Midwifery often only option in isolated or rural areas.

A group of Kodiak residents is trying to help educate island mothers about birthing options and lowering the rate of Caesarean sections, currently 28 percent at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center and slightly higher nationwide.

The group’s other long-term goals are to provide midwifery care on-island and possibly institute a birthing center in Kodiak as an alternative to the hospital.

Alaska has seven birthing centers statewide, most of which are in the larger cities like Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks. Kodiak has no midwife services.

An initial step in that effort was a presentation by Barbara Norton, Friday night at A Balanced Approach. Norton, who has delivered more than 800 babies since 1994 in various states and now works in Anchorage, gave a presentation to group of about 40 attendees stressing the importance of a normal birth.

In her presentation, she discussed what she felt were the advantages of midwifery, the problems with unnecessary C sections, and some alternative birthing techniques that don’t use excessive drugs.

“I think that birth is an amazing, empowering experience, that if women choose to take the risk and do this on their own power, the benefits are just beyond description,” Norton said. “It’s a life-changing event. Ninety percent of women really can do this without intervention, without drugs.”

Norton ended the seminar saying that even after the drama and trauma of childbirth is done, the experience “really isn’t just one day … the hardest part (can be) bringing the baby home.”

Zoya Saltonstall, an organizer of the movement and a physical therapist in Kodiak, is doing her part by teaching childbirth prep courses. Her current class is in its sixth week.

Saltonstall also is one of the few on-island doulas, a person who provides non-medical support for mothers before and after the birthing process. She said she is also working on getting doula certification with Childbirth International, which provides doula and childbirth education training to students worldwide.

“There does seem to be a demand for it in this community for doulas. Women seem to want the extra support,” she said.

Saltonstall only works with one client a month, needing plenty of leeway to handle the job’s 24/7 schedule around the time a baby is due.

Regarding Friday’s presentation, she said the turnout was better than expected and more would come.

“This is the beginning of more discussions and community forums on this topic.”

Mirror writer Bradley Zint can be reached via e-mail at bzint@kodiakdailymirror.com.

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