Demand Accurate Reporting of ALL Birth Options
Target:
Producers of NBC's Today Show segment titled "The Perils of Midwifery"
Like all of you, my heart breaks for the McKenzie family and for any parent who experiences the loss of a child. While honoring the McKenzies and empathizing deeply with them, I ask you to join parents of babies born at home, supporters of informed choices in childbirth, skilled home birth midwives everywhere, and me in response to the Today Show and its gross misrepresentation of midwife-attended home birth and the women who choose this option.
_________
Dear NBC Producers,
We, the undersigned, collectively voice our deepest concerns over what we believe has been a gross misrepresentation both of midwife-attended homebirth and of the women who choose this option.
While empathizing deeply with the McKenzie family and their loss, we are shocked at the way in which NBC's "Today Show" chose to portray homebirth as dangerous while choosing to ignore ample medical research that demonstrates its safety in the US and in other developed countries around the world. Not only did the producers of the Today Show ignore journalistic due diligence, they also chose to ignore basic rules of fairness by repeatedly citing doctors and the trade union that represents them while denying midwives and their proponents a voice. This is simply irresponsible journalism, and misleading to your viewers. We expect more from such a well-respected program.
We stand in support of families who choose to birth their babies at home with a skilled midwife, not for hedonistic reasons, as the Today Show segment so insultingly suggests, but because they truly believe that it is the best option for themselves and their babies. We support women who choose home birth, who are not following a fad, but who are following their hearts and their informed minds to seek a birth that is both safe and healthy. Far from being a recent trend or fashion, midwifery draws on a continuum of knowledge and experience that goes back many centuries. Midwives are well-trained professionals who specialize in normal birth and provide outcomes that are often superior to obstetrician-attended birth. To suggest otherwise is deeply offensive.
The Today Show missed an opportunity to discuss why, despite its near universal reliance on hospital-based, physician-attended obstetric care in birth, America has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world. It missed an opportunity to discuss the reasons why highly educated, thoughtful and responsible women are choosing a home birth with a qualified midwife as an alternative to a hospital birth- an option that other countries have proven again and again costs less money, necessitates fewer c-sections, and provides better outcomes for mothers and babies than our system. The Today Show missed an opportunity to ask why the United States spent $86 billion in 2006 on maternity care that left the US with one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world and left women and their families asking for more choices in their maternity care.
Although every infant death is a terrible tragedy, the real scandal about birth in the US lies not in the death of the McKenzie's baby alone, but in the fact that 13.6 African American babies die for every thousand live births; an infant mortality rate that is triple that of Denmark or South Korea. What is truly shocking is not that a fraction of women choose home birth, but that our international infant mortality ranking has worsened from 12th in the world in 1960 to 29th in 2004 during the same period that our rates of medical intervention in birth have gone up exponentially- Cesarean section rates alone have more than tripled.
We are passionate about childbirth issues because we know that, like the rest of the healthcare system in this country, there is much room for improvement. Drawing battle lines between midwives and doctors and terrorizing the public unnecessarily are hardly constructive means to this end. We call on the Today Show to provide the public with the whole story regarding the evidence and viewpoints supporting the choice of midwife-assisted home birth.
We call on the Today Show to choose responsible journalism.
_________
Dear NBC Producers,
We, the undersigned, collectively voice our deepest concerns over what we believe has been a gross misrepresentation both of midwife-attended homebirth and of the women who choose this option.
While empathizing deeply with the McKenzie family and their loss, we are shocked at the way in which NBC's "Today Show" chose to portray homebirth as dangerous while choosing to ignore ample medical research that demonstrates its safety in the US and in other developed countries around the world. Not only did the producers of the Today Show ignore journalistic due diligence, they also chose to ignore basic rules of fairness by repeatedly citing doctors and the trade union that represents them while denying midwives and their proponents a voice. This is simply irresponsible journalism, and misleading to your viewers. We expect more from such a well-respected program.
