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Published: February 26, 2009 03:10 am |

MOTHERS’ HELPER

Pueblo woman specializes in childbirth education, encouragement
By MARY JEAN PORTER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Her services can be described in a word: support.

Gina Gerboth is a certified childbirth educator, a certified birth doula (assistant), an intern midwife and a certified breast-feeding consultant, and in each case she provides help for the mother-to-be or the new mom.

“My job isn’t advocacy as much as it is support – educational, physical, emotional,” says Gerboth, whose office message board bears the words, “If you don’t know your choices, you don’t have any.”

Gerboth started her career working for the USDA as a policy analyst for food stamps, but the Women Infants Children program staffers were nearby and she overheard a lot about the benefits of breast-feeding. Watching her eldest son thrive on breast milk – after initial difficulties – led her into a new line of work. Her degree in political science from University of Colorado-Denver has been helpful with midwifery issues and policy, “but I just didn’t think it would lead to this.” Sariah Walters is one of Gerboth’s clients and says her help as a birth doula made daughter Auriella Coffman’s birth easier.

“She helped me stay calm. At first, I didn’t want the medicine, then I did and it was too late. She got me calmed down and she helped me by telling me, ‘This is where you are at (in labor).’ She let me know what to expect.”

Since Auriella’s birth, Gerboth has helped Walters with breast-feeding problems.

“She wasn’t gaining weight. I thought I was going to quit,” Walters says. “I asked my mom some questions, but having Gina here helped. She could see me in the daytime when I needed her. Now Auriella is gaining weight and is a lot happier.”

Gerboth says support for a nursing mother – information, practical suggestions, encouragement, understanding – is the No. 1 indicator of whether a mom successfully breast-feeds her baby. She urges new moms to attend local meetings of La Leche League to get help and information and to be with other breast-feeding mothers.

Gerboth says she tailors her services to a client’s needs. Her work as a birth doula – the word is Greek for “woman’s servant,” referring to the continuous, hands-on support given to a woman in labor – means she works with fathers-to-be as well.

“A lot of the time dads just don’t know what to do. I think they appreciate that I can start something like rubbing the mom’s back during labor and they can continue it. A lot of times dads worry that having a doula means they are being pushed out of the way, but it’s nice to have a second person there. One can talk to the mom face to face while the other rubs her back.”

Gerboth teaches independent childbirth education classes and has taught weekend childbirth classes for Parkview Medical Center. And she’s working to become a certified professional midwife. In Colorado, midwifery falls under the Department of Regulatory Agencies, and a midwife must meet requirements established by the North American Registry of Midwives, Gerboth says.

She plans to go to Bali, Indonesia, for the month of September so she can volunteer at the Bumi Sehat birth center to get clinical experience and help the midwives there provide safe, gentle births for all women. The maternal mortality rate is extremely high in Indonesia – 373 per 100,000 live births compared with 13 per 100,000 in the U.S., according to Gerboth.

Gerboth’s office is located at Lancaster Chiropractic Center, 4736 Eagleridge Circle. The center will have an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to explain its services for pregnant women and babies.

For more information about Gerboth’s work, call her at 369-4368 or e-mail safepassagebirth@gmail.com .

My Adventure

Temple by Lake Bratan ,Bali, originally uploaded by mikescottnz.

Dear Friends,

I apologize if you are not interested in receiving updates about this upcoming trip. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you’d like to be removed from my contact list.

As some of you know, I was recently accepted as a student volunteer at the Yayasan Bumi Sehat clinic in Bali, Indonesia. This birth clinic (http://www.bumisehatbali.org/) was founded by midwife Robin Lim, author of After the Baby’s Birth (http://www.amazon.com/After-Babys-Birth-Wellness-Postpartum/dp/1587611104). The clinic’s mission is to protect maternal and child health for families in Indonesia (there are actually two clinics, and I have been accepted to the one in Bali), and it is their policy not to turn anyone away. Bali has been economically devastated after two bombings this decade as a predominately Hindu island in a strongly Muslim country. Additionally, all of Indonesia has been hit hard after a tsunami struck four years ago. Since Bali is a tourist attraction, these events were devastating to its economy, and as a result women are giving birth in poor, malnourished condition. Consequently, their maternal mortality rate is unacceptably high.

