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Childbirth Classes
Jane Austin
415.334-2829
jane@bayareahomebirth.org
Laura Todaro
510.533-2829
laura@bayareahomebirth.org
Midwives
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LINKS
Pictures from the 2007 Eco-Picnic
Winter 2008 Newsletter, “Home Cookin’ ” -
(back issues here)
Jane Austin's Prenatal Yoga Schedule
Largest prospective study of homebirth safety and outcomes just published
UPCOMING EVENTS
Birth stories at Tenaya’s
Sept 13; 11 am to 2 pm
378 Belmont St, #4 Oakland (near Lake Merritt)
Birth stories at Nancy’s
Oct 11; 11 am to 2 pm
2675 -30th Avenue, near Vicente, San Francisco
Birth stories at Cindy’s
Nov 9; 11 am to 2 pm
3024B Fulton Street, off Ashby, Berkeley
Join the Bay Area Home Birth Collective Families online group by sending
an e-mail to bahcfamilies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Please include a brief comment about why you want to join, your connection to the BAHC if any, and where you live.
BAY AREA HOMEBIRTH COLLECTIVE
The Bay Area Homebirth Collective is a group of midwives, labor
assistants, and childbirth educators dedicated to empowering women and families
through homebirth.
We believe that pregnancy and childbirth are normal, healthy physiological
processes and see ourselves as caregivers in normal pregnancy, birth, and
postpartum.It is the pregnant woman who is the decision-maker and it is
her right to fully understand, choose, and take responsibility for the
kinds of procedures used during her birth. The principles of informed
choice, continuity of care, woman-as-decision-maker, appropriate technology,
integrated education and counseling, and choice of birthplace provide the
basis for our philosophy of care.We feel that these prinicples are the
foundation for a trusting relationship between client and caregiver. Safety
is ensured through the use of skillful midwifery, risk-screening and
appropriate medical referrals.
With BAHC, families choose a midwife who provides their prenatal care and
works with them through the birth and postpartum.Other midwives and
alternative health practitioners are available for consultation and
referral.
Our collective also offers:
 The Homebirth Education series
Pregnancy support groups
Postpartum support groups
Community Information Seminars
BAHC comprehensive prenatal care includes:
Physical assessment of well-being and risk screening
Emotional support, validation, and counseling
Appropriate lab work
Nutritional and herbal counseling
Support for family involvement in the birth process
BAHC encourages well-pregnancy self-care through:
Inner exploration
Positive body image
Healthy diet and excercise
Stress reduction
BAHC midwifery embraces:
Respect for the birth process
Recognition of the spiritual elements of birth
Birth as a path of personal growth and empowerment
Continuity of care between client and provider
Informed choice and personal responsibility for health
"The essence of midwifery is a commitment to human connection-- to childbirth as
an active form of intimate self-expression at home, rather than a homogenized experience
bound by a single set of medical standards in an unfamiliar hospital."
--Susan Perry
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