We stand in support of families who choose to birth their babies at home with a skilled midwife, not for hedonistic reasons, as the Today Show segment so insultingly suggests, but because they truly believe that it is the best option for themselves and their babies. We support women who choose home birth, who are not following a fad, but who are following their hearts and their informed minds to seek a birth that is both safe and healthy. Far from being a recent trend or fashion, midwifery draws on a continuum of knowledge and experience that goes back many centuries. Midwives are well-trained professionals who specialize in normal birth and provide outcomes that are often superior to obstetrician-attended birth. To suggest otherwise is deeply offensive.
The Today Show missed an opportunity to discuss why, despite its near universal reliance on hospital-based, physician-attended obstetric care in birth, America has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world. It missed an opportunity to discuss the reasons why highly educated, thoughtful and responsible women are choosing a home birth with a qualified midwife as an alternative to a hospital birth- an option that other countries have proven again and again costs less money, necessitates fewer c-sections, and provides better outcomes for mothers and babies than our system. The Today Show missed an opportunity to ask why the United States spent $86 billion in 2006 on maternity care that left the US with one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world and left women and their families asking for more choices in their maternity care.
Although every infant death is a terrible tragedy, the real scandal about birth in the US lies not in the death of the McKenzie's baby alone, but in the fact that 13.6 African American babies die for every thousand live births; an infant mortality rate that is triple that of Denmark or South Korea. What is truly shocking is not that a fraction of women choose home birth, but that our international infant mortality ranking has worsened from 12th in the world in 1960 to 29th in 2004 during the same period that our rates of medical intervention in birth have gone up exponentially- Cesarean section rates alone have more than tripled.
We are passionate about childbirth issues because we know that, like the rest of the healthcare system in this country, there is much room for improvement. Drawing battle lines between midwives and doctors and terrorizing the public unnecessarily are hardly constructive means to this end. We call on the Today Show to provide the public with the whole story regarding the evidence and viewpoints supporting the choice of midwife-assisted home birth.
We call on the Today Show to choose responsible journalism.
Like all of you, my heart breaks for the McKenzie family and for any parent who experiences the loss of a child. While honoring the McKenzies and empathizing deeply with them, I ask you to join parents of babies born at home, supporters of informed choices in childbirth, skilled home birth midwives everywhere, and me in response to the Today Show and its gross misrepresentation of midwife-attended home birth and the women who choose this option.
_________
Dear NBC Producers,
We, the undersigned, collectively voice our deepest concerns over what we believe has been a gross misrepresentation both of midwife-attended homebirth and of the women who choose this option.
While empathizing deeply with the McKenzie family and their loss, we are shocked at the way in which NBC's "Today Show" chose to portray homebirth as dangerous while choosing to ignore ample medical research that demonstrates its safety in the US and in other developed countries around the world. Not only did the producers of the Today Show ignore journalistic due diligence, they also chose to ignore basic rules of fairness by repeatedly citing doctors and the trade union that represents them while denying midwives and their proponents a voice. This is simply irresponsible journalism, and misleading to your viewers. We expect more from such a well-respected program.
We stand in support of families who choose to birth their babies at home with a skilled midwife, not for hedonistic reasons, as the Today Show segment so insultingly suggests, but because they truly believe that it is the best option for themselves and their babies. We support women who choose home birth, who are not following a fad, but who are following their hearts and their informed minds to seek a birth that is both safe and healthy. Far from being a recent trend or fashion, midwifery draws on a continuum of knowledge and experience that goes back many centuries. Midwives are well-trained professionals who specialize in normal birth and provide outcomes that are often superior to obstetrician-attended birth. To suggest otherwise is deeply offensive.
The Today Show missed an opportunity to discuss why, despite its near universal reliance on hospital-based, physician-attended obstetric care in birth, America has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world. It missed an opportunity to discuss the reasons why highly educated, thoughtful and responsible women are choosing a home birth with a qualified midwife as an alternative to a hospital birth- an option that other countries have proven again and again costs less money, necessitates fewer c-sections, and provides better outcomes for mothers and babies than our system. The Today Show missed an opportunity to ask why the United States spent $86 billion in 2006 on maternity care that left the US with one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world and left women and their families asking for more choices in their maternity care.
