 Art by
Mara Berendt Friedman
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Resources .jpg)
Sections
- Birth Activism
- Midwifery
- Doulas
- Alternative Childbirth Preparation
- Waterbirth
- Homebirth
- Birth Centers
- Cesarean Awareness
- Postpartum Issues
- General Pregnancy/Birth Information
- Breastfeeding
- Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
- Circumcision
- Health Organizations/Databases
- Alternative Health (acupuncture, massage, bodywork, herbalism, etc.)
- Midwifery/Doula/Birth Blogs
Birth Activism
- Childbirth Connection
A non-profit organization promoting maternal-child health in the U.S. since 1918. Great website for pregnant women and for their healthcare providers. The content of the site focuses on evidence-based care and autonomy in decision-making for mothers. Includes important information on the rights of childbearing women, informed consent, etc.
- International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc. (ICAN)
ICAN is a non-profit organization founded in 1982. Its mission is to improve maternal-child health by decreasing unnecessary cesarean sections through education, providing resources for cesarean recovery and promoting VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean).
- Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS)
A collaborative effort of individuals and organizations with a goal of promoting a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes while reducing costs.
- The Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA)
MANA's goal is to unify and strengthen the profession of midwifery, thereby improving the quality of health care for women, babies, and communities. MANA also welcomes student and midwifery advocate members.
- Citizens for Midwifery
A national consumer-based group which promotes the midwifery model of care. This group is particularly interested in lobbying for increased consumer access to midwifery care by certified professional midwives (CPMs).
- Henci Goer.com
An award-winning medical writer and international speaker, Henci is an authority on evidence-based maternity care. Her book: The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth is a must-read for pregnant women.
- Ina May.com
America’s most beloved midwife, known internationally as an authority on non-interventive birth. Author, activist and innovator. One of the most influential voices in the alternative birth movement. Her book: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth is a must-read.
- Marsden Wagner.com
Dr. Wagner, a perinatologist, was the director of Maternal-Child Health at the World Health Organization for fifteen years. He is an internationally renowned author and speaker on maternal-child health and midwifery. He is an outspoken critic of the mainstream medical model of care for healthy pregnant women. His book: Born in the USA is an eye-opening must-read.
- Robbie Davis Floyd
Robbie Davis-Floyd, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow in Anthropology at the University of Texas, Austin. As a cultural anthropologist, she has spent over 20 years researching issues in the anthropology of reproduction, focusing most closely on childbirth, obstetrics, and midwifery. Her book Birth: Am American Rite of Passage is a classic.
- Michel O’Dent
Dr. O’Dent is the French obstetrician who pioneered birthing tubs and waterbirth. He is an outspoken advocate for physiological rather than medical management of birth. He is the founder of the Primal Health Research Center in London and has published many papers on birth physiology. He has authored several important books. His website Birth Works has information about his research and many publications.
- Sheila Kitzinger
Birth activist, social anthropologist, author. Sheila Kitzinger has been speaking out about birth practices and culture for decades. Author of a new book Birth Crisis (see Alternative Bookstore).
- Consortium for the Evidence-Based Practice of Obstetrics (CEO).
The goal of this organization is to promote public-debate on national maternity care policy. Read the CEO white paper by midwife Faith Gibson on Alternative Birth’s articles page.
- VBAC.com
This website provides childbearing women and maternity care professionals access to research-based information, resources, continuing education and support for VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean).
- Take Birth Back
Take Birth Back is an annual Labor Day Weekend Effort to raise awareness
of birth issues and encourage women to find the facts and exercise their rights to make the decisions about their own births.
- Birthing the Future
Birth activist Suzanne Arms has been critiquing the medical model of birth and promoting gentle birth practices for decades. Great website with information on the primal period of child development and Suzanne's current projects.
Midwifery
- The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)
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With roots dating to 1929, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) is the oldest women's health care organization in the U.S. ACNM provides research, administers and promotes continuing education programs, establishes clinical practice standards, creates liaisons with state and federal agencies and members of Congress.
- The Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA)
MANA's goal is to unify and strengthen the profession of midwifery, thereby improving the quality of health care for women, babies, and communities. MANA also welcomes student and midwifery advocate members.
- Midwifery Today
Excellent periodical featuring articles on midwifery, birth issues and activism. Midwifery Today also maintains a great, content-rich website.
