CGB is turning 4!

Come and celebrate our 4th Birthday with store-wide savings! Starting tomorrow, through August 14th, we're taking huge markdowns (10-70%) on all products, including babywearing, cloth diapers and clothing! Happy Birthday, Crunchy Granola Baby!

ATTENTION ESSEX COUNTY! TIME CRITICAL! OUR MIDWIVES STILL NEED OUR HELP!

Recieved this information today.

Hi everyone:

We just learned that the reason our bill has not moved forward since
we got out of Steering and Policy is because Rep. Joyce Spiliotis put
a hold on it.
She needs to hear from her district TODAY that we want her to take
off her hold and support the bill. Her contact information is below.
WE NEED CALLS FROM HER CONSTITUENTS - AND- FROM FOLKS ASSOCIATED WITH
THE NORTH SHORE BIRTH CENTER (clients, midwives, admin). If you can't
call, email.
Please do NOT call if you are not either in her district or
associated with the birth center. If you are in neither group but
have friends or family who are, please call them and ask them to call.

Read the attached fact sheet before you call. Ask to speak to a
legislative aide and politely request that she remove her hold.
Explain that this bill has been vetted by both the Public Health
Committee and the Health Care Financing Committee and is important to
people in her district. You can refer questions to me, Mary Ann Hart
(our lobbyist - her contact info is on the fact sheet), or Kay Khan,
our sponsor.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
JOYCE A. SPILIOTIS

Room 236
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2430
Email: Rep.JoyceSpiliotis@hou.state.ma.us
Party Affiliation - DEMOCRAT
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Twelfth Essex. - Consisting of all precincts of
wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, of the city of Peabody, in the county of Essex



FACT SHEET

Massachusetts Coalition for Midwifery

Fact Sheet: House 4810
An Act Relative to Certified Professional Midwives and Enhancing the Practice of Nurse-Midwives

The Purpose of the Bill: is to have the Commonwealth set standards for the practice of midwifery in Massachusetts. The bill creates a Committee on Midwifery within the Board of Medicine, which will regulate the practice of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). It would also strike outdated statutory language that mandates physician supervision of Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs).

Legislative History: H. 4810 has been reported favorably from the Committees on Public Health and from Health Care Financing. The bill is currently in House Steering and Policy (6/28/10).

Current Law: Currently, the Commonwealth only regulates the practice of CNMs, through the Board of Registration in Nursing. There is no state oversight of CPMs. Current law also contains unnecessary and burdensome mandated physician supervision of certified nurse-midwives’ prescriptive authority.

Why This Bill is Needed: Midwives who are not nurses provide midwifery services to women across the state. This bill is needed to ensure that midwifery care is practiced safely in all settings in Massachusetts, with clear standards set and state oversight.
Supervision requirements for certified nurse-midwives create excessive and unnecessary liability for physicians and limit consumer access to high quality midwifery services, especially in high-need communities.

What This Bill Does:
• Establishes state oversight of midwifery through a Committee on Midwifery within the Board of Medicine, which will regulate the practice of CPMs.
• Authorizes the Department of Public Health (DPH), in consultation with the Board of Nursing, to promulgate regulations relative to prescriptive authority for CNMs.

Who Are the Midwives That Will be Affected by this Bill? There are two types of midwives- Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs – 450 in MA), and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs - over 30 in MA and growing) - all professionally certified by nationally approved certifying agencies.

For more information, please call Peggy Garland, CNM, MPH, Coordinator of the Massachusetts Coalition for Midwifery 617 306-1511 or Mary Ann Hart, Hart Government Relations, at 617-797-8488 or HartMaryA@aol.com

Massachusetts Midwives Alliance • Massachusetts Chapters, American College of Nurse-Midwives


Senate Sponsor
Sen. Richard Moore
Senate Co-sponsors
Susan C. Tucker
Richard R. Tisei
Jennifer L. Flanagan
John W. Scibak
Sonia Chang-Díaz
Steven A. Baddour
Cynthia Stone Creem
James B. Eldridge
Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.
Jennifer M. Callahan
Bruce E. Tarr
Susan C. Fargo
Stephen M. Brewer
Anthony D. Galluccio
Karen E. Spilka
Mark C. Montigny
Gale D. Candaras