Although every infant death is a terrible tragedy, the real scandal about birth in the US lies not in the death of the McKenzie's baby alone, but in the fact that 13.6 African American babies die for every thousand live births; an infant mortality rate that is triple that of Denmark or South Korea. What is truly shocking is not that a fraction of women choose home birth, but that our international infant mortality ranking has worsened from 12th in the world in 1960 to 29th in 2004 during the same period that our rates of medical intervention in birth have gone up exponentially- Cesarean section rates alone have more than tripled.
We are passionate about childbirth issues because we know that, like the rest of the healthcare system in this country, there is much room for improvement. Drawing battle lines between midwives and doctors and terrorizing the public unnecessarily are hardly constructive means to this end. We call on the Today Show to provide the public with the whole story regarding the evidence and viewpoints supporting the choice of midwife-assisted home birth.
We call on the Today Show to choose responsible journalism.
_________
Dear NBC Producers,
We, the undersigned, collectively voice our deepest concerns over what we believe has been a gross misrepresentation both of midwife-attended homebirth and of the women who choose this option.
While empathizing deeply with the McKenzie family and their loss, we are shocked at the way in which NBC's "Today Show" chose to portray homebirth as dangerous while choosing to ignore ample medical research that demonstrates its safety in the US and in other developed countries around the world. Not only did the producers of the Today Show ignore journalistic due diligence, they also chose to ignore basic rules of fairness by repeatedly citing doctors and the trade union that represents them while denying midwives and their proponents a voice. This is simply irresponsible journalism, and misleading to your viewers. We expect more from such a well-respected program.
We stand in support of families who choose to birth their babies at home with a skilled midwife, not for hedonistic reasons, as the Today Show segment so insultingly suggests, but because they truly believe that it is the best option for themselves and their babies. We support women who choose home birth, who are not following a fad, but who are following their hearts and their informed minds to seek a birth that is both safe and healthy. Far from being a recent trend or fashion, midwifery draws on a continuum of knowledge and experience that goes back many centuries. Midwives are well-trained professionals who specialize in normal birth and provide outcomes that are often superior to obstetrician-attended birth. To suggest otherwise is deeply offensive.
The Today Show missed an opportunity to discuss why, despite its near universal reliance on hospital-based, physician-attended obstetric care in birth, America has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world. It missed an opportunity to discuss the reasons why highly educated, thoughtful and responsible women are choosing a home birth with a qualified midwife as an alternative to a hospital birth- an option that other countries have proven again and again costs less money, necessitates fewer c-sections, and provides better outcomes for mothers and babies than our system. The Today Show missed an opportunity to ask why the United States spent $86 billion in 2006 on maternity care that left the US with one of the worst infant mortality rates in the developed world and left women and their families asking for more choices in their maternity care.
Although every infant death is a terrible tragedy, the real scandal about birth in the US lies not in the death of the McKenzie's baby alone, but in the fact that 13.6 African American babies die for every thousand live births; an infant mortality rate that is triple that of Denmark or South Korea. What is truly shocking is not that a fraction of women choose home birth, but that our international infant mortality ranking has worsened from 12th in the world in 1960 to 29th in 2004 during the same period that our rates of medical intervention in birth have gone up exponentially- Cesarean section rates alone have more than tripled.
We are passionate about childbirth issues because we know that, like the rest of the healthcare system in this country, there is much room for improvement. Drawing battle lines between midwives and doctors and terrorizing the public unnecessarily are hardly constructive means to this end. We call on the Today Show to provide the public with the whole story regarding the evidence and viewpoints supporting the choice of midwife-assisted home birth.
We call on the Today Show to choose responsible journalism.
