Scheduled Births & Birthing Centers

This well written article on the risks of scheduled births was featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch several weeks ago. Being a natural birth aficionado (surprise, surprise;) I thought I'd share it.

While we're on the topic, another friend also shared with me that St. Charles, MO is going to have a birthing center! Hooray! Now, if we can only get insurance providers to cover more (don't they know it would save them millions!! unmedicated births are cheap! :)

Why a birthing center and not a hospital? This is their philosophy:

We Believe...

• Women have the right to care that is safe, satisfying, and respectful of their individual needs.
• Wellness encompasses emotional and spiritual well-being together with physical health.
• Birth is a healthy, natural, and normal process for which a woman's body is brilliantly designed.
• Human touch and technology each have their place, and can coexist.
• Women and families have the right and responsibility to assume an active role in their own wellness.

Therefore...

• Education is an essential part of quality health care. When women and their families have real access to information and their choices are respected they are best equipped to meet the challenges of parenthood and personal wellness.
• Each woman has the right to informed consent or refusal in the use of medical tests, recommendations and interventions.
• Midwives are experts in normal birth, and their role is to support and promote the normal process, while monitoring the mother and baby's safety, intervening only when necessary.
• The ideal healthcare environment is one of collaboration between all professionals with specialized knowledge and skills.
• Every woman has the right to give birth where she feels most safe and comfortable.
• Medical interventions, drugs and surgery are appropriately indicated for only a small number of women during birth. They should not be used routinely.
• Because women's health and childbearing affect more than just mothers and babies, our care should support and promote the well-being of the entire family.
• Human beings at all stages of development and in all life circumstances deserve respect, compassion, and the opportunity to live life to their greatest potential.

Our commitment....

• We foster authentic caring relationships with our clients and utilize the best practices based on current research evidence. This care is woman-focused, and encourages women to take an active role in wellness through education and communication.
• We offer healthy women experiencing normal pregnancies the option of birthing in a calm, safe and beautiful setting with care provided by well trained, experienced and credentialed practitioners.
• We care for people using holistic principles - recognizing that each individual encompasses physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements that work synergistically to create a whole.
• We foster a sense of community among women, families, and providers.
• We educate the general public about the midwifery model of care and build bridges within the medical community to promote professional, collaborative relationships.
• We use healthcare resources wisely by providing cost-effective out-of-hospital birth options and promoting wellness in the community.

There's so much out there on this topic! Two other fabulous resources are The Business of Being Born or Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.

Answered Prayer!

This is a follow up email to the previous post...Praise the Lord!! Be sure to read the part in italics, a personal account from relief director of Food For the Hungry in Haiti.

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Hello again:I want to express deep appreciation collectively for your heart to serve the people of Haiti and extend the merciful hand of God to those in need. Thanks so much. Here are some updates:

1. ALL STAFF ACCOUNTED FOR. Let us give thanks to the Lord for the preservation of our staff. First off, we actually have 26 staff in Haiti. All of them are alive; only one has minor injuries to his legs. Amazing. Most of the staff have lost their homes entirely -- or in part. Most staff have lost loved ones and friends. They are grieving, even as they are serving to rescue and help others.

2. ARRIVAL OF ADDITIONAL STAFF. Internationally and U.S.-based Food for the Hungry staff have arrived in Port au Prince thru a variety of means, via land from the Dominican Republic, via chartered aircraft and two staff members even arrived by hitching a ride on the coast guard aircraft that transported Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the scene.

3. AT WORK. We continue to distribute needed supplies such as water filtration/purification systems, tarps for temporary shelter, water purification tablets, solar-powered flashlights, kitchen kits for cooking of food, etc. We are working hand-in glove as partners with an alliance of relief organizations such as Samaritan's Purse and International Medical Teams.

