Author Archives: krystynabowman@gmail.com

Home Birth Rights in Arizona and SB1157

2013:
The consumers in Arizona worked REALLY hard and through the legislative process to update the rules and regulations that govern home birth.  A Midwifery Scope of Practice advisory committee and the Arizona Department of Health Services worked together for countless hours to revise the rules and regulations governing Licensed Midwives. The rules were finalized in July of 2013. Because of those revisions to the rules, home birth midwives are able to attend VBACs, starting July of 2014. HERE are the revised statutes as they stand today.

2014 Update:
Senate Bill 1157 (SB1157) was dropped in January 2014.  If passed as proposed, it would make it a prohibited practice from here forward for midwives to attend VBAC (new practice under revised rules & regs), breech (midwives have always been able to do with doctor consultation), and multiples (midwives are not currently able to do anyway).  It also seeks to influence the way in which midwifery rules are revised to make them even more onerous to change in the future.

My initial reaction left me with an incredible headache and heartache.  We did not spend hours organizing and following due process to have a “little language change” affect the rights for home birth that were achieved with respectful dialogue and thoughtful consideration.  After sleeping on it, I got involved and started writing letters and making phone calls yesterday.

As consumers of healthcare, we must ALL speak up for our right to self-determination.  I encourage you to get involved.  If you are willing to take a stand with us, please scroll down to find the  contact information for the representatives we are seeking to respectfully influence.  The key words are To Be Respectful.  We want to add to the dialogue and present ourselves as the informed, albeit passionate, people that we are.

Here is the body of the letters that I wrote to the sponsors of the bill, as well as to the State Senate Health & Human Services committee members:

SB 1157 is taking away our freedom to access the healthcare provider of our choice. Our options as consumers of healthcare are being limited.  This bill will eliminate access that was deemed safe and effective by Director Humble and the Midwifery Scope of Practice committee after many hours of testimony and a thorough evaluation of the most current scientific reviews of evidence-based maternal healthcare.

The right to self-determination is exactly what the women of Arizona spoke up for when it comes to our right to birth at home.  Two years ago, we, the people, organized a position statement, the process of law ruled, and the Midwifery Scope of Practice Committee was formed. Director Humble presided over open, transparent government proceedings and listened to hours of testimony, evidence and the voice of the people.   The committee thoughtfully considered all the evidence and revised the scope of practice.  They agree that in most situations, we the consumers, have the right to choose our provider, and we can choose a hospital, a birth center or the privacy of our home.

As a consumer, I, and others like me, are seeking alternatives to “modern medicine”.  One reason is because forty-seven countries do a better job at keeping women and children alive in childbirth than we do.  Home birth in the USA accounts for less than 1% of the national statistic when it comes to maternal care. Midwifery care is not responsible for the deplorable state of the maternal health care system.  We will not “lay down” any more.  We will use our voices and be heard. The bill to limit our choices as an “emergency measure” is the government entering our homes, our lives, and limiting our freedoms once again.

You may be thinking, “This is just a very vocal minority of passionate women”.  As one consumer wrote, “Even if we are a minority, our country and the government [were] designed in order to protect the rights of the minority against tyranny from the majority. The majority of women may want to march in and out of hospitals, but that doesn’t mean that I, as a part of the minority, should be cattle-prodded into the hospital machine against my informed decisions.”

Please do not limit our choices, our right to choose our provider.  We are intelligent, college-educated women choosing home birth.  There is nothing “lay” about midwives in Arizona as a whole.  Midwives in Arizona are required to sit for a national licensing test – we are making the informed decision and choosing trained, professional providers.

Please re-consider your position on SB 1157.  This bill is eliminating access to safe and effective health care for families that want to birth at home.  All Arizona families, women and infants deserve equal rights wherever they choose to birth.