House Sponsors
Rep. Kay Khan
House Co-sponsors
Jennifer Benson
Lida E. Harkins
Alice K. Wolf
Ellen Story
Ruth B. Balser
Michael F. Rush
Stephen L. DiNatale
Martha M. Walz
Matthew C. Patrick
Stephen Kulik
Robert P. Spellane
William N. Brownsberger
Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.
Jeffrey Sánchez
Stephen R. Canessa
James E. Vallee
Charles A. Murphy
John W. Scibak
William Smitty Pignatelli
Frank I. Smizik
Denise Provost
Michael J. Moran
David P. Linsky
Christine E. Canavan
John D. Keen
Robert M. Koczera
Peter v. Kocot
Katherine Clark
Willie Mae Allen
Sean Garballey
Cory Atkins
Sarah K. Peake
Anne M. Gobi
Todd M. Smola
Timothy J. Toomey
Joseph R. Driscoll, Jr.
Timothy Madden
James B. Eldridge
Jennifer L. Flanagan
Steven A. Baddour
Richard J. Ross
Kevin G. Honan
Jennifer M. Callahan
Gloria L. Fox
Benjamin Swan
Susan C. Tucker
Jeffrey Davis Perry
Bruce E. Tarr
Robert L. Rice, Jr.
Garrett J. Bradley
Paul McMurtry
Viriato Manuel deMacedo
Timothy Madden
Richard R. Tisei

Birth Story: Susan Kowalske

Baby Repete arrived at 12:38am on February 5, 2010, with Daddy on the speakerphone and Crunch Granola's fabulous Jennie at my side as our Doula.

After my 41 week appointment, I was feeling the same few mild contractions I'd felt after the last two appointments with membrane stripping. My husband, Ryan is in the US Coast Guard and was out to sea, so I called Meghan, a friend across the street, we had a glass of wine and sat down to watch Grey's Anatomy.

After the show, I took a shower, to see if these contractions were real, but I still hadn't timed them and I wasn't worried. My first took about 36 hours from the first noticable contractions, and these contractions were no big deal. The shower slowed them down, so I called my friend Kelly (who had promised back up to let her know we weren't having a baby tonight, told Meghan I'd see her tomorrow and started in on laundry and cleaning. Too bad the contractions came back with a vengeance!

At 11pm, I still couldn't decide if this was for real or if it could wait until the morning so I didn't disturb my sleeping toddler, Pete. I called the birth center, the midwife asked me to come in to get checked. I called Ryan (out on the boat) to let him know I was going in to get checked. He said there's nothing he could do, they were out on a search and rescue call but to give him a call if they admitted me. I called Meghan to take me and my toddler to the birth center and called Jennie.

We arrived at the birth center at 11:50pm. I called Kelly and she came to pick up Pete and took him back to her house. I was checked in at 6cm, monitored for 15 minutes. Jennie ensured all my birth plan wishes were honored, because I was in no state to think about the birth plan we had written together. I barely had time to use our planned pain management techniques, but I was able to get in the tub, and 2 pushes later arrived my fat little baby at 12:38am without so much as a Tylenol. He was 10 POUNDS 6 OUNCES! 21 inches long.

We had to wait for Ryan to return home 18 hours later to officially name our new baby BOY, but decided on Chester after Ryan's grandfather.

Thank you thank you thank you to Jennie, Kelly and Meghan for all your help. This further proves Karma's a bitch. I mean, who needs a backup plan, after all, it's not like I'm going to go into labor so fast I barely have time to get to the hospital...


I was so honored to be part of "Chet's" birth. Susan was absolutely amazing! My very first birth as a "doula in training." Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of such a very special moment! xo Jennie

Urgent: Midwifery Bill Action Alert!!!

Received this email from MFOM's Ann Sweeney, it was also brought to my attention that they need people at the court house. This is only until Friday, if you are able to make the trip to Boston contact Audra Karp at audrakarp@gmail.com so they will be expecting you. I can also email you the Fact Sheet from Massachusetts Coalition for Midwifery. Just let me know!


