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Showing posts from November, 2009

Insurance

Congratulations!! You took a pregnancy test and it came out positive. Then you scheduled a consult and tour at our birth center. And while you visited us, we put together an estimate for your insurance coverage. Most people really don't understand how their insurance plans actually work. I mean, they understand that they have insurance but they often don't understand why they have to pay anything out of pocket or a how we come up with the estimate, so we thought we would help break this down for you.  But first: there are different ways people obtain insurance plans. Some employers include insurance plans are a benefit to working with their company. Employers will contract with different insurance companies and each employer might offer different plans to different employees, so just because you have Cigna, as an example, it doesn't mean all Cigna plans are the same. Also, some people purchase their own insurance plans directly from insurance companies or from the Marketpla

Free Udder Cover:

This message was forwarded to me so I thought I would pass it along: Hi friend, For being a BabyFit member we would like to offer you a promo code for a free patterned nursing cover at uddercovers.com ~ you just pay the S&H! If you’re not currently nursing, they make great baby shower and Holiday gifts! The promo code is "Thankyou". Go to uddercovers.com , click on "Shop Now", select the product you would like (they also have 3 piece gift sets available with this promotion) and you will automatically be directed to the center of the page where you can enter in the promo code! This promotion gives you a $32.00 discount off your total order no matter what you put in your cart! This promotion code is valid once per transaction, so you can order as many times as you would like! Let all your friends know too, as this promotion can't last long! Again, thank you!

Opportunity to help Grad Student

Please forward to any new moms who might participate! Please Forward: To women between the ages of 18 and 40 who have delivered a baby within the last year: I am a doctoral candidate at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN, studying postpartum depression in new mothers. I am seeking 18-40 year old women who are within 1 year of giving birth. It is not necessary that you have a postpartum depression diagnosis. The questionnaires will take about 10 minutes to complete. I will also be offering a drawing for several $20 gift cards, if you submit your email address. You will be eligible if you complete the entire survey by December 31, 2009. If you have any questions before participating, please contact me at kmarshallcounseling @gmail.com. The questionnaires, with a consent form and instructions, can be accessed by clicking on the following link: https://www. surveymonkey. com/s.aspx? sm=Wmth99YRC75Nv pi0P5VBbA_ 3d_3d Thank you for your time, please feel free to fo

New Pap Test Guidelines: Start Later, Have Fewer

Experts urge first screen at 21, then once every 2 years or more, not annually By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- For the second time in a week, medical experts are revising the advice given women on cancer screenings. Now women are being told that they should get their first screening for cervical cancer -- including a Pap test -- at age 21. The recommendation appears in guidelines released Nov. 20 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. And, rather than have an annual Pap test, most women need to be screened every other year or less, depending on their age, the guidelines say. The recommendations come on the heels of a similar advisory on breast cancer screening, issued Nov. 16 by a government panel of experts, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Those guidelines suggest that the average woman need not have a mammogram to screen for breast cancer until age 50 and, after that, should have the test every other y

Baby Angaline is here!

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Another beautiful baby girl graced our world early Saturday morning November 21, 2009. I cease to be amazed at how wonderful our momma's birth at the Center. Bessie's husband John called at 1100pm stating 5-1-1 had hit but when I talked with Bessie on the phone she didn't sound like she was in hard labor. She had been contracting regularly since 8am though and so an evaluation was due. Bessie walked in the door at 1130p a little wild looking stating they were now every 3 min and she felt like pushing! Well alrighty then! Sure enough she was 7-8cm, 100% effaced and the baby was oh so low.....to the tub she went. We ended up delivering on the bed just 40minutes later! Did I mention it was her first- Go Bessie! You are my hero! No three hour pushing like my first. Now, I share this with all of you not to put pressure on yourselves but to know it is possible. Too often we hear the horror stories and not the Blessings! Heart 2 Heart is proud of each and everyone of our client&

11/19/09: Baby Boy Declan's Birth!