Respectfully,
Krystyna Bowman
Chandler, AZ

Note: to the committee members I wrote “Please vote NO on SB 1157,” instead of, “Please re-consider your position on SB 1157. ” 

List of research on home birth:
http://www.mana.org/research/section-a-best-available-studies-grouped-by-design-level-of-evidence

Maternal Mortality Rates:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2223rank.html

Home birth in the USA:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db84.htm

How to get involved: Call, Write, Fax, Tweet!! Thank you for your help – we appreciate you adding your voice to our concerns.

Find your state legislators and tell them you oppose SB 1157:
http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp

SB 1157 sponsors:
Senators
Dr. Kelli Ward
Republican – District 5
1700 W. Washington
Room 306
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-4138
Fax Number: (602) 417-3165
kward@azleg.gov

John McComish
Republican – District 20
1700 W. Washington
Room 307
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-5898
Fax Number: (602) 417-3020
jmccomish@azleg.gov

Representatives
Eric Meyer
Democrat – District 11
House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Room 121
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-3037
Fax Number: (602) 417-3111
emeyer@azleg.gov

David W. Stevens
Republican – District 25
House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Room 312
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-4321
Fax Number: (602) 417-3146
dstevens@azleg.gov

David Livingston
Republican – District 22
House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Room 341
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-4178
Fax Number: (602) 417-3154
dlivingston@azleg.gov

 

TWITTER:
The sponsors of SB1157 can be reached on Twitter at
@kelliwardaz
@JohnMcComish
@DrEricMeyer
@LivingstonLD22

 

Health & Human Services Committee:
Nancy Barto – Chairman
Republican – 15
1700 W. Washington
Room 307
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-926-5766
nbarto@azleg.gov

Kelli Ward – Vice-Chairman
(see info listed above)

Ed Ableser
Democrat – District 26
1700 W. Washington
Room 303A
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-926-4118
eableser@azleg.gov

David Bradley Democrat – 10
1700 W. Washington
Room 313
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602- 926-5262
dbradley@azleg.gov

Katie Hobbs
Democrat – 24
1700 W. Washington
Room 308
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602- 926-5325
khobbs@azleg.gov

Judy Burges
Republican – 22
1700 W. Washington
Room 302
Phoenix, AZ 8500
602- 926-5861
jburges@azleg.gov

Kimberly Yee
Republican – 20
1700 W. Washington
Room 302
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602- 926-3024
kyee@azleg.gov

Wordless Wednesday: Winter Fun

As it turns out, living in CA and AZ we are not going to have traditional winter pictures…here’s what we have been doing without snow!

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Picnics

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Sand play – at the beach!

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Learning about money at Chandler Museum CTown Suitcase Club

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Blowing dandelion seeds and making wishes

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Learning how to use castanets from Ms. Linda Machado

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Jungle Jill brought some of her pets to show & tell at NatGeo Kids Club

Otter and Charger reacting to an animal visitor

Otter and Charger reacting to an animal visitor

The Sweet Pea Kids little prank that gets me almost every time - including today as I sat down outside to do this post!!

The Sweet Pea Kids little prank that gets me almost every time – including today as I sat down outside to do this post!!

 

 

Tuesday Tips: Green Your Nail Polish

NTNP

Can you tell our nail polish is well-loved?

Have you ever thought about the nail polish you use for yourself, and your children?

Changing your nail polish product is another simple “green” shift you can make in your family’s choices.  Doing so will allow you to avoid some biggie toxins being absorbed right into your child’s bloodstream.  Here are some ingredients that are commonly found in conventional nail polishes that you may want to avoid in pregnancy, and for your children once they are earthside:

  • FD&C colors
  • Formaldehyde
  • Dibutyl Phthalate
  • Toluene
  • Xylene

In our house, anyone who wants their finger nails painted is sitting down for a weekly polish change in Puma’s room.  Since it is used often and liberally, we are definitely keeping on the “green” side of things when it comes to nail polish.

