that the WI

Department of Health

and Family Services

(DHFS) compiles a year-

ly report on the state’s

birth statistics. The

DHFS gathers informa-

tion from birth certifi-

cates filed with the state

and produces a report of

118 pages of charts and

graphs. The report is

full of information that

needs to be talked about

and shared throughout

the birth and parenting

communities. Although

I would love to discuss

the results of the entire

document in great

detail, I chose to share

with you the following

information about the

state of Wisconsin: rates

of cesarean section, rates

of intervention, and

rates of out of hospital births in 2006.

I am happy to share that in 2006, there were 72,302 births toWisconsin residents.* Of these births, 53,525 (74.0%) were vaginaldeliveries to mothers with no previous cesarean and 17,760 (24.6%) were

cesarean deliveries. In 2006, the national cesarean rate has been pro-jected to be 31.1%. It is unfortunate that this number, both for the stateand nation, continues to rise. However, the number of women havingVaginal Births After Cesarean (VBAC) has also increased, 1,017 (1.4%)in 2006, but it still remains low.

Of the 53,525 vagi-nal births in the state,37,536 births wereeither induced or stimu-lated. The DHFSdefines induction oflabor as the initiationof uterine contractionsbefore the spontaneousonset of labor by med-ical and/or surgicalmeans for the purposeof delivery; and stimula-tion of labor as aug-mentation of previouslyestablished labor by useof synthetic oxytocin(i.e. Pitocin). Thismeans that 51.9% oflabors are not given thechance to either start ontheir own or progress ontheir own.

I am proud to saythat there were a total of1,054 home births inthe state of Wisconsinin 2006! (This numberincludes labors that pro-gressed too rapidly tomake it to the hospitaland the babies who wereborn in birth centers.)It is nice to say that fam-ilies all over the state aremaking the choice tobirth out of hospital.Still, this number onlyrepresents 2% of allbirths in the state.Please share this infor-

mation with friends and family. Everyone needs to be aware of the sta-tus of birth in our state and in our communities.

*All of the statistics in this article were taken from the 2006 DHFS report onWisconsin Births and Infant Deaths. You can view this report at Morning Star or on lineat http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/births/index.htm.


Did You Know?

2006 Total Births Vaginal Births Cesarean Births VBACs

72,302 53,525 17,760 1,017

Chippewa Valley Hospitals Birth Statistics July 2006-June 2007**

Facility St. Joseph’s Red Cedar Luther Sacred Hospital Medical Midelfort Heart

Center Hospital Hospital

Total Number of Births 518 298 799 1122

Vaginal Deliveries 375 (72%) 230 (77%) 566 (71%) 280 (25%)

-Average Cost$5,858 $4,472 $5,236 $5,290

(Mother’s Facility Charges Only)

Cesarean Deliveries 143 (28%) 68 (23%) 233 (29%) 842 (75%)

-Average Cost $10,992 $9,583 $11,154 $10,857


Epidural Rate 55% 51.5%

Induction/31% 31%

Augmentation Rates

Barron & St. Croix County Hospitals Statistics July 2006-June 2007**

Facility Lakeview Barron Hudson River Falls Medical Ctr Memorial Hospital Area

Rice Lake Medical Ctr Hospital

Total Number of Births 429 111 412 262

Vaginal Deliveries 307 (72%) 69 (62%) 346 (84%) 201 (77%)

-Average Cost$6,750 $3,552 $5,744 $6,456


Cesarean Deliveries 122 (28%) 42 (38%) 66 (16%) 61 (23%)

-Average Cost $7,993 $8,631 $9,950 $11,494


Epidural Rate (TBA) (TBA) (TBA) (TBA)

Induction/(TBA) (TBA) (TBA) (TBA)

Augmentation Rates

**Statistical information obtained from Wisconsin PricePoint System www.wipricepoint.org; St. Joseph’s OB NurseSupervisor and website http://www.stjoeschipfalls.com/our_services/birth_center.phtml; Sacred Heart Hospital OB NurseSupervisor and website www.sacredhearteauclaire.org/OurServices/Maternity; Luther Midelfort OB Nurse Supervisor andwebsite http://www.mayohealthsystem.org/mhs/live/page.cfm?pp=locations/locationhome.cfm&orgid=LM&nav=Hom;Red Cedar Medical Center Family Birth Suites OB Nurse and website http://www.redcedarmaternity.com/†This represents a major problem in the lack of transparency in health care, which is one of the major focuses of theWestern Wisconsin Childbirth Coalition. Look for more information soon. The public deserves to know.