The clinic in Bali sees approximately 70 births in a month, as well as providing prenatal, postpartum, breastfeeding, and general care to the population. As a student midwife, I will be able to gain important clinical experience (which has been very challenging due to the unavailability of a certified midwife for me to apprentice with in Pueblo, so I have been driving many miles each week for over a year and a half to be able to study) while providing a service to the mothers and babies in Bali.

The trip is going to be a challenging one for my family, as I’ll be gone for the entire month of September (and a couple days on either end for travel). Once again I am grateful to my family and friends for supporting me so that I can make this dream a reality.

I will be fundraising not only to cover my expenses, but also to bring more money to the clinic. My airfare is expected to be in the neighborhood of $1500 (fares are low now because of gas prices; I’m hopeful that I can buy my ticket before fares start to rise again) and my tuition is $800. Anything I raise above that will be going directly to the clinic, and all of the smaller expenses I will not use raised funds for (passport fees, food, etc.). Additionally, the clinic is always in need of supplies, which I plan to pack in my suitcase and buy new clothing when I get there–apparently this means far less overhead than shipping materials, and the inexpensive clothing I buy there will also support the local economy. I’ll include the list of items the clinic needs below in case some of you can help with those.

While I am hesitant to even ask those I know to consider making a donation (in part due to the extreme generosity of friends when I raised funds for the Susan G. Komen foundation two years ago), I know that many of you are eager to help out. All donations are welcome, and if you are interested in assisting me as a sponsor, I will credit your donation in the several press releases I plan to submit before I depart and when I return (which is of course more beneficial for local business people).

There are two ways to donate: you can transfer money directly to me via Paypal, www.paypal.com, to the email address ginapueblo@gmail.com, or if you’d rather support the clinic directly and not my trip per se, you can donate here: http://www.amillionmothers.org/?page_id=233

Once in Bali, I will be updating everyone via my blog: http://plentitude.blogspot.com as well as by email, so please do let me know if you don’t want to get updates because I’m anticipating sending lots (of course with 50-70 births who knows if I’ll have any time)!

Again, the clinic’s “wish list” follows. Let me know if you’re able to help send any of these items with me. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement!

Hugs,
Gina
www.safepassagebirth.com

WISH LIST

For

YAYASAN BUMI SEHAT

Donations that are always needed at the clinic:

General clinic supplies

Ø Children’s vitamins

Ø Water-proof Huntleigh fetal doppler machines http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=6219

Ø Sterile and non-sterile medical gloves – non-latex,6½, 7 and 7 ½, small and medium sizes

Ø Cotton flannel receiving blankets

Ø Baby hats

Ø Amoxicillan 500

Ø Amoxicillan 250

Ø Ciprofloxacin 500

Ø Injectable Amoxicillan

Ø Arnica tincture, 30X or 200C

Ø DeLee suction catheter (for suctioning baby) – 8 fr http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=7958

Ø Bulb syringes for suctioning baby

Ø Umbilical cord clamps http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=00369

Ø Maternity mesh underwear http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=5058

Ø Bactroban

Ø Aloe Vera gel

Ø Instrument lubricant http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=9215

Ø Hand sanitizer

Ø Children’s Tylenol

Ø Money donated for large plastic storage containers

Ø Urinary catheters http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0426

Ø Chux pads!!!! – 23 x 36 inches http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=4079

Instruments needed

Ø General forceps – 12 are needed immediately – 7 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=3518

Ø Needle holders – 18 are needed immediately – 6 & 8 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=3526

Ø Blunt sharp scissors – 18 are needed immediately – 4.5 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0108

Ø Sharp sharp scissors – 18 are needed immediately – 4.5 inch http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0108

Ø Tissue forceps – 6.25 inches http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=2658

Ø Cloth pelvis model with fetal doll http://www.maternalsource.com/Maternal%20Source%20Website/prod19.htm#cp