Megan Stark

I had the honor and the pleasure to bear witness to Ina May’s induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, a charming small town in Upstate New York that has long been a hotbed for the women’s liberation movement—the first Convention for Women’s Rights was held there in 1848, followed by many subsequent events during our sister-ancestors’ long battle for equal rights. The National Women’s Hall of Fame is physically located there, right across the street from the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Park.

It was a grand event with hundreds of attendees. The festivities began with a Tea Party (a deliberate and not-so-subtle comment on our present political logjam!) that offered plenty of opportunities for meeting, greeting, and networking. The New York midwives turned out in force for Ina May—they planned their annual NYSALM (New York State Association of Licensed Midwives) meeting to take place in Seneca Falls so that they could all be there to support Ina May. MANA’s representative to the event, Vicki Hedley, current MANA Board member and Treasurer, kindly drove me through the gorgeous countryside on a bright sunny day that enabled us to fully appreciate the lovely vistas of mountains, valleys, and fall foliage that filled our senses with delight.  I came from Texas, Juliana van Olphen Fehr (Director of the Nurse-Midwifery Program at Shenandoah University) came from Virginia, as did many others to be there for Ina May, and wow did she get a lot of cheering when she stepped forward to have that huge medal hung around her neck!

She gave a brilliant talk. She began by noting that even though she could not legally practice in New York State as a CPM, she had actually and legally attended a birth in New York, on a Native American reservation there that is not officially part of NY. “Balance” was her theme—the balance the Six Nations achieved by having men as chiefs, with a committee of women as the voters who decided what the male leaders could and could not do, such as when they could and could not go to war. She moved on to honor Mary Breckinridge, a former inductee, describing the Frontier Nursing Service that Breckenridge created, the difficult conditions under which they practiced, fording swollen streams to attend home births, and the excellent outcomes they achieved because of their courage, skills, and commitment. They achieved a remarkable sort of balance between the needs of the population and the services the FNS midwives could provide. I managed to film most of her talk on my iPhone—Debra Pascali Bonaro will be posting it on YouTube, so watch for it!

The formal induction ceremony opened with a video of Hillary Clinton welcoming us all to Seneca Falls, honoring the early feminists, and celebrating today’s induction.  The other eight inductees included Betty Ford (1918-2011), Julie Krone (1963- ), Kate Millett (1934-  ), Mother Mary Joseph Rogers (1882-1955), Bernice Resnick Sandler (1928- ), Anna Jacobson Schwartz (1915-2012), Emma Hart Willard (1787-1870), and Nancy Pelosi (1940-  ). Betty Ford’s daughter spoke movingly of her bravery in choosing to share her diagnosis of breast cancer and her struggles with alcoholism with the world, in order to move these heretofore almost unspeakable issues into public awareness and consciousness. Julie Krone—you may not know her name, but she was one of the first female jockeys in the U.S and eventually became the leading female Thoroughbred horse racing jockey of all time. Her speech was inspirational. She described her early marginalization as a woman, being given the worst horses to ride and then learning them so well that she began to ride them to victory, over and over, against all odds, until her skills were finally fully acknowledged, at which point she began to ride back-to-back races, sometimes winning five or six races a day, and going on to become the first woman to win a Triple Crown and many other awards. Nancy Pelosi told the story of being asked to run for the House of Representatives, her concern about what that might mean for her last remaining child at home, a daughter. She told her daughter about the opportunity, said that she was willing to let that go in order to stay home and support her through her senior year of high school. Her daughter’s response: “Mom, GET A LIFE!”

The Gala Celebration after the Induction Ceremonies was a marvelous party in the Hotel Clarence in Seneca Falls—I was thrilled to be able to speak a bit with Nancy Pelosi, to shake Lilly Ledbetter’s hand and thank her for her service to women, and to observe Ina May in animated conversation with so very many people who seemed to really understand the depth and breadth of her contributions to women, midwives, and birth. I found a moment to ask Ina May, my friend of over 20 years, if she had kept a careful record on her CV of all her talks and all her publications—she said, regretfully, that she had not. I urged her to create that record so that it will not be lost! Is anybody out there up for writing the full biography that she so richly deserves?

The following day, Sunday, Vicki and I attended a lovely brunch held in Ina May’s honor by NYSALM. Invited to the mike, Ina May began with a question: “If I were younger and wanted to come and practice in New York State, what would I have to do to do so legally and how much would it cost?” She is a CPM and has a Master’s in English—the Master’s degree is now a requirement for any midwife who wants to become licensed in New York. So the answer, given most clearly by Kate Finn CPM, CM, was two years at either program for CMs—the one at SUNY downstate in NY or the one in Philly, at a cost of $50,00 to $60,000. A young aspiring midwife, already a CPM, stood up to speak of the hoops she had jumped through to become eligible for the CM SUNY downstate program, taking all the necessary prerequisite courses, only to find her application rejected. And she asked, “Why is it so hard to become a Licensed Midwife in New York, when I am already a midwife?” A fascinating discussion ensued that indicated clearly that the members of NYSALM are very open to considering alternate routes, including looking at ways to legitimate CPMs in NY. It came up in the discussion that the ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) global standards for midwifery education might be used—yet CNMs and CMs in New York operate far beyond those standards because they are trained not only in maternity care but also in lifetime well-woman care. And, as some of them said, they simply love not having to say goodbye to their clients after birth because they can offer them ongoing, lifetime care. Yet no one there seemed to want “tiered midwifery”—meaning that there would be various hierarchical classifications of midwives (as there are for nurses)—so the dilemma of how to incorporate the CPM in New York remains. They are going to work on that!