As students of the Bradley Method®, we had a class devoted to avoiding harmful substances (now we teach that class!).  It really opened our mind to all the subtle ways that toxins can enter our environment.  One of the biggest culprits is personal care products.  So, I stopped getting acrylic nails while I was pregnant, and started using Honeybee Garden when I was pregnant with Night Owl.  Then Puma got old enough to have an opinion, and she wanted brighter colors.  We have used Piggypaint, and now we have also added Hopscotch Kids (added bonus…local Phoenix mamapreneur!) to our polish collection.  All three are free of the chemicals, and I know that Honeybee Garden is also free of the FD&C dyes.

New on the scene is Chrome Girl – two mamas in California are behind this company.

So what do you think?  Have you considered switching over to non-toxic nail polishes?  What are your favorite brands if you have made the switch?

 

 

Monday Musings: Slow Down

Slow down – Look your children in their eyes everyday – childhood is fleeting…

This is the gist of what *is not* an original mantra today…I just saw this and wanted to share it with you just in case you haven’t discovered the artist’s page on facebook – you can place an order there if you want to hang this lovely reminder to slow down every day:  https://www.facebook.com/slowdownmummy1

Ironically, I had a day today where I did slow down.  As I have started a calendar/organizer system again, I look at the day and week ahead at night before I go to bed.  I knew that today, we had to get Puma ready for her field trip with her grandparents, so we had to get an early start to her schoolwork.  I didn’t have any anxiety about letting Night Owl have a longer playtime after breakfast because I knew he and I would have some one-on-one time this afternoon to get his reading done.  I knew that this is a day when we are not having to leave the house until 6:00 pm for our activities, so I would have all day to do school with them however it happened, and get writing done.

Oh.My.Gosh.  It was awesome.  Besides a lovely school day with all the Sweet Peas, I did a puzzle with Charger – just he and I.  Otter wanted to do two puzzles…and we did those, too.

Now…to figure out how to do that on days when I haven’t looked at the schedule the night before, or how to do that when the days are beyond full.  They are the most important thing to me – I know that deep in the core of my being.  Time after time I am reminded that they will not remember what I did when they look back at their childhood – they will remember the time we spent together.

I wish I could make every second precious, make every second count.  I wish I was uber-crafty or a gifted baker, or that I loved to spend hours in the kitchen, and still get our schooling done.  Although I am not those things right now, I can do what I do best – read to them, play with them, and remind them that they are loved.

How do you carve out time to spend with your Sweet Peas?  
Do you feel like you have a good system in place to care for them and get the rest of what you “do” done?

If so, please share!  I still have a pile of mail that needs attention…

Thoughtful Thursday: Mirrors

I have been really struggling the last few weeks.  I have less patience than I ever have for people who do not think about their words and actions, and how they affect our children.

Current Pet Peeves:

  • Projecting insecurities on the children.
  • Treating them as second-class citizens simply because they are smaller.
  • No thought that to children, callousness and forgetting or changing commitments are hurtful.
  • Did they completely forget their own childhood?

I keep telling myself to let it go.  To breathe.  To pray.  I went on a lot of walks while we had guests for the holidays.  Yet, I know I am still holding on to “it”, because I am irritable and not traveling in as much gentleness as I know I am capable of.

My “light bulb” moment happened this morning.  One of Puma’s spelling words is “mirror”.  Watching her spell it, I caught my breath.  Have you heard the saying that the things that bother you the most are probably things that you are doing or that your don’t like about yourself?   That word made me stop and realize that I needed to be introspective, and take a hard look in the mirror.

So I wondered:  Am I so short-tempered with people who can’t treat our children with kindness because I am still struggling with living that every day?  Am I unforgiving because I need to forgive?  Is this so hard for me to see because it is an “in-your-face” reminder of how hurtful I am when I am not gentle, kind, patient or compassionate with them?

Hmmm.   YES.

I can see now that I really do need to let it go.  I am not going to change anything with anger or forced smiles.  I am not going to teach our children anything if I am sullen and angry around the behavior that bothers me.  If I want them to be loving and compassionate, I must also be loving and compassionate, even when it is difficult.  The instant I feel offended for them, I need to forgive, and be compassionate for the pain the people around us are walking around with.

