Science & Sensibility

PR News announced this week that Lamaze’s Push for Your Baby campaign was a co-winner for the 2013 Nonprofit PR Award for Digital PR and Marketing.

The Push for Your Baby campaign worked to provide expecting mothers with key information they needed to push for a safe and healthy birth for their baby. According to PR News, “the campaign launch successfully positioned Lamaze as a go-to resource for maternity care information and generated excitement among its educators.”

Within a week of launch, the campaign’s online video received over 1,000 views, and overall the campaign yielded more than 18 million earned media impressions. To date, the video has had over 8,400 views. Lamaze would like to thank Jones Public Affairs for their work on this campaign and leading the implementation.

Science & Sensibility first wrote about the “Push for Your Baby” in the blog post: New Lamaze Campaign: Push for Your Baby! Childbirth Educators Play a Key Role.

Are you using this wonderful video and accompanying materials to reach your students with the message that parents can push for a safe and healthy birth?  What has been the feedback from your classes on this material?  If you are not using it, won’t you consider incorporating this fantastic resource in your class curriculum?

You can read more about this award from PR News.

 

Sharon Muza Awards, Babies, Childbirth Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Healthcare Reform, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, informed Consent, Lamaze International, Lamaze News, Maternal Quality Improvement, Maternity Care, Newborns, Push for Your Baby awards, Childbirth Education, Lamaze International, maternity care systems, Push for Your Baby, Sharon Muza

Lamaze International is an organization that is led by a volunteer Board of Directors.  Tara Owens Shuler is our Board President.  Many women and men donate immeasurable hours, knowledge and skills by filling council and committee positions and stepping up to volunteer in so many facets of our organization.  All of these volunteers contribute to making Lamaze International the premier childbirth education  and advocacy organization for evidence based maternity care for mothers and babies here in North America and worldwide.

Lamaze is recognized as a leader in the childbirth community and we want to continue to offer families, educators and other birth professionals the top-notch workshops, trainings, classes, webinars, publications, resources and conferences that people expect from an organization of our caliber.  This can only be accomplished by your help!

Lamaze International is actively seeking men and women to fill  Board of Director positions beginning in the fall of 2013 as current directors’ terms are ending.  Do you have the skills, energy and ideas that we need?  Do you enjoy collaborating and thinking globally with others who are equally passionate about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting?  Are you ready to take on a leadership role in the Lamaze organization and contribute your expertise and skill set to making our organization even bigger and better and helping to improve maternity care?  If the idea of serving Lamaze in this way is of interest to you, then I encourage you to read more about the upcoming elections and considering submitting an application to be considered for the slate.

Board members serve for 4 years and participate in two in-person meetings a year, the first weekend in March and at the annual conference in the fall.  To learn more about the roles and responsibilities of board members, please read the Board job descriptions.  You may download a board candidate questionnaire and submit it before the application deadline of April 15th, 2013

The Board of Directors may be a big step and you may be hesitant.  Why not consider easing in to volunteer service with Lamaze by serving in another capacity, such as on one of the Lamaze International committees.  The following openings are available:

• Education Council 
• Accreditation Council
• Social Media Networkers
• Translators
• Inside Childbirth Education contributors
• Certification Exam Item Writing
• Guest bloggers for Science & Sensibility and Giving Birth With Confidence

More information about these volunteer opportunities can be found on our Volunteer Opportunities page.  Lamaze International depends and relies on the wisdom, passion, skills and contributions of our members who step up and go the extra mile by volunteering for this dynamic organization.  What a wonderful way to be involved, learn about all the new and exciting things that Lamaze is doing, collaborate with other passionate members and make a real difference.  If you are new to the birth professional community, volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to learn and expand your network of colleagues.

I would love to hear what you are interested in?  Where do you see yourself getting involved?  How you can help Lamaze International grow and develop?  Share your thoughts in our comments section, check out the board and committee openings at the above links and get involved now!

 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Giving Birth with Confidence, Guest Posts, Lamaze International, Lamaze News, Maternal Quality Improvement, Push for Your Baby, Science & Sensibility Giving Birth With Confidence, Inside Childbirth Education, Lamaze Board of Directors, Lamaze International, Science & Sensibility, Sharon Muza, Volunteer

There is an exciting and free webinar offered by Lamaze International tomorrow, December 13, 2012 and I wanted to make sure that you were signed up!

Social Media for Childbirth Educators presented by: Kathryn Konrad, MS, RNC-OB, LCCE, FACCE will be an opportunity to learn about, discuss and explore the different methods of communicating with today’s parents.  What forums and venues do young families use to gather information and how can you harness the power of social media to build your business, market your skills and interact with the families you are working with?  Even if you are already familiar with this topic, you will be sure to learn a few new tips and discoveries that can only enhance your skills.

The specifics:

Social Media for Childbirth Educators Webinar

Date:  Thursday, December 13, 2012

Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST

Reserve your Webinar seat now!

You may also receive 1 Lamaze Contact Hour, and one Nursing Contact Hour upon purchase and completion of a quiz. This is optional, the webinar is free.