A Poem For My Mother: You Gave Me a Song By Tara Burr

Fresh life, new breath, first voice, You became, mother.Sweet notes shared, In the easy

rhythm of life. Loyal teacher.Praying,Cheering,Investing.

How beautiful,Your life. Mother,Servant. Searching for a

different beat.Clueless, I.Louder, larger, Bigger stage.

You, Always,Pointing to the

Director. Showing I am

never solo.

Fresh life, new breath,first voice,

I, became mother.Now, listening for the

beat, You played for me.

We share the samemelody.

You gave me asong.

Will Not

Disclose†

Will Not

Disclose†


This is a popular and adorable story posted online by an

anonymous 2nd grade teacher:

I’ve been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids

myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own

second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few

sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually,

show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model

airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever

place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in

to school and talk about it, they’re welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing

kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a

pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an

infant. “This is Luke, my baby brother, and I’m going to tell you

about his birthday.”

“First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and

then Dad put a seed in my Mom’s stomach, and Luke grew in there.

He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.” She’s standing

there with her hands on the pillow, and I’m trying not to laugh and

wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in

amazement.

“Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and

going, ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!’ Erica puts a hand behind her back and

groans. “She walked around the house for, like an hour, ‘Oh, oh, oh!’

(Now this kid is

doing a hysterical

duck walk and

groaning.) “My

Dad called the

middle wife. She

delivers babies, but

she doesn’t have a

sign on the car like

the Domino’s

man. They got my

Mom to lie down

in bed like this.” (Then Erica lies down with her back against the

wall.)

“And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there

in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed,

like psshhheew!” (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands

miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

“Then the middle wife starts saying ‘push, push,’ and ‘breathe,

breathe’. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then,

all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff

that they all said it was from Mom’s play-center, so there must be a

lot of toys inside there.”

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to

her seat. I’m sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it’s

show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another “Middle

Wife” comes along.

The “Middle Wife”The “Middle Wife”

The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Omega 3 fatty acids are important for the baby’s developing eyes

and brain,” says Dr. Sheila Innis, the study’s principal investigator,

head of the nutrition and metabolism program at the

Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children’s

Hospital, and professor, department of pediatrics,

University of British Columbia.

“During pregnancy and breastfeeding, fat

consumed by the mum is transferred to the

developing baby and breastfed infant, and this fat is

important for the baby’s developing organs. Our next

task is to find out why the typical North American diet puts mothers

at risk. Then we can develop dietary recommendations to help

women consume a nutritious diet that promotes optimal health for

mums and babies.”

The researchers found that the women who ate lots of meat and

little fish were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and their babies didn’t

do as well on eye tests as babies from mothers who weren’t deficient.

The results were noticeable as early as two months of age. The study

is ongoing as the researchers intend to

follow the children’s development until

four years of age.

For the study, the researchers

recruited 135 pregnant women and

randomly assigned them to either a

group that took an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or one that took a

placebo. All the women continued eating their regular diets. The

supplement added the equivalent of two fatty fish meals per week, an

amount that the researchers estimated would

prevent deficiency. The researchers tested the

women’s blood samples at 16 and 36 weeks of

pregnancy and measured the amount of DHA

(docasohexaenoic acid), a type of omega-3 fatty

acids that’s known to be important for brain and

eye function.

After the babies were born, the researchers did

vision tests to evaluate the infants’ ability to distinguish lines of

different widths. It’s an innovative way of evaluating neurological

maturity in babies who are unable to talk. Since the eyes are

connected to the brain, they reflect the brain’s development.

The aim of this study was to contribute to a growing

body of knowledge that focuses on the dietary

needs of pregnant and breastfeeding

women. More research is needed to identify

recommended daily amounts of omega 3

fatty acids.

“For better health, it’s important for

pregnant and nursing mums - and all of us - to eat a wide variety of

fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, eggs, and fish while minimizing

consumption of processed and prepared foods,” says Dr. Innis.