We signed the "Demand Accurate Reporting of ALL Birth Options" petition!
# 5,352:
11:05 pm PST, Dec 31,
Rebecca Templar, Pennsylvania
# 5,351:
10:02 pm PST, Dec 28,
Stephanie Jedlicka, Virginia
# 5,350:
7:28 pm PST, Dec 27,
Peg Peterson, Arizona
I cannot believe in this day and age that you do not show all options for birthing. The AMA has fought for years to keep childbirth a "sickness" rather than an experience. Each woman should be able to choose her birthing experience for her baby!
I cannot believe in this day and age that you do not show all options for birthing. The AMA has fought for years to keep childbirth a "sickness" rather than an experience. Each woman should be able to choose her birthing experience for her baby!
# 5,349:
4:26 am PST, Dec 27,
Sandra Schwanz, Minnesota
# 5,348:
6:04 pm PST, Dec 26,
Anne McNutt, Arizona
# 5,347:
8:30 am PST, Dec 26,
Sabrina Martinez, Puerto Rico
I'm a mother of two. My first baby girl was born by an unnecessary c-section at 36 weeks. I never presented any problems durring my pregnancy or labor. She was 14 days in NICU because of long immaturity. For my second baby I informed myself more about my rights and options. I looked for a OB that respected my decision of trying for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and a Midwife that would assist me durring the first stages of labor in my home. If it weren't for my Midwife I would have gone too early to the hospital and probably would have ended in another c-section. Her help was priceless. For my next baby I am defenetlly having a homebirth.
I'm a mother of two. My first baby girl was born by an unnecessary c-section at 36 weeks. I never presented any problems durring my pregnancy or labor. She was 14 days in NICU because of long immaturity. For my second baby I informed myself more about my rights and options. I looked for a OB that respected my decision of trying for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and a Midwife that would assist me durring the first stages of labor in my home. If it weren't for my Midwife I would have gone too early to the hospital and probably would have ended in another c-section. Her help was priceless. For my next baby I am defenetlly having a homebirth.
# 5,346:
10:53 am PST, Dec 23,
Carolyn Stevens, Arizona
# 5,345:
10:29 pm PST, Dec 22,
Amanda Kirk, New York
# 5,344:
8:26 am PST, Dec 22,
Carolyn Connolly, California
# 5,343:
11:33 pm PST, Dec 20,
Jennifer Wenzel, Washington
I will forever be glad that I was able to give my second child what I didn't know was possible for my first: a natural, quiet, loving birth. After my choices were so limited in the hospital leading to a c-section, I knew I would do everything in my power to not put another child through that, which meant staying out of a hospital.
I will forever be glad that I was able to give my second child what I didn't know was possible for my first: a natural, quiet, loving birth. After my choices were so limited in the hospital leading to a c-section, I knew I would do everything in my power to not put another child through that, which meant staying out of a hospital.
# 5,342:
7:58 pm PST, Dec 16,
Sinead Allan, Canada
# 5,341:
3:43 pm PST, Dec 16,
Sarah Pia, California
# 5,340:
3:49 pm PST, Dec 15,
Bethanie Verduzco, Oklahoma
# 5,339:
8:36 am PST, Dec 15,
Jennifer Borkey, Texas
# 5,338:
7:02 am PST, Dec 15,
Emily Kniffin, Vermont
# 5,337:
11:23 pm PST, Dec 14,
Audrey Clark, Virginia
# 5,336:
3:56 pm PST, Dec 14,
Serena Kniffin, New York
# 5,335:
11:37 am PST, Dec 14,
Hillary Boucher, New York
# 5,334:
7:08 pm PST, Dec 10,
Andrea Montoya, Texas
# 5,333:
8:16 am PST, Dec 9,
Kailyn Lynch, Pennsylvania
# 5,332:
10:53 am PST, Dec 7,
Marylyle McCue, Pennsylvania
# 5,331:
10:09 am PST, Dec 7,
Ronald Fischman, Pennsylvania
I am concerned that natural childbirth is a stillborn proposition for most Americans. As an activist in women's health, I urge you to cover the contribution of midwives to healthy deliveries when you next cover maternal health. Birth is a natural procedure, and pregnancy is not a disease.
