I have the opportunity to frequently meet incredible women from around the country who are doing their own part in making the birth world a better place. I met LaQuitha Glass a few months ago and I am so excited to share her passion with you. LaQuitha is the current president of ICAN, a nonprofit that EVERY pregnant woman and every care provider should be aware of. They do amazing things and offer women so much support. This is how we make birth better! LaQuitha answers the question, what is ICAN?
Tell us about ICAN. What is ICAN and why does this organization exist?
The International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc. (ICAN) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery, and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). As an organization, we support women who are recovering from cesarean, planning a cesarean, or seeking to avoid a cesarean as they navigate the extremely complex U.S. maternal care system.
How did ICAN get started?
ICAN was originally founded in 1982 as the Cesarean Prevention Movement. Although the cesarean rate was lower in 1982 than it is currently, during that time, many women were birthing within a paradigm that believed ‘once a cesarean, always a cesarean.’ Our founders, Elizabeth Handler and Esther Zorn, challenged this long held belief and two years later, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released guidelines promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, or VBAC.
Four years later, they released another set of guidelines to further promote vaginal birth after cesarean as a reasonable option for birthing women. In 1992, as vaginal birth after cesarean gained acceptance, CPM changed its name to the International Cesarean Awareness Network. In the late 90s, more restrictive guidelines for vaginal birth after cesarean were released, and a renewed interest in advocating for vaginal birth after cesarean was ignited within the birth world as women increasingly found their options limited by hospital imposed VBAC bans and provider preferences.
What can women expect when they attend an ICAN meeting?
With over 170 chapters across the continental U.S. and abroad, women attending local ICAN meetings will find that no two chapters are exactly the same, the same of which applies to the meetings held by each chapter. They each have their own unique flavor and personality as influenced by our incredible volunteers and local leadership.
However, there are some things that are standard at each meeting. Upon entering a meeting, women will be greeted by a dedicated volunteer who will facilitate a safe space in which each mother can speak her truth and seek the mother-to-mother support which is ubiquitous to ICAN.
Who is welcome at ICAN meetings?
In general, our meetings are open to all people who are supportive of our mission or who are looking for resources and support. At our meetings, we have women in attendance who are recovering from or planning a cesarean, recovering from or planning a VBAC, and everything in between.
A large percentage of the women we meet in our meetings are looking for locations that support their desires for a vaginal birth after cesarean. This is due to the fact that many women unfortunately find that the type of care that they receive will vary depending on their geographic location. These are the women that we encounter most often, as they search frantically for a provider who will offer them evidence-based care. Many find themselves traveling long distances to surrounding cities or across state lines to avoid having a cesarean in a location with high provider and hospital cesarean rates.
Although ICAN meetings are often open to the public, our chapters will host meetings that are only open to mothers in order to foster a sense of safe space and privacy while they discuss and process their feelings about their births. We encourage anyone who is interested in attending an in-person ICAN meeting to contact your local chapter about their meeting schedules and topics.
What inspired you personally to get involved with ICAN. Why are you passionate about this organization?
When I was pregnant with my second child, I had an extremely supportive provider who actually offered me the chance to have a VBAC before I even thought to ask. At the time, I did not have a specific desire to have a VBAC, but after doing a bit of research of my own I decided to pursue this option for my second birth.
This time in my life was a time in which my previously held paradigms about birth and women’s bodies shifted, and I felt that it was important to pay it forward for the mothers who do not have support as they navigate the maternal care system post cesarean.
Women tend to have a really hard time in our country when it comes to giving birth, recovering from that birth, and in having a support system as they reintegrate into work and family life. By volunteering with ICAN, I like to believe that I am making a difference, even if it is in small ripples.
What are the three most important things a woman can do to have the birth she desires?
Due to the fact that ICAN consists of women who have had a variety of birth experiences with feelings about those births that are just as varied, we like to focus on helping women to feel empowered during the pre and postnatal period so that they can have as positive an experience as possible regardless of the outcome.
In that spirit, here are three things that can help women to have a more positive birth experience:
1) Know and research your options
As a volunteer with ICAN, I have heard the stories of countless women who expressed that they were not counseled about all of the options available to them post cesarean. Although this information would be provided to all mothers regardless of hospital, geographic location, or preference in an ideal maternal care system, unfortunately the impetus is on the mothers to do their own research on everything pertaining to their birth to be sure that they are receiving the most evidence-based care available.
Many times mothers will ask, “Why does it matter if the options are not available to me in my area?” I have personally found that when mothers know the options available to them beforehand, it can help to alleviate the stress and trauma of finding out after the fact that a second opinion may have led to a different experience (although not always).
Being consciously aware that options exist even if they are not available/feasible for the mother can also help a mother to be more at peace with her care in the long term if she is unable to travel long distances or fight for evidence-based care.
2) Find a truly supportive care team and social support system
One of the most important things women can do to ensure a positive birth experience is to have a provider that they can trust and with whom they feel safe, supported, and most of all respected. No matter how much research and planning that is done for a birth, it can be an uphill battle at a minimum or traumatic at the extreme end of the spectrum if the provider or birth location is not supportive of physiologic birth or your specific birth desires.
Remember that you are a consumer even when giving birth, and you have the right to find a provider who will collaborate with and support you during this time. Social support is also extremely important! If you find that you are unable to find support within your social circles, know that your local ICAN chapter is an excellent resource whether you want to speak your truth or just be around other women who understand.
3) Know that it is your body and your birth!
For a number of reasons, it can be difficult for women to feel full ownership of their bodies and correspondingly, the experiences that they have within their bodies. Having a positive birth experience is also about recognizing that birth is often not a one-size-fits-all process.
Each birth is different, just as each woman is different. That being said, the expectations that each woman has for her birth can be very different as well! Knowing that it is your body and your birth can help you to own the freedom and right to decide what you want your birth to look like, whatever that may be for you personally.
How can women find their own local ICAN chapter?
Women seeking their local ICAN chapter can find our complete listings on our website.
What should they do if there is not an ICAN in their area?
We are passionate about what we do and wish that we could have an ICAN chapter in every area in which mothers need the support that we provide. However, if a mother finds that a chapter is not available in her area, there are a few alternative options available:
Contact your regional coordinator. They can often connect you with resources local to you or point you in the right direction. Your regional coordinator can be found at www.ican-online.org/contact-us/.
Join our online groups. We have a number of groups online for women seeking support virtually. Via Facebook, we have a number of support groups including our main FB page.
Start a local chapter! Sometimes mothers move past the space of needing support to wanting to be a support for someone else, especially if they are in locations that can benefit from having an ICAN chapter. If becoming a volunteer for ICAN speaks to you, we would love to partner with you!
We will be hosting our next conference in Birmingham, Alabama April 8-10th, 2016. Our theme for this year will be Forging Paths to Better Birth, as we work together with the local community to plant the seeds of change for birth women within the state of Alabama. During our conference, we will also be hosting a Mom Prom for mothers who may not be able to attend the conference but are looking for a fun ladies night out. We look forward to seeing you there! More information can be found on our website.
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LaQuitha Glass is a mother of three, a Birth Boot Camp Childbirth Instructor, a birth advocate and the 2015-2016 President of the International Cesarean Awareness Network.
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