ICAN is excited to announce Helen Scott as our newest Chapter Leader!
“I’m most excited about the wealth of information that I’ve learned, sharing that information with confidence to those who seek it, and making changes in Central Florida to improve birth outcomes.” ~ Helen Scott, ICAN of Central Florida
Please introduce yourself to ICAN:
I have always been passionate about human rights and wanted to be an advocate for those whose voices are usually ignored. I was preparing for a career in civil rights law when I became pregnant with my first baby, and those plans were put on hold. My spouse and I now have 4 children who have all had very different births. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to stay home with my children and homeschool my oldest. I’m also feeling grateful for the opportunity to begin the most important work of advocacy with ICAN.
What led you to join ICAN?
A friend told me about ICAN after my first child was born via cesarean in 2008. I avoided going and had a VBAC without much support with my second child. I decided to attend an ICAN meeting when I became pregnant with my third child to seek resources and better support.
How do you share ICAN as an organization with others?
I wish people knew that ICAN is not a “VBAC club”, that we are made up of people with diverse stories and wishes for birth, and that our goal at ICAN is to empower parents to have the kind of birth they want, no matter how that looks. My strongest belief about cesarean/VBAC awareness is that there are pros and cons to cesarean and VBAC, and parents need to know what all of them are as part of their rights as patients. We tend to be told facts that are convenient to our provider, and many important things are obscured from our view. Those facts that we don’t know can improve our own outcomes and potentially save lives.
Where will you be serving families through ICAN?
Our chapter is located in the Southeast region of the United States and serves the Central Florida area including Orange, Lake, Seminole, and Volusia Counties. The best thing about the birth climate in my area is how it seems to be changing. Hospitals are updating policies to be more patient-centered, like lifting VBAC bans, and there are more midwives (LMs) than ever, which means more options for care. If I could, I would change patients’ and providers’ attitudes about birth. Specifically, I want birth to be treated as a life event and a normal process rather than an illness or something to fear.
Please share your upcoming Chapter meeting:
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, November 7th at 7 pm at Infusion Tea, 1600 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804.
Congratulations, Helen!