I am concerned that natural childbirth is a stillborn proposition for most Americans. As an activist in women's health, I urge you to cover the contribution of midwives to healthy deliveries when you next cover maternal health. Birth is a natural procedure, and pregnancy is not a disease.
# 5,330:
10:30 pm PST, Dec 6,
Jasmine Zowniriw, Pennsylvania
# 5,329:
11:56 pm PST, Dec 2,
Sara Finch, Washington
# 5,328:
12:57 pm PST, Dec 2,
Kristin Pettler, North Carolina
# 5,327:
8:13 am PST, Dec 2,
Jessika Burch-Cook, Arkansas
# 5,326:
5:54 pm PST, Dec 1,
Sara Schwartz Geller, California
# 5,325:
6:45 pm PST, Nov 29,
Bailey Delves, Canada
# 5,324:
7:20 am PST, Nov 28,
Melany Richmond, Washington
# 5,323:
8:12 pm PST, Nov 20,
Crystal D'Angora, California
Although every infant death is a terrible tragedy, the real scandal about birth in the US lies not in the death of the McKenzie's baby alone, but in the fact that 13.6 African American babies die for every thousand live births; an infant mortality rate that is triple that of Denmark or South Korea. What is truly shocking is not that a fraction of women choose home birth, but that our international infant mortality ranking has worsened from 12th in the world in 1960 to 29th in 2004 during the same period that our rates of medical intervention in birth have gone up exponentially- Cesarean section rates alone have more than tripled. We are passionate about childbirth issues because we know that, like the rest of the healthcare system in this country, there is much room for improvement. Drawing battle lines between midwives and doctors and terrorizing the public unnecessarily are hardly constructive means to this end. We call on the Today Show to provide the public with the whole story regarding the evidence and viewpoints supporting the choice of midwife-assisted home birth.
Although every infant death is a terrible tragedy, the real scandal about birth in the US lies not in the death of the McKenzie's baby alone, but in the fact that 13.6 African American babies die for every thousand live births; an infant mortality rate that is triple that of Denmark or South Korea. What is truly shocking is not that a fraction of women choose home birth, but that our international infant mortality ranking has worsened from 12th in the world in 1960 to 29th in 2004 during the same period that our rates of medical intervention in birth have gone up exponentially- Cesarean section rates alone have more than tripled. We are passionate about childbirth issues because we know that, like the rest of the healthcare system in this country, there is much room for improvement. Drawing battle lines between midwives and doctors and terrorizing the public unnecessarily are hardly constructive means to this end. We call on the Today Show to provide the public with the whole story regarding the evidence and viewpoints supporting the choice of midwife-assisted home birth.
Please do your research and fulfill your reponsability to tell the "WHOLE STORY" about childbirth. Sincere concern,
# 5,322:
11:12 am PST, Nov 19,
LisaAnn Young, Florida
# 5,321:
11:12 am PST, Nov 19,
Renée Melton, Illinois
I have already written a personal letter the NBC, but I hope that joining a collective voice will be more powerful. The petition is perfectly written and I can only hope that the Today Show will cease such irresponsible journalism- or better yet, make amends to their reporting.
I have already written a personal letter the NBC, but I hope that joining a collective voice will be more powerful. The petition is perfectly written and I can only hope that the Today Show will cease such irresponsible journalism- or better yet, make amends to their reporting.
# 5,320:
7:59 am PST, Nov 19,
Lee Watson Derscheid, Texas
# 5,319:
8:25 pm PST, Nov 17,
Margaret Howard, Afghanistan
Are you kidding me? Homebirth has been shown the safest option in every viable peer reviewed study eveer done! You are HURTING women's reproductive choice by airing such inacurate programming.