Nutrition in PregnancyNutrition in PregnancyDiets Deficient in Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Pose aRisk to Infant Development


In October of this year, I gave birth to a little boy, Aaron, for a

family from Utah. I gave birth to him at home (my home) in a

birthing tub with my daughter, 3 midwives, and Aaron’s parents.

I had given birth at home to my daughter, six and a half years

earlier, and had a wonderful first birth. Part of my motivation in

becoming a surrogate was to have the opportunity to carry and birth

a baby again.

Although I wanted to have a different birth experience this time, I

wondered often during my pregnancy what similarities there might

be between my daughter’s birth and this birth. I should say that

while I think of this as my birth, I don’t in any way think or feel that

Aaron is my son, so I don’t want to call him my surro-son, which is

the commonly used term.

I knew that one of the main challenges of my daughter’s birth was

due to the posterior position she was in. With second babies, the

position isn’t the concern it is with firsts, and I knew he was in a

good position all along.

He was a sweet and quiet baby during my pregnancy. Although I

had more aches and pains this time, I don’t think any of it can be

attributed to anything he did. I had much stronger and more specific

cravings in this pregnancy, for buffalo chicken wings and slushies

and cereal… most of which I indulged myself in whenever I wanted

to.

While I had 3 midwives, none of them lived in the same city as me.

Tanya lived in my state about 2 hours away, Paula lived in the next

state over, and Andrea lived half way across the country. And, the

parents had to get here from Utah.

All people who had to fly in came in around 38 weeks (my

daughter was born at 42 ½ weeks, so this seemed optimistic to me).

The parents had made plans to stay at a long term hotel

with their two tiny dogs and one set of grandparents.

Andrea and her two children stayed with me.

Because I was concerned about going long

again, which would mean a lot of knowing that

people were waiting around for me, as well as

much less time off for the parents with Aaron,

Andrea and I started cooking up some plans to see

if we could ‘encourage’ labor.

The Thursday before he was born, Andrea checked my

cervix and it was something depressing, like 1 cm. Not

depressing because I thought was farther along, it just

made for a bleak Bishop’s Score and less potential

success with getting into labor.

So, first I tried a good dose of castor oil with a

juice chaser and got nothing out of it. Not even

enough trips to the bathroom to be able to

properly empathize with other women. Then

we tried stripping the membranes a couple of

times, and then made our own “cervical

cocktail” of evening primrose oil and castor

oil which I wore around one whole Saturday

in an Instead Cup. I didn’t get anything

noticeable from any of it, and thought it

might be best to wait a couple of days and

then try again.

The next morning it was

decided that my mom would

watch all the kids and Andrea and I would go out for brunch. I

remember saying something about how it would be great if the

waffles kicked off labor. After brunch and kid pick up I laid down

for a nap and slept for a couple of hours.

I got up at about 3 p.m. and as soon as I got up I started having

regular contractions, eight minutes apart. I was quietly timing them

on my own, and they went to seven minutes. I couldn’t resist telling

Andrea though; and soon they were six minutes apart. We had been

planning to go to my mom’s for dinner, but as it got closer I didn’t

feel like going, so my mom came and picked up the kids and left

Andrea to take care of me. Unlike my daughter’s birth, I knew this

was early labor and wanted to take full advantage. I took a bath and

worked a puzzle while eating my favorite ice cream that I had been

saving. Then I tried to watch a DVD but it was too distracting for

me. I think this is when Andrea checked me. I was 4 centimeters

(I’d been 1-2 at her last check), and thinning.

This cervical check I think started the torture for Andrea of having

to decide when to call people, and what to tell them. I had made it

clear all along that I was protective of my private birthing space, and

preferred people to come towards the end of my labor. At the same

time, it was important for everyone to get there, especially Aaron’s

parents. What I have been told after the fact is that when I thought

Andrea was calling to give people updates, she was really calling them

to say they should come over (but not come in).

Some people thought I might precip [go fast], but that turned out

not be true. From the point Andrea checked me to people getting

here is a little blurry to me. I remember wanting to get in the shower,

but used the hot water to fill the birth tub instead. I got in the tub

at some point, and people started gathering. My mom brought my

daughter home and she spent time watching me, being with Andrea,

and talking with me.