After the brunch, Vicki and I found time to visit the National Women’s Hall of Fame. It was incredibly inspiring to find so many of my personal culture heroes honored there. Too many to mention here, but I will just say that in a glass display case, there was a scarf that had belonged to Amelia Earhart (a posthumous inductee). Sally Ride, another inductee, had taken that scarf into outer space as a tribute to her personal culture hero Amelia, and then had returned it to the museum. Women honoring women. I was moved beyond words to hear that story, to see Sally’s uniform also displayed there, and to move around the museum gasping at the stories on the plaques of the women honored there, with tears flowing as I honored their individual and collective achievements. And walking into that Hall of Fame, the first thing I saw was Ina May’s plaque complete with photo right next to Betty Ford’s, on the display panels in the middle of the room of the new inductees.

We have a lot further to go, but we have come a very, very long way in our collective efforts to guarantee equal rights for women, and now for the next cause—human rights in childbirth—a cause that our marvelous Ina May has long championed. She has been a spearhead for that movement in many countries around the world. Let’s pause a moment to celebrate her recognition as a champion of normal birth and women’s rights, then take a deep breath and go on to do the work of making physiologic birth and respectful treatment of laboring mothers the global norm! So many brave women have paved the way—let us follow in their footsteps and make new paths of our own.

Robbie E. Davis-Floyd, Ph.D. is an International Speaker, Accomplished Author, Medical/Cultural Anthropologist, Expert on Childbirth and Midwifery, Editor and Reviewer, and Consultant and Senior Research Fellow, Dept. of Anthropology, University of Texas Austin.

Please share with us….

How has Ina May shone the spotlight for you?

by Dr. Eve Agee

The uterus…it’s our first home, a place of safety and security.  Yet did you know that this vital female organ can also be a key source of sensuality and ecstasy for women?  Even though in the West we don’t frequently associate the uterus with sexual satisfaction, many ancient cultures celebrate the sensual gifts of the uterus and recognize it as one of the main pleasure centers of our female bodies.

For many women, it may take a shift in the way we relate to the uterus to open up to the sexual rewards it can give us.  From a physiological standpoint, during vaginal stimulation or sex (with yourself or a partner), the uterus enlarges and elevates with every phase of sexual response. This can generate wonderful satisfying sensations for women and full-on uterine orgasms in some.  Even researchers describe uterine orgasms as “earth shattering” and profoundly emotional.

These mind-blowing surges of pure bliss often occur when there is a strong emotional connection such as a intense intimate bond with a partner or during the birth of a child.  At least thirty percent of all women in scientific studies have blended or g-spot orgasms, which are a combination of clitoral and uterine orgasms.  At home away from the sterile laboratory settings the numbers are probably much, much higher.

For women wanting to find new ways to relate to the uterus for vibrant pregnancy, childbirth or lifelong sexual health, it can be helpful to get in touch with the energy of the uterus to expand ecstasy and awareness.  To do so (or to help clients do this) it’s important to create the freedom to explore what feels good to our bodies in a safe comfortable setting.  This may not involve a partner at first but rather taking time with yourself to play around with what it’s like to experience pleasurable sensations in the uterine area.

You can start to get in touch with your uterine energy to expand ecstasy your pleasure by making a few minutes everyday to connect with your womb space.  Wear loose comfortable clothing and find a quiet place you can recline or lie down where you will not be disturbed.   Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply into the pelvic core and imagine or intend that you can connect with your uterus.  Silently or out loud, say hello to your uterus, like you might greet a beloved friend. Breathe deep long breaths in and out through your nose as you focus your awareness on your uterus. Place one hand on the lower abdomen and caress, stroke, or move your hand in slow circles around the lower part of your belly over the uterine area.

Begin to imagine a rich orange or golden light flowing to the uterus, filling it with love and tenderness.  You may also want to envision or sense the uterus pulsating in ways that bring you pleasure while breathing deeply into your womb.   With every breath, feel your uterus starting to fill with satisfying sensations and delight.  Continue this exploration for as long as you would like, acknowledging that regularly taking time to imagine your uterus flowing with waves of pleasure will help you heighten sexual ecstasy.  When you complete your practice, thank your uterus and your body for all the blessings they give you.

Remember that you can connect with your uterus anytime throughout your day by placing your hand over it, receiving a deep breath and feeling gratitude for all that does for you.  Just like any relationship, the more positive attention and love you give to your uterus (and all of your body), the more delight you receive in return.   Approach this process with a light heart and have fun with it. Taking the time to explore the secret pleasures of our uterine energy can bring many gifts to enjoy–for a lifetime.   Please post any insights or questions that came to you while reading this post below–we would love to hear from you.

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Dr. Eve Agee is an international bestselling author, medical anthropologist, women’s health expert, and Founder of the Transform Coaching Academy.   Her best-selling book, The Uterine Health Companion: A Holistic Guide to Lifelong Wellness (Random House), is the winner of the International Book Awards.

Eve has served as a White House expert, taught at the University of Virginia, and researched women’s healing throughout the world. She is the co-founder of the Hot Flash Mob and her work has been featured on NBC, Fox, BBC, iTV, Fox and NPR.  You can learn more about Dr. Eve’s programs at www.eveagee.com.