Our Blog - Phoenix Arizona Homebirth Midwife Freedom and the Seed Midwifery

So much gratitude!

November 25, 2015 by Freedom and the Seed

This year I have SO much to be grateful for!

LOVE is number one. I have so much love in my life I can hardly believe my luck. Family, Friends, Mamas, Papas, Babies, Midwives and the list grows… Especially with all the events of the last year, the outpouring of LOVE was mind-blowing!

May love surround you and hold you and sustain you!

Health. The older I get the more grateful I am for the body I was given. I am exceedingly grateful for the healers surrounding me. Each one has effected my life is huge ways. I desire to be a whole person – body, heart and spirit.

May your health grow stronger everyday!

Midwifery. My passion. My profession. I love what I do everyday for every family. It is a joy and a privilege to bear witness of each life crossing the veil. It is a privilege to witness women and men transformed to mothers and fathers. It is a privilege to be let in to the intimate spaces of so many lives.

May you find your passion and privilege!

Challenges. I am eternally grateful for the challenges in my life because that is when growth will occur. AzDHS, my biggest challenge, I am grateful for you.

May you see your challenges as your biggest blessing!

Possibilities. The future is so bright. I sit and wonder everyday what is next? what is possible? Life is full and rich and exciting!

May all your possibilities be at the forefront of your mind, exciting your very being!

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!!

Winter Solstice – Remember the Light. Remember the Dark.

November 24, 2015 by Freedom and the Seed

Winter Solstice ~ Dec 22

The changing of the seasons. The recognition of death and life. Light and dark. New and old.

For me, the solstice starts starts my time of reflection in ending of a year, a completion of seasons. What has happened over the past year and laying it to rest, preparing myself for the coming of the new year.

There are so many traditions and celebrations you and your family could enjoy through the Solstice. I have created a short list here along with some great websites to spring board your new traditions…

Share a meal with friends – Solstice recipes
Be outside – make a wreath with evergreens collected by loved ones on a walk through the woods. Evergreens, it’s said, symbolize the continuity of life, protection, and prosperity.
Light candles – build a circle of candlelight, one for each participant, and then blow them out and sit together in the darkness for a few moments offering gratitude before lighting one central, larger candle to symbolize your unity over the coming year.
Watch the sunrise and sunset – ring a collection of bells at sunrise and sunset
Throw “the longest night of the year party” – how to plan, food, more food, more ideas

mother earth living patheos circle sanctuary

Join us at the FATS office for Winter solstice celebrations!

Tuesday December 1, 12-2pm @ the Gilbert location 323 S Gilbert Rd #209 Gilbert AZ

Friday December4, 10-12pm @ the Phoenix location 115 W McDowell #4B Phoenix AZ

Mama Circle Flyer 3

Mama Circle Flyer 2

And the AzDHS beat goes on…

November 16, 2015 by Freedom and the Seed

The out pouring of love and support over the last week has been humbling to say the least! Thank you to all who called, texted, face booked, drew pictures, wrote poems. I felt protected and loved. I never once felt alone.

The update you all have been waiting for…

The case is not closed, so I can not say much. Sorry for the disappointment. I wish I could tell you every beautiful, amazing, difficult, painful, victorious moment but we had to continue for another day due to the length of the witness list and the testimonies given.

What I will say is my lawyer is F*cking awesome!!! Julie is a true barer of justice and fairness. She is eloquent and wise. She is posed and polished. I can not sing her praises enough. She has given and given and given to our cause. Not just to me and other midwives individually but to our very movement. COUNTLESS HOURS! Any other lawyer would have charged us literally $10’s of thousands of dollars. Julie discounts and pro-bonos whenever and however she can. But she still needs paid. There are still court costs. There are still filing fees and transcriptions and court reporters and and and…. It is unbelievable how much it cost to fight for justice. The Dept of Health is using your tax dollars to pay for their lawyers to fight against your midwives. It churns my stomach to think about it. And your midwives, who make pennies have to start campaigns and beg for pro bono work to have defense. THE INJUSTICE!!!

I say all this because going to another day means more money. I am asking for your help now. We have 2 fundraisers going on that you can give through or you can give directly to me or my lawyer. Here are the two online ways… Gofundme Crowdrise

My promise to you is to keep you posted. I promise to let you know when the continuing trial is set for.

Thank you again for all the love! ~ Wendi

Today’s Court Battle

November 13, 2015 by Freedom and the Seed

I go to court today to fight for each and every woman, mother, family. Hands tied

I go to court today to say women have the right to bodily autonomy.

I go to court today to fight for mother’s rights to make sound decisions for their body and their baby.

I go to court today to stand up the AZDHS and their stance that woman can not decline certain tests.

I go to court today to say I will not force or coerce my clients into taking tests and receiving treatments THEY DO NOT NEED OR WANT!

I go to court today so women can say no when they mean no.

I go to court today to say I will not abandon my healthy client.

I go to court today to demand continuity of care be the standard of care.
I go to court today for you.

I go to court today for me.

I go to court today for every midwife in this state.

Enough is enough.

Do no harm but take no shit.

Stand with me, and with our collective energy, we can make a powerful change!

And the Battle still continues with AZDHS…

November 11, 2015 by Freedom and the Seed

I am sure you have heard a lot of buzz around the Arizona Association of Midwives filing a lawsuit against the AZ Dept of Health Services. If you haven’t, read my last post to catch up!

Did you know that individual midwives continue their own private battle in the court room? In the last several months we have seen 3 midwives in court fighting to keep their licenses to practice midwifery.

This Friday Nov. 13th I go to court AGAIN to fight to keep mine. The reason: I did not abandon care and leave my client without a care provider.

It has been almost a year to the date of the last time I was in court defending my license. If you have not read about that crazy case please go back to my post Battle with AZDHS. We are seriously talking crazy pants here.

If you read the first go round then you can almost press repeat in the scenario that will unfold again this Friday.

Not only is this a waste of everyone’s time and resources, this is a waste of YOUR TAX MONEY!!! You should be outraged!

The last time in court, about a month ago, there were 3-4 attorney from the Attorney General’s office present. ALL of them paid by for your tax dollars. All to help defend the dept stance on mandatory testing. 4 lawyers for 4 hours, plus the 3-4 people present from DHS. That’s a lot of money spent to defend the departments stance on not allowing patient autonomy.

I wonder how many will show up to my case??? I will keep you posted…