4. VOICES FROM PORT AU PRINCE. Here is a note from our relief director, Sara. She writes, "My first morning in Port Au Prince I woke up to the sounds of worship….I couldn’t see their faces, but I could hear their voices, joined in unison to worship and bless the One who offered hope and strength in the midst of devastation and tragedy. “Onward Christian soldiers” they sung….I couldn’t tell if they were singing in English or Creole but the tune was clear…. “with the cross of Jesus going on before.” The congregation was reminding themselves and the rest of us who could hear their hopeful song that the battle was the Lord’s and not ours to bring restoration to a land devastated by a horrifying earthquake. One can’t help but be overwhelmed by all that is seen and heard in Port Au Prince. The collapsed buildings…the people crowding the streets, their faces covered in masks to block the dust and stench of decaying bodies buried under the rubble…people camping outside even if there homes are still in tact, afraid of another deadly tremor striking…the stories of lost loved ones…relief efforts hampered by poor road access and shortage of fuel…It is easy to focus on the devastation and all the failures of relief efforts in Haiti, and yet, there is restoration that is already taking place. Even before the first relief responder set foot in Port Au Prince, the Haitian people themselves were in action, digging out family members, neighbors and friends buried under the rubble and bringing comfort to each other in their time of loss…roads have begun to open up and much needed medical care and aid is starting to reach communities hardest hit by the earthquake…people are still being rescued alive from under the rubble…some merchants have resumed selling their wares on the streets and small markets are opening up, returning some semblance of normalcy…The Haitian congregation reminded me my first morning in Port Au Prince that the battle is the Lords and not ours. “With the cross of Jesus going on before,” there is certainly hope and restoration for a devastated land."

5. AUDIO: You can listen to a brief update (less than one minute) from Sara here: http://chir.ps/2XN

Grateful that you are there to care and help, Ben

Benjamin K. Homan,
President
Food for the Hungry, Inc. / www.fh.org

God called and we responded until physical and spiritual hungers ended worldwide.

Please Pray! (As I'm sure many of you are!!)

The earthquake in Haiti was so extremely catastrophic, the devastation is beyond comprehensible to me. But, I know at least by praying, we can all do something! The following is an email we received today from Ben Homan, the director of Food for the Hungry. David knew Ben from CPC and we've enjoyed connecting with him several times in the past few years (including while we were in Uganda.) If you haven't yet donated money, FH is a wonderful gospel centered organization and will use the funds wisely.

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Greetings,

Please forgive me for sending a non-personalized e-mail, yet perhaps you can appreciate the urgency to get the word out on Haiti. Food for the Hungry's relief team is on the ground in Port-au-Prince responding to the devastating quake (note, however, that 12 of our 19 staff members who servein Port-au-Prince are still missing). I would ask you to respond in prayer. And, if God leads, please consider contributing financially (see e-mail pasted below) -- or, if you are in a church or ministry, please consider directing your congregation or group toward Food for the Hungry. If you follow this web-link ( www.fh.org/haiti ), you can also find resources like downloadable video to share with others and even a downloadable church bulletin insert. In the next paragraph, one of our staff members (Marlene is her name) offers a firsthand account of the devastation:

"We are in a situation of disaster and we are ALL left by ourselves because the UN HQ as been completely destroyed and the complete head team has been killed after the building housing them ( a huge hotel of more than 8 floor and as many at lower level) was completed smashed down…the direct consequence is that all effort (loader, tractors ,helicopters , etc ) are concentrated to help the UN first and the whole population is left to her "own sake" as they reply when they are called for Help. People that are under the destroyed building and still alive are not being rescued by the institutional help ,we are seeing instead solidarity effort and enthusiastic and spontaneous helper rescuing people. In my neighborhood we were able to rescue alive a 98 blind YO lady after 16 hrs. Her house smashed down over her head ,she is not well with her left arm broken and bruised she might end up amputated . 7 hospital have been destroyed including 2 of MSF and the results that the only remaining hospital were overloaded after 45 min following the event and after the first day they ran out of all elementary medical material like IV fluid or just Gauze. Thousands of people (3000 they say) are wounded and cannot receive help or care as a result many have died because of lack of care .Since help from the government or the UN has been totally absent the population is fighting alone and the dead people are just abandoned on the sidewalk we cannot count them). Many school, Hotels (like Montana: hosting at the time 200 visitors was completely destroyed) and universities while they were having the afternoon group working. My family was miraculously save alive, the house where I lived is completely destroyed although the roof is still standing. Next door ,where I grew up my parents house is completely smashed down with my father. He died I think and hope immediately we were able to remove him under the roof from after 2 hres of effort and I have buried him in the front yard of our his home."