Come back and let us know your thoughts, what you are excited to try and how you use (or will use) social media to help you in your business practices!

Please contact the Lamaze International office with questions about registering, contact hours or other webinar focused needs.  See you online!

 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Lamaze International, Lamaze News, Webinars birth professionals on social media, Continuing Education, Kathryn Konrad, Lamaze International, power of social media, Sharon Muza, Social Media, Webinars

An invitation from Linda Harmon, Lamaze International’s Executive Director.  Please consider joining this interactive webinar and learn how you can help women “Push for Their Baby!” I know I am going to be online and participating!  Won’t you join me! – SM

__________________

You play an important role in helping pregnant women achieve the safest, healthiest birth possible. Throughout pregnancy and birth, women need strong partners so they can get the maternity care that meets their unique needs.

Lamaze’s Push for Your Baby effort is aimed at helping women work in partnership with their care providers to achieve the best outcomes. And, we know there’s much work to be done. Certain birth practices, such as the overuse of cesarean surgery, early induction and confinement to bed can make it harder for women to have a safe and healthy birth.

As part of our initiative, we’re pleased to invite you to join an upcoming educational webinar for nurses and childbirth educators, which will offer one nursing contact hour and one Lamaze contact hour (with the purchase of a post-webinar quiz).

 

 

Push for Your Baby Nurse & Educator Webinar
Arming Women with the Tools to Push for the Safest, Healthiest Birth Possible
Friday, November 30, 2012
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET

During this webinar, we’ll discuss evidence-based research in maternity care, and introduce the latest tools to help nurses and educators support moms-to-be in navigating maternity care decisions. We’re excited to take this opportunity to support your important role in helping women recognize the challenges in maternity care and encourage them to speak up and push for better care for themselves and their babies.

Featured speakers include:  

• Tara Owens Shuler, M.Ed., CD (DONA), LCCE, FACCE, Lamaze President and Director of Continuing Education, Special Projects, & Lamaze Childbirth Educator Program, Duke AHEC Program
• Amy Romano, CNM, MSN, Co-Author, Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach
• Jessica Deeb, RN, LCCE, and new mom

At the conclusion of the presentation, we will open up for a discussion and brainstorming session where we encourage you to share the real challenges you face in helping women get the best maternity care. Our mutual work is important to the health of women and babies, and we look forward to engaging with you on this initiative.

We hope you will join us for this exciting event! Register online to attend.

Best,

Linda Harmon
Executive Director/CEO
Lamaze International

P.S. Stay tuned for additional webinars in 2013 on hot topics and controversies in maternity care.

Sharon Muza Babies, Christy Turlington Burns, Continuing Education, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Lamaze International, Lamaze News, Maternal Quality Improvement, Push for Your Baby, Webinars Continuing Education, Healthy Birth Practices, Lamaze International, Lamaze webinars, LCCE, Linda Harmon, Sharon Muza, Transforming Maternity Care, Webinars

 

Lamaze International wants to share some opportunities for paid positions and volunteer tasks that you may be interested in.  Lamaze International is a leader in childbirth education offerings and is well respected amongst consumers and professionals alike.  Do you want to get more involved?  Work with leaders in the field and make a positive contribution to improving birth outcomes with your efforts?

Lead Nurse Planner- Compensated Position

Lamaze International is searching for a Lead Nurse Planner to work as an independent contractor to manage its ANCC Accredited Approved Provider Unit for continuing nursing education. This is a prime opportunity for an experienced nurse planner who would like to take an active role in high-level planning for Lamaze educational activities, including development of content, objectives and evaluations and reporting, working hand-in-hand with education related committees/task forces and the education staff team. For more information on the requirements, detailed job description and compensation, please click here. Interested applicants should submit a letter describing qualifications and a current resume to Linda Harmon, Executive Director at director@lamaze.org by December 15, 2012.

Volunteer Positions

Nurse Planner- to serve on the Approved Provider Planning Committee, contact Kacy Reams

Giving Birth With Confidence Blog guest writers – contact Cara Terreri, Giving Birth With Confidence community manager

Social Media Networkers- If you hang out on Twitter, Facebook or your own blog, consider helping out Lamaze International as well, Please contact Tim Hendrickson to express your interest.

Translators –  familiar with Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Czech and Romanian languages, to update Lamaze Care Practice Papers.  This position earns recertification hours! Contact Jeanne Mendelson.

Inside Childbirth Education Content Contributors- Share your tips and success stories! Contact the Inside Childbirth Education editor.

Certification Exam Item Writers – If you are an LCCE, consider submitting exam questions to the Certification Committee for review and receive recertification hours.

If any of these paid or volunteer positions are something that peaks your interest, please inquire and consider giving of your time and energy!  Lamaze International and the parents that rely on our evidenced based information will surely benefit.  Check out the Lamaze International link for more information on ALL these positions.

 

 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Lamaze News, Social Media Continuing Education, Lamaze International, Nurse Planner, Sharon Muza, Volunteer