News & Updates

Next Membership Meeting

January 16, 2025

10am to 12:30pm

In person: St. Louis, MO

1082 Crosswinds Ct, Wentzville, MO 63385

Hosted by Jessica Henman at Primrose Midwifery

Virtual over Zoom. Join here.

December 2024 President’s Letter

During October’s membership meeting, we successfully amended our consensus process to include the following:

“Consensus shall be considered achieved when 90% of respondents approve a proposal which will be delivered to members electronically. Respondents will have 48 hours to delivery their vote”

The adoption of this proposal will hopefully resolve two key issues challenging our organization today:

  1. Addressing member concerns over the challenges and limitations of full consensus decision-making

  2. Allows for full enfranchisement of members, not just those who are able to attend meetings

In the discussion following the unanimous approval of the 90% consensus rule, we were able to continue to develop our process and understanding of high-quality decision-making. Some members who support the easing of full consensus still had remaining concerns about how that process would unfold, including details about how voting is conducted as well as where the above proposal falls in the currently outlined consensus process. 

To help clarify recent changes and outline additional proposed changes for January’s meeting, I have outlined all of the recent and proposed bylaw changes in a pdf document. Please review it here:

December 2024 Bylaw Change Proposals and Summary

Additional member concerns:

  • Clarifying proposal language - Members requested that proposed changes to bylaws be presented in a clearer way. I have attempted to provide that in the above pdf. I hope I was successful. I know this is all a lot of details, so rest assured we will plan to discuss these topics during membership meetings. You can also ask questions of board members and other midwives directly or on our Google Group or Facebook page. If you need help accessing those, please review the links below.

  • Improved communication regarding meetings - We are all living challenging, fast-paced lives, juggling client care, family management, personal time, and, hopefully, MMA participation. Some members have expressed difficulty accessing MMA related information. Please be sure that your membership is up to date. Lapsed membership may result in your removal from our membership groups. Important updates can be found in the following places:

    • MMA Website -  Our News & Updates page is where I post upcoming meetings details and important announcements. This is the best place to find the most up to date communication from the board.

    • MMA Membership Community - Our members-only Facebook page is a great place to get updates on MMA and other midwifery news as well as ask questions and engage in discussions. This is also where files such as copies of our bylaws and meeting minutes can be found. It is invitation only, which you should have received shortly after your most recent membership renewal. If you did not receive an invitation, cannot find it, or need to request a new one, please email admin@missourimidwives.org 

    • MMA Membership Google Group - Our members-only Google group is an email messaging system. You can post like a chat room or send/receive emails using this site.  It is invitation only, which you should have received shortly after your most recent membership renewal. If you did not receive an invitation, cannot find it, or need to request a new one, please email admin@missourimidwives.org

      Calls for Action

  1. Consider serving on a committee. Contact admin@missourimidwives.org if you’re willing to help! Current openings include:

    1. Peer Review Committee Chairperson - This role is for someone interested in assisting with peer review statewide. If a member requests a private peer review, this chairperson will help arrange it. If members have questions about the peer review process, this chairperson will answer them or help find the answers.

    2. Public Relations Committee Chairperson - This role is for someone interested in social media and community engagement. This chairperson will monitor social media accounts and engage with the broader community on MMA’s behalf.

    3. Legislative Committee Chairperson - This role is for someone interested in the legislative process and it’s impact on midwives and our clients. This chairperson will review proposed legislation regularly throughout the legislative session, engage with legislators and community members on MMA’s behalf, and assist in lobbying efforts when needed.

  2. If you are not currently a member, please renew your membership.

  3. Attend a local peer review.

Thank you!

Katy Miller, CPM

MMA Board President