Most of all, I need to remember how much I dislike it when our children are belittled, teased, or talked to with impatience.  That our words are precious.  It is such a lesson for me.  I want to remain present and walk with love.  Always – no matter what else is going on in our day.

It looks like my answer was in the mirror.

Can you help me?  Do you have any tips, mantras, or pointers to let go and forgive others?

Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Retrospective

We (the Bowmans) have really enjoyed our downtime from the computer and facetime with our kiddos!  I hope it was as lovely for Cassandra’s family as it was for ours, to have Daddy home!

Now we are pretty much back into the swing of things – and here is our first #wordlesswednesday for 2014.  I am going to start a page for you to see upcoming themes, and to keep an archive of past pictures so you can take courage – we are busy, messy, and there is still time and space to breathe and to love.

Here are some pictures from our family and some submissions from our facebook fans. As always, we are so grateful for the opportunity to share them – thank you for trusting us to share your images respectfully.

Winter in Arizona - Sweet Pea Kids would be shocked at *winter* weather.

Winter in Arizona – Sweet Pea Kids would be shocked at *winter* weather.

This is how you get three kiddos (in five different costumes) dressed for a Christmas show when Coach is in the audience. Thank you #beco #butterfly for being a mama-sanity saver once again!

This is how you get three kiddos (in five different costumes) dressed for a Christmas show when Coach is in the audience. Thank you #beco #butterfly for being a mama-sanity saver once again!

Puma is all smiles after the last number in her Christmas show.

Puma is all smiles after the last number in her Christmas show.

My extended family's interpretation of the snowman craft we set out at our holiday party.

My extended family’s interpretation of the snowman craft we set out at our holiday party.

 

Some #glutenfree treats from our favorite bakery in Phoenix #glutenfreecreations

Some #glutenfree treats from our favorite bakery in Phoenix #glutenfreecreations

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Enjoying slow-cooker apple-cinnamon oatmeal in front of the tree on Christmas Eve morning.

An SPB family moment - Sweet Pea sharing Christmas morning with his grandfather.

An SPB family moment – Sweet Pea sharing Christmas morning with his grandfather.

 

 

 

Tuesday Tips: Safe Sledding

This meme is making it’s way around facebook these days – so true for me!  In all seriousness, though, there are some considerations for child-safety if you are living in the snowy, frozen areas of the world.

THIS article came across my desktop today – it raises the question if children should wear helmets when they are sledding.  What?! “I went sledding without a helmet, and I turned out fine,” I can hear the protesters crying right now.  I would like to think when we know better, we do better.

Actually, the CDC (HERE) and the State of New York (HERE) both have current guidelines that call for helmets if you are sledding, snowboarding, or skiing with children.  A news station in Daytona has published THESE guidelines that don’t call for helmets.

  • Sled down in a feet-first position.
  • Make sure there are no obstacles, especially at the bottom of the hill.
  • Dress your children in layers
  • Make sure their hands and feet stay dry (to avoid frostbite)
  • When the temperature is around freezing, make smaller children come in for a break every 15 minutes.

While these are practical tips, they don’t account for the fact that once your child sustains a head injury, the damage is permanent.  If it was me and there was any chance of our children suffering a head injury, helmets would be part and parcel of our snow gear (assuming we ever spend time in the snow!!).

Another consideration for cold weather residents – safe car seat practices.  Here are some starting points for you to do your research from Consumer Reports and The Car Seat Lady.

What are some of your winter safety tips for families with young children?

NEW Monday Mantra

This morning was a great opportunity to go back to my management training days.  Puma was acting out over a simple request.  It was pretty out of character for her to go this far over the deep end over a 15-minute piano practice session.

So I got up, removed myself from the situation by saying, “I can see you are upset.  I am going to allow you some space while I go get ready,” and went on to get ready for my day.  (Since my coaching sessions with Blue, I am doing so much better at breathing and allowing for space – even Coach Bruss has noticed!! Yeah!)

