Saturday, August 21, 2010

Mamma Primitiva-Traditional Midwifery School Open Enrollment



Mamma Primitiva is a worldwide traditional midwifery school that believes if given the opportunity and teachings, every woman can know and help the restoration of traditional birth. It is the work of the Primitive Mamma.

Many years ago, I organized the Mother Oak Midwifery Conference with several old traditional midwives teaching who had years of knowledge and experience assisting women during birth. All sessions from these extraordinary conferences were taped and have become an integral part of the midwifery education you are about to receive. You will be provided with other teachings from great midwives, traditional healers and medicine women from around the world that will also be included in your classes. The words from these old midwives and great teachers in the healing field, will be part of your educational experience. Their words will take you to a deep place of knowledge, to the root of this ancient knowing and wisdom.

As many of you know I have done grassroots work locally, nationally and internationally for many years to keep traditional midwifery alive and continue to pass the education on to women who want the knowledge. I have worked extensively in Hawaii, Greece, Sicilia and Bulgaria and the United States. Women from all over the world will attend these unique and powerful traditional midwifery courses. Local and worldwide networking will result from your friendships and all proceeds will go to non-profit maternal/child health clinics.

This education is to help you prepare yourself to help women birth whether you will become or are an educator for your friends, doulas, childbirth educators, apprentices, midwifes or doctors. This education will add to other education that you are receiving as it will give the rich traditional approach. If you want to become a midwife it will be your responsibility to find apprenticeships in your local community. You will find these courses unique, and helpful in your journey to understanding midwifery. Some of you may want to apply to work at the MHI clinics in the future and this schooling is imperative for you to be able to participate.

We look forward to you receiving this education through Mamma Primitiva to help women and babies birth with respect and love. Clare Loprinzi, Traditional Midwife, CPM, MCH


Mission Statement of Mamma Primitiva

Mamma Primitiva is a worldwide online traditional midwifery school that believes that if given the opportunity and teachings every woman can know and help with the restoration of traditional birth. It is the work of the primitive mamma.

The intention of Mamma Primitiva is to provide traditional midwifery education to a diverse group of women around the world. 100% of the money generated from the tuition paid to this school will go directly to supporting a midwifery model of care clinic in a impoverished and disaster stricken country. The intention is to keep the traditional midwife ways of birthing alive while at the same collaborating with birth practitioners from around the world.

Clare Loprinzi, founder of Mamma Primitiva, is on the board of directors and the medical advisory board for Mother Health International, a nonprofit organization, with a midwifery model of care birth clinic located in Jacmel, Haiti. Haiti has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the Western Hemisphere. The mission statement of this unique medical advisory board is, "MHI Medical Advisory Board is a broad collaboration of practioneers advising and supporting Mother Health International to create the bridge between high technology obstetric care and the excellent outcomes provided by the low technology, hands on midwifery model of care in impoverished and disaster stricken countries. The collection of our data will provide inspiration for birthing centers worldwide."

This educational school has been a long time dream of mine and could not be doing this without the help of many other people and you. We have much work to do to help Motherearth heal, and it starts with birth. I would like to thank you for joining us and hope that the healing begins with you and spreads throughout birth movements and groups such as Mother Health International.


The Mission of Mother Health International

Mother Health International is dedicated to respond and provide relief to pregnant women and children in areas of disaster and extreme poverty. We are committed to reducing the maternal and infant mortality rates by creating healthy, sustainable holistic birthing centers using the midwifery model of care with culturally appropriate education for the health and empowerment of women. With every healthy birth there is a positive benefit for the communities that we serve and the world as a whole.

Learn more about Mother Health International, click here.

Special thanks go to: Mother Margaret, Evie, Shana, Natasha, Jade Patti, Carol, Kelly, Misha, Joe, Lori, Josh, Heather, Mathidle, Milena, Miglena, Evangelia, Maria, Marzia, Lucia, Beverly, Renee and to you and all the beautiful babies and mammas of the world.

