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General news.

"NO WOMAN, NO CRY" US Television Broadcast Premiere - May 7th Featuring THE BIRTH PLACE!

Published by Jennie Joseph on

Christy Turlington Burns' directorial debut, "No Woman, No Cry", chronicling global plight of pregnant women lacking access to timely and critical care, is to air on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network on Saturday May 7th 2011, at 9:30 pm (ET/PT), the evening before Mother's Day.

The emotionally charged film follows the stories of women in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala and the United States as they face critical junctures in their pregnancies. The film explores the barriers millions of women face when trying to access critical care throughout their pregnancies and while delivering, along with the often simple solutions that could save their lives. Jennie's Orlando, Florida midwifery practice is featured.

More information can be found on Every Mother Counts.

Beautiful!

Published by Jennie Joseph on

beautiful_promo2_small.jpg

Announcing the arrival of Jennie Joseph's New Book: Beautiful! Images of Health, Joy and Vitality in Pregnancy and Birth.

"To me all pregnant women are beautiful, but maybe after having spent a lifetime working with them, I am somewhat biased. So why a book about Black pregnant women and babies specifically? Why not? Have you ever seen such a book? Amongst the plethora of "Omigod I'm (She's, We're) Having a Baby" books have you come across any uplifting or encouraging pregnancy photography books? There are many cute baby photo books, brimming with pictures of healthy, happy cherubs which touch and move us all, so much so that you don’t even have to be pregnant to enjoy them.

Consider this - those babies were able to reach their healthful status and full potential, to be the vibrant, joyful beings that they are and you perhaps bought in to the notion that women of all races have access to such bliss. Black women in the United States in recent years have been shown, statistically, to deliver early (premature), small (low birth weight) and/or unhealthy babies who are at risk of not even surviving their first year of life. I am not just talking about poor women either; college –educated, insured and affluent women of African descent are disproportionately included as well.

How could this be? Does it make any sense that the US should rank amongst the bottom tiers of industrialized nations when it comes to infant and maternal health and wellness. Remember 'birth is not an illness' so what on earth has happened here? Study after study attempts to find an answer to such outrageous and unusual disparities at the same time that the steady rise of obstetric interventions and surgical deliveries impact all of America's childbearing women and families. I say, "Stop the insanity!" Let’s step back a minute and re-assess what we are doing, let's remind ourselves of the normalcy, sanctity and empowerment of birth. Look at the positive images that you see in my book Beautiful! and be encouraged."

Jennie

This lovely book is an 8.5 x 11 sized, black and white photo book. Very inspirational and a great gift idea! A portion of each book sold goes to support Commonsense Childbirth Inc. - a non-profit organization.

Commonsense Childbirth has a mission to ensure access to timely maternity healthcare particularly for minority, low-income, uninsured, and under-insured women and to provide practical, social, educational and emotional support, resources and referrals as a means to improving the chances for a positive pregnancy outcome.

Excerpt from Beautiful!

"There is a way - The JJ Way®. I present these images to you so the women can tell their own stories, without words. See if you can see what I see; that indeed in America today, every woman does want a healthy baby and every woman absolutely CAN have one." Jennie Joseph

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Birth Summit - 9 April

Published by Jennie Joseph on

NATIONAL SUMMIT TO ADDRESS RISE IN U.S. MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE

Between two and three women die every day during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States. On April 9th, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Birth Summit 2011 will bring experts from multiple disciplines, including physicians, researchers, universities, midwives, childbirth professionals, and advocacy groups to examine the rising maternal mortality rate in the US.

Setting aside all cultural, personal, and professional bias, this group of professionals and lay people will tackle an almost silent epidemic in the United States. The results from this working day will be a formal white paper recommendation that will be distributed widely across the country and YouTube documentaries of the day's events. The all day summit will take place at Shenandoah University's Dulles campus on April 9th, 2011.

The Brits breaking new ground in New York City

Published by Jennie Joseph on

It was the ninth festival since Tribeca was founded by Robert De Niro and his friends, in an attempt to revitalise downtown Manhattan after the attacks on the World Trade Center.

By Sebastian Doggart (originally published in The Telegraph)

Tribeca has become a major fixture on the calendar of world cinema. And after attending a whirlwind of screenings, round-tables and parties, I can confirm that this year both the Union Jack and the Irish tricolour were flying proudly across its screens.

The comedian and rising British star Omid Djalili was premiering two films. "On the plane home," he told me once he was back in England, "I was sitting next to Andy Serkis [the human behind Gollum and King Kong] whose performance as Ian Dury in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll had earned him plaudits. Andy and I joked that we were like the British Olympic team flyinghome with medals round our necks."

Mother's Day Panel Discussion

Published by Jennie Joseph on

I will be a panelist at the briefing and plan to highlight the dire straights women are finding themselves in due to lack of access to quality maternity care, along with the benefits of the midwifery model of care. Please see attached PDF for more information. Thanks!

Jennie

Dear friends,

Greetings! I am writing to invite you to our Congressional briefing on the right to maternal health on May 6th  from 12-2 in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226. We are pleased that Representatives John Conyers, Lois Capps and Gwen Moore are planning to be in attendance.

As you know, the United States spends more than any other country on health care, yet ranks 41st in the world when it comes to a woman's risk of dying from complications of pregnancy or childbirth. African American women are nearly four times as likely to die, and other communities of color are also disproportionately affected by barriers to maternal health.

No Woman, No Cry at Tribeca Film Festival

Published by Jennie Joseph on

Model Christy Turlington has released this powerful film about the sad state of maternal mortality and its effects. The Birth Place is featured as part of the American side of the story and we are thankful for the visionary work of people like Christy who are bringing the plight of pregnant women, worldwide, to the forefront. Thanks too for your support for what we are doing at The Birth Place.

Jennie will be the screening on the 28th April. View event details.

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to announce the world premiere of Christy Turlington Burns' documentary film NO WOMAN, NO CRY at the Tribeca Film Festival this April 2010. Please find the details below, as well as more information on the film. We hope to see you at one of the screenings.

Thanks again for all of your support.

All the best,
Christy, Dallas, and Clancy

Read about No Woman, No Cry on Tribeca Film