Join our Board of Directors!

Would you like to be part of the BirthWorks International team? We have several open board positions, and we welcome your application! To apply for any of the following positions, send a letter of interest, two letters of reference, and a current resume or CV to info@birthworks.org.

Your letter of interest should detail your skills and background, explain why you think you are the one for the job, and state your personal goals for the position. Application materials should demonstrate a working knowledge of the responsibilities required, and a desire to serve BirthWorks. 

Letters of reference should include: One letter and reference attesting to the applicant’s integrity and character, and one letter and reference addressing the applicant's organization and communication skills from someone who has observed the applicant at work in their field.

 

Director of Marketing

Function and Responsibilities

• Further the mission of BirthWorks through marketing opportunities
• Oversee the Marketing Committee
• Coordinate print, web and other marketing opportunities within the budget set by the Treasurer, with Board approval
• Responsible for setting up speaking engagements for herself and various Board members at national conferences in order to promote BirthWorks mission
• Responsible for setting up tables and/or print ads at national conferences. Will oversee staffing of tables with local Birth Works members.
• Coordination of media packet and necessary follow up
• Responsible for sending out press releases several times annually to promote various workshops, programs, conferences and position statements for BirthWorks
• Submit articles or information for BirthWorks publications as needed
• Participates in monthly Board of Directors Conference Calls

Skills/Experience Required

• Certified childbirth educator or doula with BirthWorks preferred but not required
• Good written and oral skills
• Excellent computer skills with internet access
• Ability to travel to annual Board of Directors meetings
• Participate in monthly BirthWorks conference calls
• Willingness to travel in local area for speaking engagements or as an exhibitor for BirthWorks.
• Previous experience in marketing and public relations

Eligibility Requirements

• Member of BirthWorks in good standing
• Unlimited computer and internet access
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well with a team

 

Director of Doula Program

Function and Responsibilities

• Responsible for coordinating and overseeing the Doula Program for BirthWorks.
• Oversee Doula Trainee Review Committee
• Coordinate with Board of Directors in developing new ideas for program development
• Make recommendations to the Board regarding changes in the Doula Program
• Submit articles or information for BirthWorks publications as needed
• Develop materials for the Doula Program
• Revise and update existing materials as needed
• Work with Workshop Coordinator to increase the number of BirthWorks Doula Workshops being held nationwide and overseas.
• Be on the Trainee Review Committee as a reviewer of doula students
• Participate in monthly Board of Directors Conference Call

Skills/Experience Required

• No unresolved grievances
• Be a Certified Doula with BirthWorks International
• Good written and oral skills
• Excellent computer skills
• Ability to travel to bi-annual Board of Directors meetings

Eligibility Requirements

• Member of BirthWorks in good standing
• Be a good team member of the Leadership Team
• Have unlimited access to computer and internet

 

Public Events Coordinator

Function and Responsibilities

• Works on a national scale to organize public events, national conferences and local birthing seminars.
• Furthers the mission of BirthWorks to provide opportunities to educate the public about safe birthing practices.
• Provides strategies and locations for BirthWorks public events and conferences
• Is part of a Leadership Team, working with the Board of Directors
• Coordinates print, web and other marketing opportunities within the budget set by the Treasurer, with Board approval
• Responsible for organizing the setting up of exhibit tables and/or print ads at national conferences and oversee staffing of tables with local BirthWorks members.
• Is part of a Leadership Team, working with the BirthWorks Board of Directors
• Opportunity includes meeting the changemakers in childbirth from the USA and overseas.
• Participates in monthly Board of Director Conference Calls
• Be willing to travel to BirthWorks public events and annual Board of Director meetings

Qualifications

• Member of BirthWorks in good standing
• No unresolved grievances
• Good written and oral skills
• Excellent computer skills with internet access
• Ability to travel to annual Board of Directors meetings
• Previous experience in organizing public events
• Excellent interpersonal skills and good Leadership Team member

 

Director of Public Relations

Function and Responsibilities

• To further the mission and vision of BirthWorks through public relations
• Develop strategies and use all means of social media to publicize the name and message of BirthWorks i.e. press releases, Facebook, Twitter
• Develop campaigns and slogans that help brand BirthWorks nationwide.
• Works with the chair of the Ambassador Committee to determine ways in which Ambassadors can help spread the name of BirthWorks..
• Develop materials needed to increase exposure of BirthWorks to other organizations and individuals working within the budget set by the Treasurer with Board approval
• Set up and promote speaking engagements for Board Members at conferences.
• Works with the Public Events Coordinator to set up exhibit tables and/or print ads at national conferences Oversee staffing of tables with local BirthWorks members.
• Works with the Director of Marketing to seek ways in which to further public relations with other birthing organizations.
• Update and promote media packet with necessary follow up making sure BirthWorks International is included in national and international publications (books, magazines)
• Is a contributor to the BirthWorks newsletter and works closely with the editor.
• Send press releases several times annually to promote various workshops, programs, conferences and position statements for Birth Works
• Submit articles or information for BirthWorks publications as needed
• Ability to travel to annual BWI Board of Director meetings
• Participate in monthly Board of Directors Conference Calls

Skills/Experience Required

• No unresolved grievances
• Good written and oral skills
• Excellent computer skills with internet access
• Ability to travel to annual Board of Directors meetings
• Willingness to travel in local area for speaking engagements as a representative of BirthWorks . Option to travel nationally, if desired.
• Previous experience in marketing and public relations

Eligibility Requirements

• Member of BirthWorks in good standing
• Unlimited access to computer and internet
• Excellent inter-personal skills and a good team member of the Leadership Team

 

