There’s a big problem with American maternity care when one in three babies is born by surgery, 9 out of 10 women do not receive care based on best medical evidence, and a woman’s chance of dying in childbirth is higher here than in 48 other developed countries. ~
This movement isn’t about natural birth vs. It’s not about hospital birth vs. homebirth or birth center birth. It’s about women being
capable of making safer, more informed decisions about their care and that of their babies, when they are given full and accurate information about their care options, including the potential harms, benefits, and alternatives. It’s about respect for women and their decisions in childbirth, including how, where, and with whom they give birth; and the right to be treated with dignity and compassion. Who We Are:
Our mission is to bring evidence-based care and humanity to childbirth--starting with the consumer. Evidence-based care is based on the highest quality, most current medical evidence, tailored to the individual. We believe that women can make safer, more informed decisions about their care and that of their babies when they are given full and accurate information about their care options, including the potential harms, benefits, and alternatives. Humanity in childbirth means respect of the birthing woman, of her autonomy, and of her fundamental right to make decisions about her body and her baby. We believe that childbearing women, like all human beings, should be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. More about Who We Are: http://www.improvingbirth.org/who-we-are/
What We Do:
Right now, we're raising awareness about the crisis in American maternity care by going straight to the consumer to educate, inform, and provide opportunities for advocacy. Nearly 10,000 women, families, and birth professionals in over 100 cities in 46 states came out for our 2012 Labor Day rallies, raising awareness about the need for better, more respectful, evidence-based maternity care. In 2013, we expect to double those numbers, and we will go global with our cause. We also hand-delivered information about evidence-based care to over 2,000 doctors, nurses, and midwives in November 2012. We are working on educational programs for high-school and college-age young women and providers-to-be, a legal advocacy program for mothers, and a national platform to establish the fundamental human right of women to choose how and where they give birth. More about What We Do: http://www.improvingbirth.org/what-we-do/
