Michael Pollan appears on The Colbert Report promoting his book, “In Defense of Food.” He advocates for eating food with less than five ingredients and keeping it simple. The first example he gives is breast milk.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Michael Pollan | ||||
|
||||
The Los Angeles Times looks at the state of childbirth in our the United States. They explore the increase in cesarean sections, maternal death rates, NICU stays, and rising healthcare costs.
Childbirth: Can the U.S. improve? - Los Angeles Times
Posted using ShareThis
The midwifery model of care believes that pregnancy and birth are a natural process. In the Netherlands more than 79% of women are under the care of midwives. According to the Netherlands Institute for Health Research 1 in 3 women give birth with a midwife in attendance, compared to only 11%* in the United States. Dutch woman view birth as natural, not medical with many choosing to have a home birth. Infant and maternal mortality rates are also trend lower in the Netherlands.
NPR recently did a piece on healthcare in the Netherlands and highlighted birth practices in the country. Click here to listen to the piece or read excerpts from the report.
*Due to underreporting of midwife-attended deliveries, this figure should be considered a low estimate for the actual number of midwife-attended births.
On May 17, we hosted “Birthing the Sanctuary,” An Awareness Soiree to announce The Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center. The evening was inspiring. Held at Kula, the event was widely attended by supporters, celebrities, and birth advocates in our community. Ricki Lake, Dr. Jay Gorden, Rainbeau Mars, Anna Getty, clients Elton and Seneca Brand and John and Nichole McGinley all made appearances. We truly lived our mission — educating, empowering, and inspiring others.
Time.com examines the growing popularity of home births and the American Medical Association’s (AMA) recent ruling to make them illegal.
“For most pregnant women, a key part of their birth plan involves how they’ll get to the hospital. But more and more moms-to-be are skipping that step and planning to deliver at home. Old-school birthing is back in style, with well-read women forsaking obstetricians for midwives and epidurals for warm baths. These women want to give birth in their own bed or tub, with none of the medical interventions that have become staples of modern childbirth, like contraction-inducing medication and C-sections, which now serve as the grand finale in nearly a third of U.S. births.”
Read the article, Giving Birth at Home, in its entirety at Time.com
The Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center will provide Los Angeles families a comprehensive, safe birthing environment unlike any other in the entire country. Our innovative center will literally be a ‘sanctuary’ where women can give birth and the entire family can receive holistic individualized care from licensed medical professionals.
The center will also provide classes, events and a community, all designed to educate and empower families to make conscientious choices for themselves and the planet. In addition, an eco-boutique, sustainable operating practices and an innovatively green build-out will serve as a guide to sustainable living for families and businesses alike.
We’re confident that The Sanctuary will not only provide Los Angeles families with comprehensive, holistic care, but create a new business model grounded in compassion and informed choices. As a respite of humanity in a sea of clinical healthcare choices, The Sanctuary’s singular appeal will position it as the only center of its kind, and a new market unto itself. The potential for The Sanctuary and its future franchises is as limitless as is the potential of the families we exist to serve.
We are currently seeking individuals interested in a profitable business opportunity that will support the opening of this unique and much needed center. Investing in this center offers not only financial gain, but the ability to make a profound difference for the families we serve. The next phase of this project includes securing $500K startup capital. Upon receiving funding, we will secure the location, begin build-out, purchase necessary medical supplies, equipment and inventory, launch an extensive marketing plan, and The Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center will open its doors to the waiting public.
Market research indicates an enormous consumer demand for birth options. The Sanctuary will be the first of its kind, the only luxurious water birth center in Los Angeles County offering an extensive selection of products and services including a large family yoga studio and a supervised playroom for children.
Each year approximately 155,000 babies are born in Los Angeles County with national statistics indicating that approximately 8% of births are natural, which calculates to a potential of over 10,000 births a year. Our profitability projection is based on The Sanctuary accommodating approximately 240 births a year, which is roughly 2% of the total market.
The United States spends twice as much per capita on obstetric care as any other industrialized nation, yet ranks 37th in the world for infant mortality and 40th in the world for maternal mortality. A 1998 CDC study concluded that midwives cost less than physicians and have equally good, if not better outcomes for low-risk women. In the countries with the best infant outcomes, 70% of babies are delivered by licensed midwives with obstetric care available when needed for high risk and complicated deliveries. Current trends, statistics and media coverage all point towards a growing need and consumer demand for birth centers and midwifery care.
Approximately 900,000 women of childbearing age live within a five mile radius of downtown Culver City, the center’s targeted location. At present, there are no medical facilities located in this city that provide maternity services. After researching demographics, the conclusion is Culver City is the ideal place for the unique services and products The Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center will provide.
The three founders of this project are visionary women and mothers of 7 children who bring their decades of experience and success in the birth, education and natural products industries. Together with distinguished health care practitioners and educators, we are inspired and committed to expanding and reaching a broad, dare we say pregnant, market. With a goal of expanding our vision throughout metropolitan areas across the nation, this flagship center will provide the template upon which future franchise operations are based.
We are very excited about opening The Sanctuary- Birth & Wellness Center soon!
Be sure to check back often for latest news and upcoming events!