Clare

Friday, August 13, 2010

It's a boy! Mother Health International Catches its 100th Baby at birth center in Haiti

It's a boy!
Mother Health International Catches its 100th Baby at birth center in Haiti

August, 13, 2010, Jacmel, Haiti:

Mother Health International catches its 100th baby since it opened its doors on March 10, 2010 in Jacmel, Haiti.

Born on July 27, 2010, at 7:10 am, the 100th baby, a healthy baby boy, makes his way into the world with the loving care at the MHI birth clinic weighing 7 lbs lbs, 18 1/2 inches in length.

"We are celebrating this wonderful news, our first baby was a boy and our 100th baby is a boy," said Co-Founder, Kelly C. Dunn. "We look forward to celebrating the 200th baby born at the clinic."

Mom and baby are doing great.

"His mother arrived at dome birth clinic fully dilated at 6:45 am and he was born with great ease moments later," said Volunteer Midwife Tania Laviades.

Mother Health International's (MHI) founding members were part of a first responder team of seven medics, midwives and support staff who traveled to Jacmel, Haiti on January 28, 2010 via Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic to offer disaster relief to women and children. With the help from private donations, NGO's, non-profit organizations and government organizations, the team was able to provide emergency medical aid, water and food to the women and children who survived the earthquake.
Shortly after arriving in Jacmel, the founders of MHI recognized the greater need beyond disaster and emergency aid and began the process to build a holistic maternal birth clinic in the heart of one of the most under served areas in Haiti, St. Helen Parish.

On March 10, 2010 MHI officially opened our doors to pregnant women and started prenatal evaluations immediately. Today 100 babies have been born at our birth center and thousands of prenatal visits have been preformed. The MHI birth clinic is modeled after the Midwives Model of Care. Our birth center is housed in a 44 ft dome structure (1500 sq. feet) on a piece of land with a small house in front of it that serves as our home for volunteers. Midwives come from around the world to donate their time to serve the mothers of Jacmel.

Mother Health International
Mother Health International is a non-profit organization registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia. MHI is currently seeking 501c3 status with the IRS. We are a registered nonprofit in Canada and are seeking Charity Status.

Mission:
MHI is dedicated to respond and provide relief to pregnant women and children in areas of disaster and extreme poverty. We are committed to reducing the maternal and infant mortality rates by creating healthy, sustainable holistic birthing centers using the midwifery model of care with culturally appropriate education for the health and empowerment of women. With every healthy birth there is a positive benefit for the communities that we serve and the world as a whole. To donate and support our work, visit our website at www.motherhealthinternational.org.

Monday, August 2, 2010

A reflection from Volunteer Melinda

A beautiful talented skilled group of midwives had made their way here and we are forming a strong team already! Everyone is busy at work. Friday our last prenatal consultation day of the week went as usual. Many Moms came into our care for the first time, most hear about us through friends that have given birth with us in the previous months and hear about the good care we give. I often ask Moms why they are choosing to birth with us and the answer is always the same, you are kind, patience and give good care. I spent time with a mom for a consultation and she was amazed at how much time I took to ask her questions and help her along. Our reputation is spreading! Women are looking for other options than what has been available. My heart breaks when I hear moms say things like, “I would have come here sooner if I had known you were so kind and gentle”. It makes you wonder what their past experiences have been and makes me want to cherish and support them all the more! These women deserve the dignity, respect and love that we foster in the clinic setting. It makes me so thankful to be here helping to create a new standard of how women need to be treated and cared for during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

As a write we have a Mama in labor up at the dome. Last time I was up there, I poked my head in the room to see her and as I stole a glance I watched her rise with a mighty contraction and reach out for her midwife’s hand to hold. The bond that they have going can’t be stopped by language, culture, time and place, the bond is one of trust and security. It is beautiful to watch how quickly this can happen, how quickly two people who are complete strangers and then through a couple of hours of pain and progress, a bond is built between the one wanting support and the one wanting to give her support. Birth brings women together in a beautiful way.

Volunteer Melinda McLaren

©2010 Mother Health International