Dear Midwifery Supporters,

Good news!!! We are steps away from getting the midwifery bill—that so many of us have worked on for so long—passed this legislative session, which ends THIS SATURDAY, 31 July.

Even if you have already done so, please call and/or email your OWN Mass Rep. today, tomorrow, or any day you can this week, asking them to reach out to Speaker DeLeo to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote and to help pass the bill THIS SESSION.

Please note the bill, is now known as House 4810: An Act Relative to Certified Professional Midwives and Enhancing the Practice of Nurse-Midwives.

Who’s your rep? You can find them at the following link: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php

Text of the bill can be found at the following link: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04/ht04810.htm

Thank you again to the whole coalition for all of your excellent work. We could not have come this far without everyone’s expertise, experience, passion, and all the good work you are already doing to address this critical issue.

Keep the pressure on!!!
Ann Sweeney MFOM (www.mfom.org)
617-901-2777

P.S. We’ve recently heard that there is a surprising amount of misinformation about the midwifery bill among many representatives, especially regarding the items below, so please share/forward this email to your representatives or their staffers who might help correct the record for other Representatives.

1. The Mass Medical Society strongly objects to CNMs functioning without direct MD supervision, yet has articulated no sound basis for this objection. Nationally, ACOG already supports the elimination of direct supervision of CNMs by physicians, acknowledging that it is not required for safe practice, and 44 other states no longer have such requirements. This requirement is the reason full-scope CNM services are not now accessible in high-need Massachusetts communities such as Lawrence and Worcester. Requiring such supervision creates excessive and unnecessary liability for physicians, so it is even more puzzling to witness the continued opposition of the Massachusetts ACOG chapter to this feature of the bill.

2. Some legislators have been led to believe that the bill would provide new prescription writing privileges for nurse-midwives, when this is not really the case. Nurse-midwives already have prescription writing privileges but can now exercise these privileges only if an MD is technically providing supervision, which amounts merely to a review of sample prescriptions on a quarterly basis. Because of hospital accrediting rules, this clause prevents CNMs from admitting patients in labor under the midwives’ own names, prevents them from serving on hospital committees which determine maternity care policies, and bars them from any control of their own practice environment. This undermines the ability of CNMs to provide the most effective care. (By the way, CNMs already have independent prescription authority in most other states, for example: NM, NH, WA, AK, OR, and the District of Columbia.)

3. Although the legislation has already been rewritten to accommodate concerns about the age at which a midwife could begin training (it was changed from 18 years to 21 years), legislators are still being misled about this fact. (There are, by the way, no such age requirements that we have been able to find in the Massachusetts statutes with respect to the education of nurses.
)
4. Another objection is that the bill does not require a midwife to carry malpractice insurance. In almost all states, malpractice insurance is not required by statute, and it would be unfair to single out one professional group in this regard. Some would argue that such a requirement would violate equal protection clauses. Because the ‘risk pool’ of homebirth midwives across the country is small, malpractice insurance has never been available for homebirth midwives, despite the concerted efforts of national and local organizations over several decades. Requiring CPMs to adhere to a standard that is impossible is another mechanism to restrain trade and prevent access to home birth midwives. Childbearing women who want to be protected by malpractice insurance have the option of delivery in facilities, where such insurance coverage is required. Moreover, the Massachusetts legislature could, like a few other states, make disclosure of this absence of malpractice insurance coverage part of a required informed consent procedure. The malpractice insurance issue is NOT a credible objection to this bill. .

How to be Green? Shop Once Crunched!

We all know that the turnover with baby clothes is wicked fast -- at the rate your little one grows, sometimes they only get to wear an outfit once or twice! That's why many moms turn to consignment as a way to get rid of barely used baby clothes and stock up on new ones at a reasonable price. But buying consignment isn't just thrifty -- statistics show that it also helps the environment.

Here are the facts:

- The Council for Textile Recycling estimates that buying resale clothing prevents about 2.5 billion pounds of fabric from entering directly into the waste stream. This works out to about 10 pounds per person in the United States!

- According to the Environmental Protection Agency “The average American throws away about 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per year.” When clothes and toys are discarded they either end up in landfills or they are incinerated. Landfills frequently leak leading to water and soil contamination. Landfills also give off methane, a greenhouse gas that leads to global warming. When items are incinerated it leads to a great deal of CO2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, air pollution, and water pollution.