As you respond to the crumbling impact of this earthquake, be reminded that God graciously strengthens the foundations and pillars of the Church even as many forces would seek to shake and destroy it.

God be with you, Ben

Benjamin K. Homan, President
Food for the Hungry
God called and we responded until physical and spiritual hungers ended worldwide.

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Thousands feared dead amidst the rubble and ruins

A powerful earthquake, believed to be between 7.0 and 7.3 magnitude, has struck off the coast of Haiti, hitting in the highly populated capital of Port-au-Prince. Food for the Hungry Haiti staff members are on the ground and our Emergency Response Unit and nearby Dominican Republic staff are mobilizing to help Haitians in need.

Night has fallen, leaving thousands of people stranded and possibly trapped under the rubble. Many public buildings, including a hospital, have collapsed. In a country already poor and vulnerable, this catastrophe threatens the lives of countless Haitians.

Please help Food for the Hungry bring hope to the people reeling from this catastrophe.

Pray: Please pray for the safety of our staff in Haiti, many of whom we have not been able to contact. Also, pray for the thousands of Haitians struggling to survive, that help would reach them in time.

Give now: Your faithful support allows our Emergency Response Unit to reach people immediately with the supplies they need – food, water, shelter – to survive.Give now to help bring hope to Haiti.

I never cease to be amazed at your faithful partnership with Food for the Hungry as we go to the hard places around the world. Please prayerfully consider a generous gift to help Haitians in their time of need.

Co-responders to God's call,

Benjamin K. Homan

President

P.S. Thank you for joining us to help the poor and disadvantaged. Your gift today will be shine the love of Christ to the hurting people of Haiti.

Killer Cookies!

Um, these are the BEST cookies ever!! Seriously, try them and tell me what you think! Or you can just come over, I have some at my house right now:) They are from the latest Cooking Light magazine, January 2010. They won first place in the Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest for dessert, and I completely understand why!

"I love chocolate and cherry flavors together, and I found great dried cherries from Maine for this recipe. I also used bittersweet instead of milk chocolate: Not only does it have less sugar, but it has a deeper flavor, too." —Marcie Dixon, Arlington Heights, Ill.

Yield: 30 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Cherry-Chocolate Heart Smart Cookies

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
• 1.5 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.

3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; add brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add cherries, vanilla, and egg; beat until combined. Fold in chocolate. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes or until almost firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

94

Fat:

3.2g (sat 1.6g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

1.5g

Carbohydrate:

15.7g

Fiber:

1.3g

Cholesterol:

10mg

Iron:

0.6mg

Sodium:

88mg

Calcium:

15mg

Marcie Dixon, Arlington Heights, Illinois, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010

Soup-Perfect for a Cold Winter's Day!

I got this recipe from my momma. It was in our wedding cook book that Sharon made:) It's probably our favorite soup-it has such delicious flavor with a spicy kick! Mmmm

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 med. Onion, chopped (about 1 c.)

2 garlic cloves, minces (about 2 tsp.)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 (4oz.) can chopped green chilies

1 (15oz.) can Italian Stewed tomatoes, chopped

4 c. chicken broth, canned

1 tsp. lemon pepper

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. hot sauce

4 tbsp. flour

½ c. water

1 grocery prepared rotisserie chicken, (lemon pepper is good!) pulled into bite size pieces

sour cream

corn chips

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil over low heat for 5 min. or until softened.

2. Add ingredients chilies through hot sauce and simmer for 20 min.

3. In small bowl, combine flour and water and whisk into hot soup. Bring back to boil and simmer for 5 min. Add chicken and simmer for another 5 min. or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and garnish with corn chips. Makes about 7 cups.

The Whole Gang!

Here's a picture of the entire Drissell Clan, altogether at Thanksgiving! And we can't wait to meet the newest member, Lexi, who Don and Tracy are adopting from China right now! She's seven weeks younger than Blaise so he'll have a new playmate, yea!