Need help finding a homebirth midwife in Turks and Caicos Islands.

[yasmel]

Does anyone know how to go about that?

[weliveintheforest]

Is it for you?  Do you know anyone there who would know anyone in the birth community?  

Maybe you could check out the Caribbean tribal area here on mdc?

[Nicstar]

Hi there. I know someone who is a midwifery/homebirth advocate in TCI. It'd be great if you all connect. Are you on Facebook? Check out the group, Mothers and Midwives for  protection of birthing rights in the Bahamas & TCI. Contact Shara Goldsmith Bowen on there. You all need to work together. Please be in touch. I'm in Bermuda. I'm a homebirth/midwifery advocate too.

Do you know others in TCI who have had homebirths or want to? 

Let's be in touch. 

[Nicstar]

Homebirthing is something that is discouraged across the Caribbean region (for the most part). To my knowledge Trinidad and Barbados are the only islands that have birth centres which are run by midwives and doulas. They assist women in birthing in the centre or at home.

www.familybirthingcentre.net Barbados

www.mamatoto.net Trini

Women who want homebirths on other islands are generally flying midwives in from abroad. A few islands have doulas like here www.doulasofbermuda.com. Here in Bermuda we fly homebirth midwives in for home/waterbirths. www.consciousbirthbermuda.com & www.meetup.com/Bermuda-Home-Water-Birth-Meetup/ I can connect you with some of the "travelling midwives."

One is Sherri Holley. She's amazing!!! Based in Oregon. I have her email address if you want it. She flies all over the world assisting women with homebirths. I met her when she came here a few years ago for a homebirth. Phenomenal woman! Sherri's on Facebook. Google Sherri. She's still on myspace I believe.

Makeda Kamara is another homebirth midwife. I met her here very recently. She's on Fb. You can also reach her at [e-mail]. She's based in Boston. 

These midwives are VERY experienced. They've been practicing for many years.

The Virgin Islands doesn't have a birth centre although they have a few homebirth midwives. I can put you in touch with one is willing to fly to other islands for homebirths. Let me know. Every Caribbean country should support midwifery care. Together we can make it happen!!

Let's be in touch.

[Emma Bryan Fuller]

I lived in Tuks. First Grand Turk and then Providenciales. Now, Sint. Maarten for past 3 yrs. I remember Shara.....from the school Provo Primary with her then baby in a sling!

I didn't have any of my babies there but did have one here.

If you haven't found what you are looking for i would ask at the hospital, or the pharmacy....or even drop the school an e-mail.

Good Luck

[OmoYemaya]

Greetings! I am Shara.

It sure is a small world!  Yasmel, presently there is not a known option here... there is an older lady/midwife but I have had no luck finding her.   I can link you with someone who would have more info regarding who this person is and how to get in touch with her... are you on island already??? if u are please call me on 649 244 1103.  There is an "underground" homebirthing movement in Nassau and I can link you with my community there who would be willing to help connect you with the Midwife who attends in Nassau.

Emma Fuller.... you remember ME??  Did your child go to PPS??  What was his/her name??  I wud remember the child for sure. :D  HI!

Nicole... THANK YOU... you are awesome... I know I dropped off the radar a bit... forgive me... I am still working on reintergrating myself back into the community. Love you Mama!!

Good Luck Yasmel and Please call me let me see how I can help. :D

LoveLightLaughterLearning.

[Nicstar]

Emma I doubt that hospitals and pharmacies can help. I wouldn't ask there. I'd say ask herbalist, naturopathic doctors, homeopaths, yoga/tai chi teachers etc. These are typically the folks who know.

So Emma, is there a midwifery model of care in St. Maarten? I'm trying to connect everyone in the Caribbean who is into natural pregnancy and birth specifically homebirthing/waterbirthing with midwives. We all need to connect! I realize that some folks are choosing to have unassisted homebirths too. It's important that we all lend support to one another.  

[Emma Bryan Fuller]

SHARA!!!  small world, really. I had Jordan..in Ms. Claire's class. Also Luca but he hadn't started yet. Hubbie a pilot for Air Turks. I remember holding your little boy at the family day out on the beach and wanting another. I now have a 2 yr old, Skye!   I am still in touch with Bernadette/Skye and Laura/ used to teach there. Hope life is treating you well.

Nicstar..i only suggested those places as it's such a small world on Provo and somebody usually knows somebody who can help. Someone at the school/pharmacy would've sent them straight to Shara,lol

Here, hmmm. I see a little car riding around with home birth pics all over it. Honestly i was a c sec :( all the way. My third. sooo didn't really look into anything else. I was out the hospital the next morning but it was anti...yeah not just neutral but anti nursing!  from a number of nurses...also misinformed. Shame. Breastfeeding is not common practice here and nursing a toddler has had me questioning myself at times....but i pop in here and feel good!