- When you buy more gently used items, fewer resources are being consumed to create new ones -- you're also cutting down on chemicals used in non-organic treatment, and carbon emissions used for transportation.

Our Once Crunched line allows you to be green and to save money! By donating your gently used baby clothes, you're reducing waste and earning credit to use here at CGB -- and by buying Onced Cruched, you're lowering carbon emissions and recycling.

Super-Awesome Once Crunched Crocs!

If you haven't checked out Once Crunched, come in today to see what you've been missing!














Once Crunched Tunic Top/Dress























Once Crunched Boy's Shirt -- perfect for a family photo!

























Adorable Once Crunched Capri's!

Even more love for Harper Olive

Remember when we freaked out over how cute HarperOlive's hand-knit hats are?

Well, prepare to freak out with us even more.

Now we have a whole line of dresses, tops, and skirts from HarperOlive! And, OMG... the cuteness!


















Still 100% organic cotton, still locally made, these are some of the most adorable clothes we've ever had in-store.














Full of special details like pleats and ruffles, HO's pieces are perfect for the budding fashionista in your life.


















Come on into CGB and see for yourself -- this new line is not to be missed!

Urban Elements and Sankofa Massage

You already knew that Urban Elements is the place for unique and beautiful home accents and gifts at a great value. But did you know that they are also home to Sankofa Massage and Bodywork?

Sankofa provides professional and ethical bodywork for every generation. With the entire person in mind, each session is tailored to meet the client's therapeutic needs and to achieve their personal goals. With that kind of mission statement, you know you're in good hands! Sankofa offers everything from Deep Tissue Massage to Reiki and Reflexology. They even include "pre-pay specials" - multiple massages at a discount!

So next time you come by Urban Elements to pick up something pretty for your home, be sure to check out Sankofa Massage and Bodywork and do something great for your body as well. You'll be glad you did!

New Product: Bungalow Bebe

We've carried clothes from green, organic retailer Bungalow Bebe for some time (like those cute Kimono Onesies), but their latest collection really knocked our socks off!

Check out these cute mix-and-match separates for boys and girls, and the sweetest little sleeper onesie ever -- all in organic cotton, of course!

Come into the store and see for yourself! And don't forget about our Under The Nile Sale while you're here!

Local Awesomeness: Grand Opening of The Beehive

We love Roost for its funky-chic home decor, gifts, and accessories. Well, now Kate and Jamie are bringing us even more local awesomeness with their second store, The Beehive.

Just as packed with good taste as the first store, the beehive could be considered Roost's sassy little sister, with a focus on cards and the lighter side of life. Come and enjoy drinks, eats, and storewide discounts at The Beehive's Grand Opening on Monday, June 19th from 5-8 PM. And, pssst... it's right next door to Roost! We'll be there with bells on.

Birth Stories: Isabel's Irish Birth

Ever since I can remember thinking about birth, the idea of having a natural birth always seemed like a given to me. My own mother delivered me naturally, free from intervention and medication, and I grew up hearing her talk about birth as a beautiful and fulfilling experience. I also remember her describing how important it was for her to feel every moment of labor and birth—she said she didn’t want to miss a thing, no matter how uncomfortable or even painful part of it was.

When I got pregnant in the winter of 2008, my husband and I were living in Ireland, where he is originally from. Despite my strong beliefs about natural birth, I still had a vision in my mind, from my U.S. upbringing, that birth was something that happened in hospitals with doctors. So, we went about interviewing obstetricians and decided on one who supported our wishes for a non-medicated birth. Ultimately, the obstetrician’s role in Ireland is to provide pre-natal checkups (including an ultrasound at every single appointment); however, it is generally a team of midwives who provide maternal care during labor and deliver babies in the hospital.

On the morning of the 13 October, 2008 (four days past the estimated due date), I woke up with some minor cramping, which felt a lot like menstrual cramps. I told my husband to go to work, as it didn’t seem like anything major, and my parents had flown over from the States to be with me, so I had support. As the day wore on, my mother finally convinced me that, yes, these were actual contractions, and something must be happening! I had a scheduled appointment with my doctor that day, and when I went in, he examined me and told me that I was 1.5 centimeters dilated. I called my husband to tell him to start making his way home.

