Ina May

Recently, I got back from an amazing weekend in New Jersey. Yes, that’s right New Jersey, who would have thought. Now there are very few people who have ever walked the face of the Earth (besides Jesus) that I really follow. I’m not really up on the who’s who of the Hollywood crowd , politics or the sports community, but there are a few people I would like to meet. Ina May Gaskin is one of the Top Ten on my list.  The name Ina May Gaskin may mean little to nothing to you if you haven’t read any of her books: Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth or her newest, Birth Matters. Yet, I can guarantee that if you have ever had a child (especially if your child was delivered by a midwife in the past 20 years) Ina May has been very influential in the lives of those assisting you throughout your birth experience. Ina May has intrigued, educated, and entertained millions of people with her wit, intellect and matter-of-fact outlook on childbirth. She has been a true pioneer for natural birth and women’s rights regarding childbirth. She has shown us how to remove fear, shame, and ultimately pain from the natural normal act of birth. In New Jersey, I was given the opportunity to sit in on two separate lectures given by Ina May. 

In addition to her books, Ina May has begun a quilt named the Safe Motherhood Quilt.  This quilt is made up of individual squares, each created for a woman who has died of pregnancy-related causes in the U.S. since 1982. Some interesting facts regarding maternal mortality:         
          1. The United States ranks behind at least 40 other nations in maternal mortality rates.
          2. The Centers for Disease Control estimated in 1998 that the US maternal death rate is actually 1.3 to three times that reported in vital statistics records.
          3. Reporting of maternal deaths in the United States is done via an honor system. There are no statutes providing for penalties for misreporting or failing to report maternal deaths.
Thanks to Ina May’s spirit of change, the voices of hundreds of women who lost their lives in childbirth right here in the United States will be heard. To see some of the quilt squares visit
http://www.rememberthemothers.net/quilt/thumbnails.php?album=4.