I have the experience in labor (both times so far) of being able to

think very clearly in my head and not be able to get it out of my

mouth in the same form it is in my head. This came up a few times

in labor, where I felt I was using some form of verbal shorthand to

get my message across. This first time it happened was shortly after

Paula and Tanya got to my house. I felt a shift in my labor and,

although I had no urge to push, I wondered if I should be feeling an

urge. Paula asked if I was, and I said no, but she encouraged me to

try it. It didn’t feel familiar, or right; she offered to check me. I was

five centimeters at this point, not really much different than I’d been

earlier. This prompted to say “I need to change this.”

I got out of the birth tub, got dressed, and started out on a walk.

My daughter and I walked hand in hand down and around a couple

of blocks. This was my favorite part of the labor. She stroked my

hand, looked up at me, and kept up with me as I walked faster than

I had in weeks. There was something about the walking while

contracting that was very helpful. We were trailed by Andrea and

Tanya who, I think, thought my pace was a little amusing for labor.

When we got home Andrea settled into taking care of my daughter

and Tanya came with me while I tried to sleep. I told myself I had to

try, it could be a long time, and really, it sounded pretty good. I am

not sure where Paula and the parents were at this point, but I was

grateful for the dark and quiet bedroom. I lay down and was able to

breathe through some contractions and rest in-between. Then, the

back labor started, as Aaron had moved to a posterior position at

A Surrogate Birth: Aaron’s Birth StoryA Surrogate Birth: Aaron’s Birth Story

(Continued on page 9)


some point during the labor. And Tanya tirelessly rubbed and

kneaded my back while I constantly said “harder, harder.” This

lasted for about an hour until I was shaking so much I had to get up

and move around.

I went into the bathroom and figured I must be in transition when

I couldn’t stop the shaking. I did a couple of contractions semi-

standing and then headed to the birth tub for some relief. At this

point I did get to have a classic labor experience - I had a few

contractions where I was very loud and thought to myself “I can’t do

this anymore.” I was glad to know that I was getting close. However,

I wasn’t able to say any of this to anyone. In my time of need, all my

midwives gathered around, and Paula held my hands as I made it

through the last of transition. It was during this time that he rotated

through my back and was anterior (LOA) again.

I had a more gradual transition into pushing than I did the first

time. I knew I was complete, and Paula confirmed it, but I didn’t feel

it in my body in the way I had last time. I decided to go with more

active pushing than I had the first time, and

I was surprised by how much the pushing

overtook me. While with my daughter,

pushing had been graceful and pleasant, this

was more like the force that comes with

vomiting. It was very powerful, and in a few

contractions I felt him enter the birth canal.

I said “he’s coming,” and his parents, who

had been respectfully waiting a few feet away

in the living room, came to the end of the

tub to watch their son be born. One

contraction to crown, one for the head, and

another for the body. He had a tight nuchal

cord that Paula tried to lift over his head, he

ended up needing some untangling from his

cord. He was born at 11:05pm.

Afterwards, I held him on my chest and

felt his sweet warm body. His parents

touched me, and one of them gently stroked

my hair. We cut the cord and then he went with his parents to the

couch and they were taken care of by Paula.

The third stage was simple - I birthed the placenta shortly after the

birth. There was much more blood in the tub than there’d been at

my previous birth, but I felt great and didn’t worry about it. I went

into bed and lay down with my daughter by my side. Andrea and

Tanya took care of me, and I felt very happy.

I called my mom who came over to congratulate me and meet

Aaron. My boyfriend came to get dog-sitting supplies and give me a

hug. After he left, I took a bath and had a snack. Then, we all

gathered in my bedroom and felt happy together. The parents had

asked if I’d nurse Aaron so he could benefit from colostrums, and I

had agreed ahead of time that I would. He was an easy baby to nurse,

and seemed so much like himself right from the start.

So many people have asked me if it was hard for me. For me, I was

clear all along that he wasn’t my baby. I cared about him very much,

and feel close to him. But, it wasn’t hard to see him go, because he

was going home.

Morning Star Women’s Health & Birth Center has a two-part

mission. The first is the provision of education and maternity care to

pregnant women and limited gynecologic care for women of

childbearing age. The second is the training of midwifery apprentices

and medical and nursing school students in the Midwives Model of

Care.