That evening, my parents retreated to another part of the house, while my husband and I labored together at home, in dim lighting, with quiet music. When I look back, I wish we had just stayed there and welcomed our daughter into that warm, cozy, and peaceful setting. But, we had come to the idea of homebirth ‘too late’ and, because we didn’t know anyone who provided homebirth services, we really didn’t feel we had the resources we needed to make that decision. Finally, when my contractions were about 2 minutes apart, we decided to head into the hospital on the very bumpy back roads of rural Ireland.

In the hospital, which my parents jokingly describe as looking like a relic from the 1950s, we had a litany of both positive and negative experiences. For the first part of my labor, we were in the care of a disgraceful midwife who disparaged my husband, criticized my parents for wanting to wait all night in the waiting room, and chastised me for getting sick on the floor during a contraction (you’ll be glad to know that I wrote an extensive letter of complaint to the hospital administrator and the midwife was called out and later required to go for counseling). Thankfully, a second midwife took over during the latter part of my labor, and she was wonderful. She had given birth at home to all of her children, and showed total respect for our birth plan, which we had laminated and brought with us.

Part of my birth plan, of course, was to labor naturally, with no interventions. My husband supported me with a massage machine during each contraction, and I bounced on the labor ball and moved around. But, as things got closer, and without having prepared properly, my resolve began to wane and my mind let the pain begin to take over. The midwife offered me the use of a thing called Entonox, or gas/air (which I don’t believe is used in the States, but you can read about it here). I had read that the Entonox (50% air and 50% nitrous oxide) was the least invasive form of pain relief and that it didn’t affect the baby’s alertness or ability to breastfeed. Basically, you take a mouthpiece and breathe into it as you feel each contraction coming on.

Finally, with two hours before my daughter was born, I guiltily agreed to take it. The Entonox only barely took the edge off the pain I was experiencing, but soon I was feeling the need to bear down, and stopped taking it. Rather quickly, and with a huge rush of relief and joy, my beautiful daughter was born. My birth plan had stated that I wanted her delivered directly onto my bare chest so that we could begin our bonding immediately. Instead, they said they had found some meconium in my waters and that necessitated cutting the cord immediately (something else I didn’t want), and whisking her across the room for a check-up with the pediatrician. Those five minutes were excruciating and finally, I had my amazing child in my arms and at my breast.

Although Isabel’s birth did not happen exactly how we had planned, it was overall a very positive and beautiful experience. I don’t know what I would have done without the incredible support of my thoughtful, caring, and informed husband, and without the gentle wisdom of our wonderful midwife. After returning to the States and finding supportive community resources, such as Crunchy Granola Baby, and getting to know other parents who are aligned with attachment parenting and natural living, we will go into the birth of a second child much more prepared and with greater knowledge and a stronger sense of empowerment about our own capabilities.

Ed. Note: Thanks to Isabel's Mom for her thoughtful story! If you're a globe-trotting Mama like her, be sure to check out this helpful article from escapefromamerica.com.

July Promotions!

Cloth for the Coast: Diaper Drive for the Gulf

CGB is committed to doing our part for the environment -- whether it's by reducing waste by using cloth diapers, buying locally-made products to lower emissions and create a smaller carbon footprint, or in this case, by reaching out to places in need of some extra help.

We are pleased to announce our in-store diaper drive; CGB will be collecting microfiber towels, pocket diaper inserts, washed / used prefold diapers, baby blankets and burp cloths to be donated for wildlife rescue and clean up through LA organization Cloth for the Coast.

Bring your donations to CGB and help save the environment and the people and animals of the Gulf Coast! All diapers must be free from snaps, elastic or velcro. Bring them in by Monday, July 19th to make our shipping date.

If you have any questions, contact us at crunchygranolababy@gmail.com. If you want to make your own shipment, or you can't get to CGB, you can send your donations to:

FuzziBunz Diapers

ATTN: CFC315 Weeks St
New Iberia, LA 70560

For more info on ways to help, visit communityforthecoast.org