activism

This article was inspired by a post in a facebook group Pennsylvania Families For Safe Birth, by a midwife I hold a deep respect for. She shared this article: Becoming an Agent For Change: What to Do When Your Midwife Has Been Charged. Check it out. 

As a mom and a business owner, I know how busy we all are. One of the most profound lessons motherhood has taught me is how precious time is. But I’ve discovered, paradoxically, that making time for things that are important to you creates more space in your life. Shifting your focus can make you aware of opportunities you would never have seen, and it can change your life so you are no longer fighting time, as your passions infuse and enliven your every day. It’s easy to martyr yourself to motherhood, or to your job, or your partner, or whatever else is important in your life. But it’s empowering to make time for the things that call to your heart.

Here’s the story of how I was called to become and Agent For Change in maternity care in the U.S.

I sat in my midwife’s office over two years ago when she told me about the rally she was going to in a nearby state to support access to home birth. I thought, this is something I truly believe in and support; I cannot stay quiet. I went with her and it changed my life.

I will admit, I was nervous. I’d been to a few political rallies, but found anonymity in the abstract workings of representative democracy. Now, it was personal. The bill proposed in the MD legislature was about licensure of midwives, which had a bearing on access to care during a home birth. I was exercising the right to my choice of maternity care right then, sitting in that office. If I didn’t speak up now, when would I?

As I agreed to go, I had the hormonal rush and excited anxiety of first pregnancy as I considered important logistical questions: I wondered, will this be safe? Is it healthy to stand in the sun that long while pregnant? Will I be able to find a place to pee? My midwives assured me I would be okay, and I trusted them.

We drove together to the Capitol Building in Maryland. I had no idea what to expect as we walked from the car to the front of the building. We rounded the corner and my first glimpse was of a large crowd of people in dark grey and black suits and dresses, peppered with shirts and aprons in blues and purples-signature attire of the “Plain” people, for whom access to home birth care is a necessity. They moved as a group from one side of the courtyard to another and as they did I saw hundreds of other women, men and children. Many had signs, lots were wearing their babies, all were talking and watching out for the little ones as they played. My midwives and I merged with the group and joined the hub-bub. We were all tied together with a common purpose. We had all felt the pull to be standing in that spot on that day. We all shared the anticipation for news from inside those walls that drew us together like a gravitational force in the courtyard of that beautiful and historic building. Unfortunately there was no satisfaction that day, and Maryland families are still fighting for recognition of their rights.

I mingled that day, and as I did, I met a woman who was also an attorney who had started to network attorneys across the country through an email list, to enable them to work for positive change in maternity care, and protect those who have already suffered. That list lead me to learn of shocking and profoundly sad stories of women who were abused in body, mind, and spirit by a maternity system that should be supporting them.

One action lead to another and lead to another. My decision in March of 2012 to go to a rally to support rights of women in a neighboring state was the catalyst to finally hear the calling of my vocation. I had never heard the terms “Birth” and “Rights” in the same sentence before my pregnancy. I now use them on a daily basis, and do my best to educate others about their significance.

I was inspired to use my legal training to help make positive change in maternity care in the US. I provide assistance to pregnant women and midwives through my law practice. I helped found the Birth Rights Bar Association, launched this month in conjunction with the profoundly heartbreaking and inspiring #breakthesilence campaign fronted by Human Rights in Childbirth, Improving Birth and Birth Monopoly. (Please note some of the stories are quite graphic.)

Becoming an Agent for Change can be as simple as talking to people at a picnic or family gathering or while waiting for the bus. Every voice adds to the growing chorus of calls for awareness and change. The article that inspired this post has great recommendations for further action. Campaigns like #breakthesilence and “I’m Improving Birth Because” have been powerful and inspirational ways for individuals to become Agents for Change. Social Media is a great platform for education and outreach and can be as simple as linking a good article.

You never know who you are going to inspire. The simplest of words or actions can cascade into change.

2014