The Center’s preceptors and students are affiliated with the

National College of Midwifery, the Southwestern Technical College

(Fennimore, WI) midwifery program or other accredited midwifery

programs or colleges. Midwifery students and apprentices at the

Center are in the process of qualifying to become Certified

Professional Midwives (CPMs) and licensed by the State of

Wisconsin and/or Minnesota while obtaining an Associate’s or

Bachelor’s degree in Midwifery. Midwifery interns who work in the

clinic may be present to observe and participate in prenatal visits and

births. Staff midwives may also be in the process of participating in

academic, clinical and research activities that qualify them for

Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate degrees in Midwifery. PA

(Physician Assistant) students, nursing students and medical school

students may take part in brief training rotations with the midwives

to gain exposure to midwifery practice.

Training midwives, PA’s, nurses, and doctors, as well as

encouraging their further academic and personal achievements, is

very important to the Center’s mission. As such, midwifery

apprentices and visiting students are fully integrated into the care of

our clients.

If you are a midwifery client, midwifery apprentices will be

involved, providing direct clinical care under the supervision of the

midwives. If this is not acceptable to you, we urge you to discuss this

with us. If you are having a Birth Center or home birth, the midwife

and apprentices on call will be present for your birth.

Midwifery Apprentices, Medical School and NursingStudents, and Research at the Center

Aaron’s Birth Story(Continued from page 8)

The Images of Mother author unknown

4 years of age~ “My Mommy can do anything!”

8 years of age~ “My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!”

12 years of age~ “My Mother doesn’t know quite everything.”

14 years of age~ “Naturally, Mother doesn’t know that either.”

16 years of age~ “Mother? She’s hopelessly old-fashioned.”

18 years of age~ “That old woman? She’s way out of date!”

25 years of age~“Well, she might know a little bit about it.”

35 years of age~ “Before we decide, let’s get Mom’s opinion.”

45 years of age~ “Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?”

65 years of age~ “Wish I could talk it over with Mom.”

an essay by an unknown author

We are sitting at lunch when my friend casually mentions thatshe and her husband are thinking of “starting a family.”

“We’re taking a survey” she says, half joking. “Do you think Ishould have a baby?”

“It will change your life,” I say carefully, keeping my tone neutral.

“I know,” she says. “No more sleeping on the weekend, no morespontaneous vacations…”

But that is not what I meant at all. Trying to decide what to tellher, I look at my friend. I want her to know what she will neverlearn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physicalwounds of childbearing heal, but that becoming a mother will leaveher with an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vul-nerable. I consider warning herthat she will never read a news-paper again without asking,“What if that had been MYchild?” That every plane crash,every fire will haunt her. Thatwhen she sees pictures of starvingchildren, she will wonder if any-thing could be worse than watch-ing your child die.

I look at my friend’s carefullymanicured nails and stylish suit,and think that no matter howsophisticated she is, she will soonknow at the primitive level of abear protecting her cub; that anurgent call of “Mom!” will causeher to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moment’s hesita-tion. I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years shehas invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed bymotherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she willbe going into an important business meeting thinking uncontrol-lably about her baby’s sweet smell. She will have to use every ounceof her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure herbaby is all right.

I want my friend to know that everyday decisions will no longerbe routine, that a five-year-old boy’s desire to go to the men’s roomrather than the woman’s at McDonald’s will become a major dilem-

ma. That right there in the midst of clatteringtrays and screaming children, issues of independence and genderidentity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molestermay be lurking in that restroom. However decisive she may be inthe office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my friend, I want to assure her that eventually she willshed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the sameabout herself that her life, now so important, will be of less value toher once she has a child. That she would give it up in a momentto save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years- notto accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplishits own.

I want her to know that shiny stretch marks will become badgesof honor, and that her relationship with her husband will change,but not in the ways she thinks. I wish she could understand how

much more you can love a manwho is always careful to powderthe baby or never hesitates toplay with his child. I think sheshould know that she will fall inlove with him again for reasonsshe would now find very unro-mantic.

I wish my friend could sense thebond she’ll feel with womenthroughout history who havetried desperately to stop war andprejudice and drunk driving. Ihope she will understand why Ican think rationally about mostissues but become temporarilyinsane when I discuss the threat

of nuclear war in my children’s future. I want to describe to myfriend the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. Iwant to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touchingthe soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time. I want her to tastethe joy, which is so real, it actually hurts.

