Strong, gorgeous women!

[Meryl]

I have been so remiss in not sooner expressing my warm thanks to Milli for all the inspirational and interesting women you have brought to our attention over the last month or so. Thank you!!! 

I must admit that a number of them I hadn't even heard of - probably I myself and a curriculum hell-bent on repressing women's contributions to society and human progress are at equal fault in this. All the more grateful I am that you've posted about them so that my knowledge was improved, as well as my admiration for strong, gorgeous women throughout history and at the present day.


Here's another strong and gorgeous woman, whom I discovered for the first time when on vacation in the US this September. The Rachel Maddow show became my immediate and only "must see" while over there. This is one extremely sharp and intelligent, knowledgable, witty and positive woman with immense powers of expression.  I just love her, and after I returned home I've regularly continued to watch bits and pieces of her show on YouTube, her interview with Barack Obama, her visits to Conan o'Brien and Jay Leno etc. Wow, can that woman ever hold her own!

Yes, Milli, thanks for your informative posts! 

Mika, I don't even remember you watching Rachel Maddow when you were here, silly me.  But I totally agree with your assessment of her.  A media star is born, methinks. 

[Mikaela]

Mika, I don't even remember you watching Rachel Maddow when you were here....

Huhn?  I credit you one hunderd percent for making me aware of her show! I really do! Thank you!    I guess I was so intent and riveted, I forgot to gab while watching, about how interesting I found her. Also, it wasn't till I got back home and googled her that I realized how new her show is, and read about her fascinating backstory. Silly me thought she'd surely been around with her show since forever, she just gives off that relaxed and confident vibe that kind of shouts experience!!  But I remember being so totally happy and thrilled that there actually were intelligent and liberal shows like that available, to counterbalance all that mind-numbingly inane Fox News stuff.

[Brown Eyes]

I really like Rachel too!   Thanks for adding her to the list. 

[southendmd]

Rachel is on the cover of the Advocate!  I totally fell for her during the election.  I happened on her show by chance when it was brand new, everyone congratulating her, etc.  What a class act.

http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid64682.asp

[Mikaela]

I *so* agree with the Advocate! Thanks for posting that cover Paul! 

Please don't you all laugh at me now, but I was totally hoping Obama might ask Rachel to be his Press Secretary or whatever the title is  - You know, the job that uhm... Dana Perino(?) does for Bush now.

But of course Obama went with someone he has known for a long time and trusts based on that knowledge... that only makes sense.

[Ellemeno]

Wow, I just caught up on many pages of this thread.  Thank you.

[Ellemeno]

Penny Simkin




Penny Simkin is an international treasure for childbearing women and families and for professionals in the maternity field. She has made major and influential contributions in many areas of central concern to childbearing women, including: labor support and labor companions, labor pain relief and comfort measures, physiologic labor and labor progress, childbirth satisfaction, and childbearing experiences of survivors of sexual abuse. She is the author or co-author of some of the most important books in the field and of many valuable articles, pamphlets, and aids for maternity professionals and childbearing women. As a founding member of Doulas of North America (DONA) and a doula trainer, Penny Simkin has played a major role in helping to establish this newest member of the childbirth team. She has worked directly with thousands of women and families as a childbirth educator, doula, or counselor addressing grief, loss, trauma and abuse. Profound wisdom and deep respect for women and families characterize Penny Simkin's work in all of these areas.
http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10100


She was my teacher, and is still going strong.

[Ellemeno]

Ina May Gaskin



Ina May Gaskin's renown has spread through her clinical midwifery skills, developed entirely through independent study and apprenticeship with other midwives around the world. The statistics for Gaskin's midwifery practice, which has delivered more than 2,300 babies, tell the tale. In contrast to the national Cesarean rate of over 22 percent, the Farm's midwives have a rate of only 1.8 percent.
http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/06/01/gaskin/


Author of one of the best books I've ever read in my life, "Spiritual Midwifery," and teacher of countless midwives.  Ina May has changed the face of labor and delivery in the United States and around the world.

[Mikaela]

Clarissa, I completely agree that these women should be on this thread!

A tiny bit of personal history here.... can't remember how old I was but it was before I started High School, I wrote an essay on the topic of "Historical person whose achievment I admire". I wrote about Florence Nightingale. Then, as I grew older, I went through a phase of being quite embarrassed at that - because it seemed like such a "feminine, womanish" thing to do - write about a woman who didn't discover, or explore, or conquer, etc - not like the 95% male "role models" of the history books. But of course, I've come around full circle a long time ago to realizing that inventing modern nursing in the face of horrid conditions near a battle-field is a more worthy, more humane and much more praiseworty endeavour than exploring Antartica or battling your way to becoming the ruler of a nation.

So yay! for the midwives of the world! (Incidentally, I watched a TV programme only yesterday from a Swedish labour ward - following a difficult and harrowing twin birth up close in this very modern medical environment, and the chief midwife contrasting that with her recent stint in Afganistan with "medecins sans frontiers" - where she'd also served at midwife under horrific and midieval conditions, without any modern equipment or facilities.... she showed some pictures. Very thought-provoking.)

Still.. I'm curious. "Spiritual midwifery" - could you elaborate a little on the message of the book? Is it religious?

[Lumière]

I have been so remiss in not sooner expressing my warm thanks to Milli for all the inspirational and interesting women you have brought to our attention over the last month or so. Thank you!!! 

I must admit that a number of them I hadn't even heard of - probably I myself and a curriculum hell-bent on repressing women's contributions to society and human progress are at equal fault in this. All the more grateful I am that you've posted about them so that my knowledge was improved, as well as my admiration for strong, gorgeous women throughout history and at the present day.

Yes, Milli, thanks for your informative posts! 

Mika, I don't even remember you watching Rachel Maddow when you were here, silly me.  But I totally agree with your assessment of her.  A media star is born, methinks. 

Hey Mika & Meryl - You are most welcome.   

I am not yet done with my "To Believe in Women" Series of posts here.  More to come.
Will be back to it in the near future.


~M