As I was getting ready, I asked myself the question, “What is REALLY going on here?”  Last week, she had been ready and willing to start practicing piano again.  Now today she is telling me she wants to quit.

I had the AHA! moment – she is excited about a new skill.  She just learned how to do “the cups” song today and she is stoked!!  She wants to devote her time today to perfecting that skill, not be bothered with the trivial and mundane.  Duh.

Therein lies the beauty of homeschooling.  Does she really need to do her school work today?  Really?  Or is that just me, wanting to complete my checklists?

So I approached her, and asked her for a minute of her time.  I recognized her excitement, offered her a solution, and now we are back on track for a peaceful day.  It is SO simple if I can remember to go back to stillness, breath and reflection.

What helps you get to that place of slowing down and finding a solution?  I would love to read what helps you so that I can keep adding to my mantra wall.

Traditions: Intention Tree

Traditions – the most beautiful thing about that word to me, is that there is always an opportunity to make new ones.  As we grow our family, we are finding a rhythm and developing new ones, dropping the ones that do not serve us into a healthy, whole lifestyle.  The one we did on New Year’s Day is definitely a keeper and one we will do again – maybe even do a mid-year version to energize us until the next New Year.

A mama from a facebook group I belong to shared the project I am sharing with you today.  I was instantly drawn to it because it would allow us as a family to state intentions, and then display them symbolically to remind us without all the added pressure of time, “resolution” and ultimately, failure when the motivational firecracker burnt out.

The idea is to write down your intentions, hopes, dreams, aspirations, blessings…what ever you are striving for in this journey.  Then tie them to a tree, or whatever else is in your space that would serve as a visual reminder that these have been stated and released to the Universe in all it’s wisdom.  If you are spiritual, you can liken this to a Prayer Flag, sending good intentions, blessings and sweet wishes into the surrounding area.  Yes, please!  We can definitely benefit from that positive energy all through the year.

Coach Bruss, who rarely gets jazzed about actually writing in his own hand, really got into this. He wrote down more intentions than anyone else. We had the kiddos write/draw, even my parents wrote intentions. My sibs and I also shared wishes when we had our sibling breakfast over Christmas week…I wrote those down and put them up, too. This little tree is just bursting with hope for 2014.

It has such a neat metaphor – as the tree grows, so will the hopes and dreams and wishes that are tied on to the branches.  Maybe they will be blown off and carried up and away into the wind; maybe they will fall of and become part of the cycle that feeds the tree.  The beautiful thing is that we could all participate as a family.  Now we see and enjoy our decorated tree every day, and we have gentle reminders of the greatness that we are striving for.

Supplies - Puma stamped our papers and made them prettier.

Supplies – Puma stamped our papers and made them prettier.

All the kiddos came up with at least two - at the very least writing their name. Puma wrote her own, Night Owl and Charger dictated and added their names, Otter had to "do it myself". Drawings were welcome, too.

All the kiddos came up with at least two – at the very least writing their name. Puma wrote her own, Night Owl and Charger dictated and added their names, Otter had to “do it myself”. Drawings were welcome, too.

Otter's work - she was glowing with pride at her own hand :)

Otter’s work – she was glowing with pride at her own hand 🙂

Lots of wishes

Lots of wishes – this is my biggest intention.  I like Peaceful Mama so much!  Forgive me as I take time to sleep this season – we are slowly ramping up to regular posting because I like Peaceful Mama a lot more than I like being a social media junkie 🙂

If you have scrolled this far down, now you know what I am dreaming of this year <3

If you have scrolled this far down, now you know what I am dreaming of this year <3

Sweet Pea Family tying on our intentions with Grandpa's help, too!

Sweet Pea Family tying on our intentions with Grandpa’s help, too!

My intentions waiting their turn.

My intentions waiting their turn.