Are you kidding me? Homebirth has been shown the safest option in every viable peer reviewed study eveer done! You are HURTING women's reproductive choice by airing such inacurate programming.
# 5,318:
10:37 pm PST, Nov 11,
Alisha Lee, California
Homebirth is empowering for families, safe, peaceful and better for spiritual well being of a woman. Hospitals and western medical care often take control out of a woman's hands and make the experience of childbirth into a traumatic emergency ridden state. Misrepresentation of home birth by the media continues to lead women in the wrong direction about making informed choices on how her child comes into the world. Childbirth is a natural life process. Women should be given the option to deliver their babies in the comfort of their own home, with midwives/doctors and attendants who are TRAINED to handle emergent situations should one arise. In my opinion it is not home birth that is the problem it is our societies medical system and how childbirth is treated like an illness instead of a natural process.
Homebirth is empowering for families, safe, peaceful and better for spiritual well being of a woman. Hospitals and western medical care often take control out of a woman's hands and make the experience of childbirth into a traumatic emergency ridden state. Misrepresentation of home birth by the media continues to lead women in the wrong direction about making informed choices on how her child comes into the world. Childbirth is a natural life process. Women should be given the option to deliver their babies in the comfort of their own home, with midwives/doctors and attendants who are TRAINED to handle emergent situations should one arise. In my opinion it is not home birth that is the problem it is our societies medical system and how childbirth is treated like an illness instead of a natural process.
# 5,317:
8:41 pm PST, Nov 10,
London King, New York
# 5,316:
4:11 pm PDT, Oct 19,
Aaron Johnson, Canada
# 5,315:
1:18 pm PDT, Oct 19,
Stacy Nguyen, Minnesota
# 5,314:
12:26 pm PDT, Oct 19,
Kate Althouse, Canada
Responsible journalism would include all stories. Do the research. The information is there if you look for it. Homebirth is a safe option for low risk pregnancies.
Responsible journalism would include all stories. Do the research. The information is there if you look for it. Homebirth is a safe option for low risk pregnancies.
Kate Althouse
# 5,313:
3:46 am PDT, Oct 19,
Susan Ruocco, New York
# 5,312:
2:45 am PDT, Oct 19,
Can Atik, Turkey
# 5,311:
6:56 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Terri Gram, Minnesota
# 5,310:
6:38 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Heather Manuel, Florida
# 5,309:
5:36 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Céline Lemay, Canada
# 5,308:
2:21 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Jennifer Thompson, Pennsylvania
Research also shows the perils of hospitals, which I can attest to. Every option has risks....and benefits. Making an informed decision is one of the most important factors in the decision, so fair reporting is essential.
Research also shows the perils of hospitals, which I can attest to. Every option has risks....and benefits. Making an informed decision is one of the most important factors in the decision, so fair reporting is essential.
# 5,307:
1:28 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Patricia Murphy, New Mexico
# 5,306:
12:37 pm PDT, Oct 18,
Connie Dominguez, New Jersey
# 5,305:
10:54 am PDT, Oct 18,
Name not displayed, North Carolina
# 5,304:
6:35 am PDT, Oct 18,
Evelyn Russo, Connecticut
# 5,303:
4:57 am PDT, Oct 18,
Jill Herendeen, New York
"Hedonistic?" So what? Aren't we concerned here with "healthy baby, healthy mom?" If you can get there with hedonism, WHY NOT? Sounds to me like the doctor who said that either has a giant festering case of womb envy or a giant pain in his savings account.
"Hedonistic?" So what? Aren't we concerned here with "healthy baby, healthy mom?" If you can get there with hedonism, WHY NOT? Sounds to me like the doctor who said that either has a giant festering case of womb envy or a giant pain in his savings account.
# 5,302:
10:28 pm PDT, Oct 17,
Danielle Messenger, North Carolina
# 5,301:
10:08 pm PDT, Oct 17,
Pria Holmes, Australia
