Laguna Hills, California – April 06, 2010 – Beach Cities Midwifery & Women’s Health Care (www.beachcitiesmidwifery.com), a center that provides women with access to nurse-midwifery care, announced today they are celebrating 10 years in business and attending the birth of over 1,000 babies.

Founded in 2000, Dr. B.J. Snell started her commitment to provide nurse-midwifery care to the women of South Orange County. A certified nurse-midwife for over 20 years, Snell started the practice in response to the growing demand of interest for midwives supportive of natural birth. In January 2009, Dr. Snell opened the Beach Side Birth Center to provide the option to deliver babies in a natural, comfortable and safe out of hospital setting.  Approximately 1,500 square feet, the Nationally Accredited Birth Center has office exam rooms for prenatal care, and two birthing suites – with large bathrooms, where showers and tubs are available for use during labor and birth.  The Birth Center has 2 nurse-midwives that provide care for women and their families.

“Being in business for 10 years is truly a milestone. I am passionate about helping women and giving them the option to deliver their babies in an environment where they feel comfortable and in control”, stated Snell. “The celebration of our 10 year Anniversary is a true testament to our philosophy that pregnancy and childbirth are normal, deserving a personal and caring approach.  This philosophy resonates with women and families who seek support for natural birth.   I am anxious to see where the next 10 years leads us,” concluded Snell.

 Until May 2008, the nurse-midwives practiced in a hospital setting.  Once South Coast Medical Center closed, nurse-midwives were denied privileges in all south Orange County hospitals.  Beach Cities Midwifery & Women’s Health Care accepted the challenge to preserve the option for natural birth and opened the Beachside Birth Center providing continuation of care for women who seek relief from the controlling environment of traditional hospital care.  Beach Cities Midwifery & Women’s Health Care attended 73 births at the new center in 2009, and continues to respond to the growing need.

Community Alliance for Birth Options (CABO) was a catalyst for development of the Birth Center as part of Beach Cities Midwifery & Women’s Health Care.  CABO, an advocate for pregnancy and birth alternative approaches, will be hosting their Second Annual Fundraiser and Silent Auction April 22, 2010. Proceeds from the Fundraiser and Silent Auction will benefit a Scholarship program for women choosing to deliver their baby using a natural approach. To learn more about the event at the Nirvana Grille in Laguna Beach, California, log on to:  http://www.projectcabo.org or call 949.215.7575.

About Beach Cities Midwifery & Women’s Health Care

Beach Cities Midwifery & Women’s Health Care is a full service nurse-midwifery practice providing care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and for well woman annual visits.  It is affiliated with the Beachside Birth Center in Laguna Hills, a free-standing center nationally accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers. B.J. Snell holds a PhD in Nursing and certification in midwifery from Oregon Health & Sciences University. In addition to being a published author and belonging to various professional associations and committees, Snell received the 2009 Midwife of the Year award from the Doula Association of Southern California.  For more information please call 949.215.7575 or  www.beachcitiesmidwifery.com.

About Community Alliance for Birth Options (CABO)

The primary purpose of CABO is to support the efforts of women and families to retain options for non-interventive care and acceptance for the philosophy of natural childbirth. The vision of CABO is to educate the community about the safety and efficacy of low intervention options for childbirth, provide acceptance and support for women who desire options AND to open the health care system for women to choose a setting that will match their philosophy.  For more information, www.projectcabo.org.

Orange County, Ca- This year was a year capped by another significant event for Bj Snell. Besides opening a free standing birth center in 2009, she graciously accepted the nomination and award for Midwife of the Year 2009 by DASC,  the Doula Association of Southern California. DASC is a local non-profit promoting “birth on the human experience and society at large”. They provide a supportive forum for maintaining professional standards, continuing the education of birth and postpartum doulas, and informing the public of the benefits of doula care*.

This award is significant because to Dr. Snell “it shows how much support and promotion of non-interventive birth that DASC Doula’s bring to the local birthing community….It just demonstrates the need for this (Out of Hospital Birth) not only in Southern California but worldwide”.

Please visit the DASC website www.dascdoulas.org for more information about DASC awards and local DOULA’s in your area.

Here’s a quote from the article:

Following these media reports, David T. Tayloe, Jr., MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), submitted a letter to the editor of The Atlantic stating his objections to the article. In his letter, Tayloe says, Rosin “skims the literature” and has omitted many recent statements including the 2005 AAP statement supporting the value of breastfeeding for most infants.” The AAP policy, he writes, “references every statement with scientific evidence from over 200 articles which meet scientific standards for accuracy and rigor.”

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