Director of Publications

Function and Responsibility

• Responsible for the organizing and publication of BirthWorks quarterly newsletter and BirthWorks E-News
• Oversee the Publications committee, consisting of Editor of the Journal, Editor of the E-News and various writers
• Responsible for securing advertising for each publication
• Responsible for working with the responsible parties to oversee publications that Birth Works has in print.
• Submit articles or information for BirthWorks publications as needed
• Participate monthly Board of Director conference calls

Skills/ Experience Required

• No unresolved grievances
• Certified CCE or Doula with BirthWorks
• Good written and oral skills
• Excellent computer skills
• Ability to travel to bi-annual Board of Directors meetings
• Willingness to travel in local area for speaking engagements as a representative of BirthWorks . Option to travel nationally, if desired.
• Prior experience in editing and publishing is desired

Eligibility Requirements

• Member of BirthWorks in good standing
• Unlimited computer and internet access
• Excellent interpersonal skills and good team member

Book Review: New Mother by Allie Chee

Reviewed by Jane Beal, PhD, CD(DONA), CCE(BWI) & CLS

Allie Chee, author of New Mother: Using a Doula, Midwife, Postpartum Doula, Maid, Cook or Nanny to Support Healing, Bonding and Growth (Hestia Books & Media, 2012), is clearly an extraordinary person. She gave birth to her first baby at the age of 42 at home in the care of a midwife, but only after traveling to 50 different countries around the world, co-founding a leading financial industry publication, and owning her own cleaning business. So, as she says, “in the spirit of community” she offers what she has learned to her readers to help them “realize their dream of motherhood” (p. 20).

Allie Chee clearly values the opportunity for mothers to stay at home and raise their own children. She is in favor of families having servants to help make this happen well. As the daughter of a single mom who worked as a cleaning woman in Texas and as a woman who cleaned plenty herself—and then went on to own a cleaning business—she places a high value on service. Service is undervalued in our culture, but not in Chee’s family. In Chee’s view, service is particularly valuable to pregnant, birthing, and postpartum mothers. She has a good point.

Relying primarily on her personal experience, she talks in detail about the services she received from her OB-GYNs (only one of whom she kept as a back-up), two midwives (one of whom she fired), three doulas (all affiliated with her chosen midwife who were apparently in the role of apprentices), her two postpartum doulas (one of whom she detested), and a woman she hired who is, as she says, “a lot nanny, a little bit cook, and a tiny bit maid” (p. 125). She explains the qualifications she believes people in each of these roles should have and how she went about hiring them, giving the specific questions she asked in interviews and explaining the importance of contacting references. She emphasizes the importance of feeling that special “click” with people who are going to serve you.

Interwoven throughout her chapters is Chee’s interest in traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic healing, and vegan meal preparation. She highlights the Chinese practice of the “sitting moon,” a 30-40 day period after birth in which the mother keeps to her bed with her baby as part of her healing process. Americans typically go on the “honeymoon” when they marry, and many have heard of the “baby moon” (a honeymoon-like getaway for the married couple during the second trimester of pregnancy), but incorporating the “sitting moon” into family life could bring truly great benefits. Chee particularly endorses the book, Sitting Moon: A Guide to Natural Rejuvenation after Pregnancy by Dr. Daoshing Ni and Jessica Chen.

As Chee accurately observes, far too many mothers strain themselves physically and emotionally in the postpartum period, primarily by returning to work before they are fully recovered from childbirth. This is better avoided—and can be, according to Chee, with proper support from others. In a day and age when family members can rarely take time off work to be with a new mother and baby, servants, in Chee’s view, are the key.

While New Mother is a useful book, it may not resonate with everyone. Allie Chee’s heart is clearly sympathetic to single moms, but her primary advice about how to achieve staying home with your baby after childbirth with servants to help you is not something most new parents can consider. She does not offer specific advice on how to afford this goal (though she does promise to do so in her next book, New Family). In Chee’s case, it appears that her own past financial success combined with her husband’s willingness to be the primary breadwinner during their only child’s infancy has made this affordable for her.

Chee is clearly in favor of natural birth, but her view of attachment parenting is unclear. She mentions babywearing (with a story of how her postpartum doula recommended a wrap that did not work for her) alongside car seats. She does not endorse safe co-sleeping and on-demand breastfeeding (though she does mention these as options). So families planning to practice attachment parenting may wish to read Dr. Sears’ The Attachment Parenting Book.

Finally, Chee does not cite or list other useful resources new mothers may want to consult, including books on natural childbirth like Pam England’s Birthing from Within, Barbara Harper’s Gentle Birth Choices, and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth (though she does mention Ina May herself). Penny Simkin’s The Birth Partner, Klaus and Kennell’s The Doula Book and Rachel Gurevich’s The Doula Advantage will give mothers a much clearer idea of what most doulas actually do. Families might want to research doula organizations like ALACE/ TOLABOR, BirthWorks International, CAPPA, DONA International, and ICEA, too (Chee only mentions DONA in a footnote) or investigate the main differences in training provided to OB-GYNs, MDs, DOs (not mentioned), CNMs, CPMs, lay midwives, and traditional birth attendants. The book has very-little-to-no discussion of the importance of childbirth education, placental encapsulation (a traditional Chinese medicine technique!) or lactation counseling and consultation. The role of the father is relegated to a few brief mentions.

That said, Chee’s book is easy to read and relate to overall. It explains why family servants are needed and what their roles can be. In the end, it achieves its goal of presenting the role of service to the family by doulas, midwives, postpartum doulas, maids, cooks and nannies as a highly desirable and potentially wide-spread norm for Americans in the future.