My friend’s quizzical look makes me realize that tears haveformed in my eyes. “You’ll never regret it,” I say finally. Then Ireach across the table, squeeze my friend’s hand, and offer a silentprayer for her, and for me, and for all mere mortal women whostumble their way into this most wonderful of callings- the blessedgift of being a Mother.

Motherhood: It Will Change Your LifeMotherhood: It Will Change Your Life

Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share her “beauty tips.” It

was read at her funeral years later.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child runhis/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you neverwalk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived,reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helpinghand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will dis-cover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.


I have had all my children come early. Three boys at 33 weeks,

34 weeks and 34 weeks, 1 day and a girl at 36 weeks. The second

and third boy were also breech (butt first). After finding out about

midwifery and natural birth I knew I would never, willing, walk into

a hospital to have a baby again. I found Morning Star and Paula on

the internet and knew I wanted to have our fifth baby there.

But…there was my “high risk” status, would she take me?

Paula didn’t consider breech birth “high risk”, just another way

to give birth! As far as the preterm deliveries (I needed to get to 37

weeks), they all stayed in a bit longer (I used progesterone cream for

the previous and this pregnancy) and we prayed it would continue

that way. We had a scare though, at 34 weeks I started having

contractions as I nursed our 16 month old. I quit nursing, applied

more progesterone cream, “rested” (as much as possible with 4

children) and prayed. I slowly dilated over the next few weeks and

the baby’s head was moving down. One day I just sat and cried, “I’m

not going to make it another 3 weeks!”

God answered our prayers and labor didn’t start until I was hours

away from 37 weeks. Since I’m never quite sure if it’s the real thing

when labor starts, and it would take hours for my husband and my

Mom to get to our home and over an hour to get to the Birth

Center, I called them both to come. We just made it, I went into

transition during the last turn into Morning Star. If I had another

contraction like

that, I would have

been on the floor of

the van.

I almost cried

when I walked into

the room. Erin had

the lights low, music

on, the tub drawn-it

was so peaceful.

When Paula

checked me I was

fully dilated and got

into the tub. “Isn’t

this the time that

everyone at the

hospital would be

screaming at me to

push?” Paula, Erin,

and Amy (doula

and great

photographer) just

quietly waited,

giving me sips of

water and checking

the baby’s heartbeat. I squatted and slowly moved my baby

down. Paula told me I would hold my baby soon. After about

an hour my water broke. The water definitely eased the

stinging sensation of the baby’s head. The baby’s cord was

around it’s neck and Paula or my husband couldn’t unloop it.

It didn’t matter, the baby was coming, twisting out of the loop

and swirling around in the tub. I laughed as Michael and

Paula brought the baby up out of the water.

It’s a girl! Just what we hoped for. We named her Madalyn

Clarella. I got to nurse her as they drained the tub. The

midwives got us tucked in bed and made us dinner. It was

nice to be able to go home in 4 hours, our children hardly

missed us. I’ve always hated the long hospital stay but, staying

at Morning Star wouldn’t have been so bad. It was such a

peaceful and perfect birth. Thanks Paula, Erin, and Amy!

My Birth Story by Tracy Sonnheim


We Have Slingsto Try!

Did you know that we have a widevariety of slings to look at and tryon? You can look at pictures, see

instructional manuals and get order-ing and pricing information on many

differentbaby-wearingdevices! Feelfree to stopin during

clinic hoursto try them

out.

Quote of the Quarter“The woman about to become a mother, or with her

newborn infant upon her bosom, should be the object oftrembling care and sympathy wherever she bears her tenderburden or stretches her aching limbs. God forbid that anymember of the profession to which she trusts her life,doubly precious at that eventful period, shouldhazard it negligently, unadvisedly or selfishly.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

“ “

Morning Star Women’sHealth and Birth Center321 13th St. SEMenomonie, WI 54751715.231.3100

Check Out Our NewWebsite!!

www.MorningStarBirth.com

Check Out Our NewWebsite!!

www.MorningStarBirth.com

We are happy to serve women and families from manycounties of northwestern Wisconsin and easternMinnesota. We are committed to offering holisticmaternity services in the Midwives’ Model of Care©

and to empower women and families throughprinciples of education, communication and shareddecision making.

“Wisdom of Ages, Science of Today”™

Morning Star Spring 2008 Newsletter

Documents

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family life

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