I had the immense pleasure of meeting Christy Turlington Burns, super model and mother at Alt Summit in January. She shared her birth story and how she came her Every Mother Counts organization.  I knew right away I had to get involved.

(NOTE TO SELF- do not ever have your photo taken next to a super model, especially while wearing a cookie monster fur vest…UGH) 

In honor of Mother’s Day I am sharing my birth stories of when I became a mother.

January 19th, 2001

The birth of Nancy Violet Phillips “Violet”

I sure look sad. Not actually sure why that is, I was just exhausted.  In hindsight, I realize how amazingly lucky I am to have three safe deliveries in the comfort of clean hospitals with well trained doctors and staff.

All three of my children were delivered about a week early. I developed slight Pre-eclampsia during the later stages of each pregnancy.  My physician decided it would be prudent watch the conditional closely and deliver early through inducing me.  I arrived at Carolina Medical Center at 7am on January 19th, 2001.  I was checked into a room, changed and settled in to my doctor starting pitocin and breaking my water. All within an hour or two of arriving.  Soon after this, I started contractions, and the pain grew.  Next, the anethesiologist came and inserted the epidural. It was uncomfortable to have him tap into the spine but certainly welcomed. The pain went away and the delivery progressed steadily until I was 10 centimeters at around 5:45 pm. At the appropriate time many nurses gathered in the room with Dr Palermo. I started pushing and in 2 pushes my baby girl was out.  It was a breeze.   

After the delivery the next several hours were all a blur. They cleaned up my baby, checked her and all was well. I was so blessed to have had a safe delivery. My blood pressure remained elevated for a few weeks but soon returned to normal. The most stressful part was going home with our beautiful baby girl and realizing I had no idea what in the world I was supposed to do next.  Of coursed that feeling eventually passed and all was well. 

October 11th, 2006

The birth of Virginia Valentine Phillips “Gigi”

 

What a fun thing to go back these pictures and feel the gratitude I have for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. Bo, my son, is in the top pictures from soon after his birth in January 2003. 

 

 

As we celebrate the fact that with each and every child’s birth, a mother is also born, we also keep in mind that this Mother’s Day, like every other day of the year, 800 women will lose their lives during what should be a joyous and empowering experience—becoming a mother.

That’s one woman every 2 minutes.

But it doesn’t have to be that way: 90% of these deaths are preventable.  A

nd who better to help make that change than mothers themselves?

Now here is where you come in.

We are asking mothers, mothers of mothers, sisters of mothers, friends of mothers and so on to Take 2 minutes to Take 2 actions that will help us raise awareness and resources that will support mothers and mothers-2-be globally.

Do you want to get involved?

There are many ways including:

Tell your birth story. One of the most important things you can do is to use your voice because so many other girls and women can’t use theirs. By simply telling your own birth story, you are helping to raise awareness about maternal health.

Whether you breezed through, suffered a complication or are just grateful for the care you received, you share a bond with mothers everywhere and by sharing your story with us on social media, you can play a critical role in recruiting your own network to join us at Every Mother Counts.

 

 

 

NO WOMAN, NO CRY is a gripping documentary that tells the personal stories of pregnant women and their caretakers in four different countries as they try to avoid the barriers of maternal heath.

 

Drawn into the issue by her own experiences as a mother and inspired by the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG 5) — to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by the year 2015, Christy Turlington Burns tells her own harrowing birth story and then sets out to see firsthand what can be done to prevent so many women from dying. The film subtly points to four different types of barriers to care that prevent many pregnant women from getting the care they need to survive their pregnancies: physical barriers in Tanzania, cultural barriers in Bangladesh, legal barriers in Guatemala, and bureaucratic barriers in the U.S.

HOW TO HOST A SCREENING

 

Plan a small gathering in your home or talk to someone at your school, university or conference about screening the film on a larger screen for a bigger group.

Here is the trailer to the movie,  “No Woman, No Cry.”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8PSBIgdPig

 

 

 

For intimate screenings in your home, download from iTUNES or stream from AMAZON,  HULU, NETFLIX

For institutional and educational public screenings, please CONTACT US.

 

 

DOWNLOAD screening guide for more detailed instructions.

DONATE

 

I urge you to go to Every Mother Counts and get involved.  Please take 2 actions on your own.

Even sharing the message on social media.