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Lauren and Shane called saying that her water had broken, contractions were every few minutes and they were heading in. She was 8 centimeters when she got here (first baby) and wanted in the water. In the tub we go...then back out of the tub onto the birth stool. baby coming down fast, so let's get on the bed :). Minutes later (25 minute pushing stage, mind you!) here comes baby boy Declan. Cone head full of hair! Declan weighs in at 5.11. Welcome to the world Declan!

Birth Center News!

I feel like I am going to burst with this good news and I should probably wait until Kaleen makes the announcement herself, but I feel like a balloon about to burst!! Kaleen had a meeting with our back up OBGYN today and she is going to have privileges at South Seminole Hospital! What this means to our patients and to our practice is that if for some reason we have to go to the hospital, Kaleen will be overseeing that patients care unless it is something that the doctor himself has to do. For instance, if a lady's labor stalls and she needs pitocin to get contractions going harder or she needs pain management, Kaleen can order this!!! I am so proud of her and what she has accomplished and how much of a difference she can make for our patients. Kudos to Kaleen!

11/18/09 Baby Girl Elizabeth

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Kaleen: What an amazing birth this morning with a first time mom and dad! When they called last night at midnight I was a little skeptical because just 12 hours earlier I sent a first time couple home after contracting 5-1-1 for 3 hours. You can't lose trust or hope in birth though and when hubby said she was shakey and nauseas it definetely got my attention! They got hear at 1230am and she was definately working with each contraction, which were now coming every 2 minutes. Katie and I checked her over and WOW 5cm, completely effaced with a bulging bag of water! She couldn't sit still so we moved around with her to monitor baby. Twenty minutes later her water breaks during a squat! Twenty-five minutes later the baby is out!! Little Baby Girl Elizabeth 8lbs 6oz.....AMAZING! I feel so renewed in birth and a women's body to bring forth life. Let's do it again!! Many Blessings to Katherine and John!

11/15/09: Birth of Baby Girl Shalome'

This was quite a birth story that I am excited to share with all of you! Our patient called yesterday at 1:00 pm with her membranes ruptured. Nary a contraction in site. All was well, but no sign of labor. We tried enema, homeopathics, acupuncture (this is the first time I have ever seen acupuncture not work!!) castor oil, nipple stimulation and walking till she has sore feet! No real labor though just some mildly irritating contractions. At 18 hours I had to call the doctor...and what does he say??? Your mom is okay, your baby is okay, keep going and deliver a baby. So at 3:00 pm the castor oil finally kicks in (you know what this means, right?) and she starts having contractions. At 5:00 pm she is complete, and at 6:00 pm she has a baby in her arms!! I am so grateful to wonderful patient women who keep trying whatever we suggest to get them going (what a good trooper she was!) and thankful for a wonderful doctor who has faith in how labor and women's bodies work. Okay. I am tired

Homebirth 11/12/09

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Welcome baby boy Emmitt to Aradria and Artie, Forest, Stella and Frank! What a lovely (and rapid) homebirth! Aradria's labor began around 2:00 pm and she had a baby in her arms at 4:29 pm. Emmitt weighed in at 8.0 and cooed and talked to his brothers and sister while Mama showered off. I imagine he is pretty excited about putting faces with the voices he has been listening to all this time!! Thanks guys for letting us attend you!

ACNM Update on Healthcare Reform

American College of Nurse-Midwives - Legislative Update Late Saturday evening, November 7, 2009, the full U.S. House of Representatives cast a historic vote to move comprehensive health care reform legislation one step closer to completion. On a vote of 220 to 215, the House voted to approve the "America's Affordable Health Choices Act" (H.R.3962), legislation that ACNM has been working hard on with the Congress for several months to ensure the concerns of midwives and the women they serve are included. A provision to provide CNMs equitable reimbursement was included in the bill along with provisions to recognize free standing birthcenters under Medicaid, require maternity services as a mimimum benefit of any health plan, and provide midwives and other primary care providers incentive payments under Medicare and Medicaid. Please go to ACNM's website for a detailed summary of the bill, which should be posted tomorrow, Monday, November 9th. Next, ACNM will be wor