Our 2014 Intention Tree - visible from all the front windows and as we leave/enter the driveway

Our 2014 Intention Tree – visible from all the front windows and as we leave/enter the driveway – so much love is vested into this tree <3

Happy New Year to all of our readers in 2014.  We would love to hear what you are doing and dreaming of as the year unfolds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Tips: Grow Slow

(image from https://www.facebook.com/naturalpregnancyandbeyond)

Have you ever taken the time to think about that phrase, “grow slow”?  Here are some little Tuesday Tips based on the idea that each child will grow to their best ability if we facilitate their environment.

Backstory:
As a homeschool parent, I hold on to the mantra that I homeschool so that I can teach my child to their ability.  To some folks, that means that their child’s ability is way ahead to what they would be learning in public school, so their children can move at an accelerated pace.

That is not the case in our family.  I happily plug along at grade school level work, we finish up in about three hours, and then our kiddos get to play for the rest of the day.  When I am not writing or attending to our childbirth classes and students, I get involved.  They are a lot of fun to hang out with!

Especially in Night Owl’s case (he is six).  There is a phrase I love to think about that makes me laugh and makes me slow down when I school with him: “nailing jello to a tree”.  It captures him perfectly if you try to get him to sit still, and put a piece of paper and a pencil in front of him.  Oh my gosh – it is torture for both of us.  So I honor his “jello-ness” and we do lots of other things besides use pencil and paper.

(He is so tactile, so interested in building, moving and making noise.  I am sure that if he had gone to any school they would have sent him back with a note to “do something”.)

How is this for brutal honesty: It kills me that I have friends with four- and five-year olds that are reading and writing.  Seriously, honestly, with no help or coaching from the parent (of course, they taught them in the first place), reading above level and writing with little to no help with spelling.  I smile and say, “how wonderful,” because really, it is!  Meanwhile, inside I am a little torqued that there is something wrong with me that I can’t produce this in our children.

Then I go back to the stillness.  The knowledge that by the time they are all adults, they will all be reading and writing.  They will all have a basic knowledge of sums.  And in all likelihood, no one is going to ask them when they learned to do these things – they will just do them as well as one another, and they will never care at what age they learned to do those things.

I also take a tally of all the things that Night Owl does do well.  He is a fascinated with building, creating and recreating his buildings and original designs based on ideas he sees around him.  He can look at a group of items and come up with the sum without counting them out loud or on his fingers.  He is learning his math facts like a fiend.

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Night Owl gave himself a “thumbs up” for his penmanship today

And then we have days like this, when I look over at his spelling words, as he copies the words that I wrote.  It dawns on me that his writing is looking incredible (his are the red letters).  He also read a whole sentence by himself, and he didn’t get frustrated with himself or with me – he actually pulled out his primer and asked me to read with him!

So, yes, it is okay if your child is not meeting all the developmental milestones all at the same time with their peers.  It is so important to look at the big picture: are they well? Eating? Sleeping? Interested in life?  Is there something that piques their interest that they are good at?  If not, have you helped them explore and find something that will motivate them to want learn more?

Some ideas to facilitate learning if you want to “grow slow” with your young scholar:

  • Provide them with lots of books with your home library and/or trips to your local library.
  • Pay attention to the kinds of books they gravitate.
  • Focus on that theme for crafts, outings, puzzles.
  • Provide a variety of media for them to explore: crayons, pencils, markers, paints, white board markers, white boards, different textures of paper, scissors, glue.
  • Count everything: steps, items at the grocery store, how long you are stopped at a stop sign or light, as well as numbers on a number line.  You can find free printables in just about any theme these days.
  • Gather small items you can sort and count from around the house: loose change, lost buttons, bottle caps, jug caps, rocks, leaves, beads, anything that can fit into a jar so you can store it and put it away for another day of playing.

There are so many more ways to learn to read, write and do math than the conventional way.  If you have a non-conventional learner like I do, know that *it is okay* for them to grow slow, and grow at their own pace.  Teaching without tears is so much more peaceful than adding your own pressure to their frustration and confusion.  The days when you have big break throughs are so worth it!