You could check the yellow pages online. The French side, i would imagine would be better.

If i can help you in any way let me know

[Nicstar]

Emma, please ask the homebirth car owner(s) about links to midwives and homebirthing there. Please let us know what they say.

Also... if you knwo Yasmel pls connect her with Shara. I don't even know if she's checking this page.

[yasmel]

Thank you ladies and no, it is not for me.  I have passed the link to her so she can read and decide.

[Emma Bryan Fuller]

i have checked the yellow pages French and Dutch side. Nothing. Next time i see the car i will get the number from it. Sorry i couldn't find out more. I will ask around too but most of my friends with new babies went back to their home countries.  Emma

[jbarefield74]

Try searching on the net... or asking friends or neighbors... they might know someone...

[OmoYemaya]

Yasmel there is an option in the Bahamas... did the person get in contact with anyone Here??? I didn't get a call.... 

anyway I hope it all works out well for mama and baby.

Emma... I think i do remember!!! Jordan F!!!!   Congrats on your new one and REMEMBER BREAST IS BEST don't be discouraged!!!

<3

Nicole... you ARE a STAR!

[suzymartincak]

I WAS CRUSING THE NET AND FOUND THIS THREAD.  I AM A NURSE MIDWIFE AND FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER WHO HAS FANTASIES OF MOVING TO AN ENGLISH SPEAKING ISLAND AND SETTING UP A MIDWIFE PRCTICE.  I CURRENTLY HAVE A SMALL HOMEBIRTH PRACTICE IN PANAMA CITY FLORIDA.  WHAT ISLANDS HAVE ENOUGH OF A POPULATION AND DEMAND TO SUPPORT A MIDWFE?  GOD BLESS YOU ALL.  SUZY MARTINCAK

[Nicstar]

You'd have to do your research Suzy. Midwives are needed all over the world. From my knowledge places like here (Bermuda) and the Bahamas could support a midwife. There's enough demand in both countries. Right now midwives fly into these countries for homebirths from North America. Obviously this isn't ideal. There are other islands that need midwives though like Turks/Caicos, St. Lucia, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts/Nevis, Antigua/Barbuda. Check out www.consciousbirthbermuda.com & www.doulasofbermuda.com. I'm part of that movement here in Bermuda. I'm also connected to women across the English-speaking Caribbean who are trying to reintroduce midwifery to their islands. It's a longggggg process and we could use international support!

Btw please do not romanticize living on an island though. There's much that comes with the turf especially if it's unfamiliar to you.

[avavosu]

I have been a midwife attending water births, home births and hospital births, about 1,200 over the last thirty years. I started the Ontario Association of Midwives in 1981 and was on the MANA board. I've also been spending a lot of time in the Caribbean, especially  Jamaica. I have been registered there with the midwifery association, in the past. I am planning to be living there by 2013 and would love to have a water birth centre by the sea. I'd love to coordinate such a venture if there is enough OB and Midwife support. I can be reached at [e-mail].

[wies haverkamp]

To the original question: no, I don't know a midwife there. For expanding the network here I am. I am an independant midwife, working in Surinam (originally living in the Netherlands) and sometimes in an independant midwifery practice at Aruba, where we also perform (very small percentage) homebirths. (mostly dutch woman, living there temporalily who are used to the home-birth system)

In June there were a lot of midwives gathered for the CAVA course (emergency techniques at birth) at Aruba, also one midwife of Saint Lucia. I think there are a lot of iniatives in the Caribean but, also mentioned, we're nog working together, not aware of each other existence etc.  The midwifery group of mama toto (Trinidad) is very active, I visited them once.

Nice to be in touch for expanding ideas/experiences etc. ([e-mail])

Greetings to you all!!

Wies Haverkamp

Paramaribo

Suriname

[WeDoulaThat]

Hello all! So happy to have found this forum. My Hubby and I are heading to the Carribean this January (2013) for an extended sailing trip. We are due with Baby #1 at the end of June and are looking for a place to deliver with a midwife. I will be looking back in the comments to see where you have already suggested... but any more suggestions on where is the best place in the Carribean to deliver?

I am also a Doula, hoping to move on to Midwifery in the future (would love to study in the Carribean if anyone knows of a place to study and/or apprentice??).

Looking forward to discussing further! 

Priscilla

[WeDoulaThat]

Good day Nicstar,

You mentioned in your post that you knew some midwives in BVI. I am very interested in getting their information if it is still possible. Please reply here or message me directly at [e-mail].

Thank you!
 

[MyKidKissTrees]

My husband and I have recently been thinking about moving here for a few years. but we are pregnant and due in August and I really don't want to fly to Florida to give birth "at home" any updates on the status of homebirth?  I wish there were some local carribean traveling mws!!!  im already dealing with this problem in Maryland!!! ugh!