Welcome to the ranks of birth rights activists! One of the wonderful things that I see happening is that the new wave of activists come with a wide range of professional skills. The wave of which I was a part in the early 1980s, when the cesarean surgery rate started to skyrocket, did not, which was a definite handicap. But now we have lawyers, and doctors, and communications people, and accountants and tech savvy people and so on. Their knowledge and experience are real assets in making change, considering the forces arrayed against us.

Let me think (write?) out loud some ideas that would use your skills.

·         Many grassroots groups are looking for Advisory Board members who bring special knowledge and credibility to the organization. Think about volunteering in this capacity for ICAN or CIMS or Citizens for Midwifery, and there are probably others who would welcome you.

·         Whenever an article appears in the newspaper or magazine that gets it wrong, write a letter to the editor. The M.D. after your name will boost credibility. Monitor the medical journals and do the same. There too, the M.D. will give you, I think, a better chance of being published. That could be a full-time occupation right there.

·         Join “Physicians for Midwives,” a doctors’ group that supports the Midwives Model of Care. The URL is http://www.well.com/user/zuni/pfm.html.  (Note: I haven’t had direct contact with anyone from this group for several years. I searched on the name to get the website so it is possible it is defunct, but the website is still up.)

·         Start (or join) a Birth Network. These are grassroots local groups looking to improve maternity care in their communities. You can find out more about Birth Networks by clicking on the “Advocacy” tab on the Lamaze home page at www.Lamaze.org.