ICAN is excited to announce Lety Knight as our newest Chapter Leader!
“Decisions about cesareans or VBAC should never be forced through coercion, fear tactics, and especially false or limited information.” ~ Lety Knight, ICAN of El Paso
Please introduce yourself to ICAN:
I am a mother of 3 rambunctious children with our 4th (and a rainbow baby) on the way. I became passionate about birth after the birth of my daughter in 2010 and began self-educating about the different aspects of birth. After the birth of my 3rd baby in 2013, I began working with a local WIC office as a breastfeeding peer counselor. It was in working with the women I met at WIC that I learned just how real and devastating our birth culture of high cesarean rates and little to no VBAC options is in our area.
My first hospital birth (and 4th birth) came after 3 amazing birth center births and was a complete 180 of the births I had experienced. It was a difficult birth for me to recover from emotionally and it was with that birth that I learned that while home births and birth center births are beautiful and lovely, hospital birthing families really needed my support most. As a childbirth educator, I knew the community was being misinformed and needed a reliable, evidence-based resource to help them make INFORMED decisions for themselves and their babies.
What led you to join ICAN?
Through my research for my childbirth educator certification and the former El Paso ICAN chapter called Paso Del Norte ICAN, I knew becoming a member of ICAN was the best way to help bridge the gap for El Paso families. It is no small feat to run and develop an ICAN chapter for our region but I believe I have the passion and tenacity to get the job done.
How do you share ICAN as an organization with others?
I wish more people were simply aware that ICAN exists. Far too often I encounter women that have never heard of the organization and I hear “If I’d only known about ICAN before I had my baby.” I believe in everyone’s right to choose how they will give birth. I also believe that education about birth options should be easily accessible so that the birthing family can make the best-informed decision for their family.
Where will you be serving women through ICAN?
West Texas: El Paso and surrounding border cities (Santa Teresa, NM; Canutillo, TX; Chaparral, NM; Anthony, NM; Sunland Park, NM; Socorro, TX; Fabens, TX; San Elizario, TX, and more). We have a wonderful community of supportive birth workers and mothers who are eager to bring as many resources to our community.
I would like to change the community belief that educating the “patient”/mother is a responsibility that rests solely in the hands of the care provider. I think much of what attributes to our outcomes is the lack of education outside of the exam room. It is very common and culturally accepted to take a doctors advice for the gospel, so to speak. I would love for the birthing people of our community to gain confidence through accessible information to make informed decisions.
Please share your upcoming Chapter meeting:
Our next meeting will be Monday, October 9th, at 5:30 p.m. at 1312 East Rio Grande Avenue, El Paso, Texas.
Congratulations, Lety!
