ORLANDO ­Her reasons for being tremendously involved with two local benevolent organizations while trying to balance a career and mentor her 19 year­-old daughter are quite simple: intuition and common sense.

It was Fifth Third Bank Orlando Magic Maker Monica May's intuition that led her to become extensively involved with the programs Common Sense Childbirth Inc., and Consider Your Image, a non­-profit organization she founded herself. And it's common sense that drives her today.

"I know there is a simple way to life," explains May. "If there is an opportunity to help put together a road map for young people, I want to be a part of that."

But May has been more than just a part of children's lives. In her work with Common Sense Childbirth, Inc., May helps to inspire a change in maternal child healthcare. The program empowers mothers (especially young and indigent) to bring healthy babies to term. The model was created by May's close friend, Jennie Joseph, a midwife who specializes in providing prenatal healthcare and nurturing to populations that typically don't get the proper treatment in traditional health settings.

From tampabay.com. In Print: Monday, February 23, 2009.

WINTER GARDEN — This Central Florida office feels more like a home than a maternity ward, with portraits of glowing mothers-to-be proudly displayed on the walls leading to the "suites." The Van Gogh room has a nighttime feel, with a dark blue couch near a star-designed quilted bed and the Starry Night painting hanging above.

And then there is the birthing stool oddly found in the mix, looking more like a misplaced item in a bedroom.

It is the vision of Jennie Joseph, an energetic midwife originally from England who has run this birthing center since 1994.

Her waiting room is filled with expectant parents, but times are still tough for her and many of Florida's approximately 110 midwives.

Insurance is expensive — when policies are available. The number of new mothers choosing midwives seems to have peaked. Some colleges have closed their midwifery programs citing a lack of enrolment. And some still question the safety of having a child outside of a hospital.

"We have this complete myth we created around birth. Subsequently that has prevented midwives from becoming a staple in this country," Joseph said.

There are about 20,000 midwives in the United States, performing about 320,000 reported deliveries per year, according to the North American Registry of Midwives and federal government statistics. That's about 1 in 12 nationally. Because of under-reporting, the actual number is probably higher.

Jana Borino

December 5, 1964 – February 13, 2009

 

Midwives deliver America needs better birth care, and midwives can deliver it. By Jennifer Block December 24, 2008 Some healthcare trivia: In the United States, what is the No. 1 reason people are admitted to the hospital? Not diabetes, not heart attack, not stroke. The answer is something that isn't even a disease: childbirth.