- Citizens for Midwifery
A national consumer-based group which promotes the midwifery model of care. This group is particularly interested in lobbying for increased consumer access to midwifery care by certified professional midwives (CPMs) who attend births in homes and out-of-hospital birth centers.
- The Farm
From their website: “For over 35 years, The Farm Midwifery Center has provided a very special service for mothers, babies and their families. Women are treated with love and respect, empowering them to fulfill their desire for natural childbirth in a sane and safe home setting. The holistic approach provided by The Farm Midwives addresses not only physical but also emotional, spiritual, sexual and cultural aspects of each individual. We believe that childbearing is a significant event for every family and that every mother has the right to a safe and satisfying experience.”
- Homestyle Midwifery A truly innovative program developed by a California CNM which provides gentle "homestyle" pregnancy and birth care to couples who will deliver in the local hospital. The program is unique in that the Homestyle CNMS offer home visits in the antenatal and postpartum periods and have transformed the hospital labor rooms into home-like atmospheres. This program provides a great model for those interested in family-centered care and reform of the mainstream model.
Doulas
- DONA International
DONA is an international, non-profit organization of doulas that strives to have every doula trained / educated to provide the highest quality / standards for birth and/or postpartum support to birthing women and their families. To that end, they promote continuing education for doulas and provide a strong communication link among doulas and between doulas, families and the medical birthing community.
- Association of Childbirth Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE)
ALACE is a non-profit doula professional organization. They issue a quarterly publication “Special Delivery”
- Doula World
- Doula Network
Alternative Childbirth Preparation
- Birthing From Within
From the website: “Childbirth is a profound rite of passage, not a medical event (even when medical care is part of the birth). The essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery, not assimilating obstetric information.” Definitely alternative… innovative, empowering childbirth preparation.
- The Bradley Method
A natural childbirth method stressing husband/partner participation.
- Lamaze International
From their website: “The mission of Lamaze International is to promote, support and protect normal birth through education and advocacy. We envision for the future a world of confident women choosing normal birth. Lamaze International believes that women who are fully informed, confident and supported will want normal birth. Lamaze International believes that caregivers should respect the birth process and not intervene without compelling medical indication.” A content-rich site. Excellent articles.
- International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA)
ICEA is an organization which promotes freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in family-centered maternity and newborn care. ICEA offers a variety of learning opportunities for members, to enhance their personal development and the programs they provide for expectant parents and new families.
Waterbirth
- Birth Balance
Judith Halek maintains a beautiful, content-rich website on waterbirth.
- Global Maternal Child Health Association (Waterbirth International)
Waterbirth International is one of the projects of the broader organization, Global Maternal/Child Health Association, which is a 501(c)3 umbrella organization. Global Maternal works with other NGOs, nonprofits and projects around the world to promote gentle birth practices. Author Barbara Harper is the founder of this project. See her book in the Alternative bookstore.
Homebirth
- Joyous Birth Advertised as the world’s only forum devoted solely to home birth, this Australian site has forums on many topics, birth stories, photos and recent news on the homebirth front down-under.
- Mothering Magazine Comprehensive site with articles and forums on homebirth, midwifery, breastfeeding, cosleeping, all aspects of natural family living.
- Birth without Boundaries A site with resources and links for homebirth and birth activism in the U.S and around the world.
Birth Centers
- American Association of Birth Centers
From their website: The American Association of Birth Centers is a non-profit membership organization founded by the Maternity Center Association under a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation of New York. For over 20 years, the American Association of Birth Centers has been the nation's most comprehensive resource on birth centers.
Cesarean Awareness
- International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc. (ICAN)
ICAN is a non-profit organization founded in 1982. Its mission is to improve maternal-child health by decreasing unnecessary cesarean sections through education, providing resources for cesarean recovery and promoting VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean).
Postpartum issues
- Postpartum Support International
Postpartum Support International (PSI) was founded in 1987 by Jane Honikman and currently headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA. The purpose of the organization is to increase awareness among public and professional communities about the emotional changes that women experience during pregnancy and postpartum.
- The Shape of a Mother.com
Awesome site. Normalizes body changes associated with pregnancy and birth.
General Pregnancy/Birth Information
- Spinning Babies
Site which focuses on exercises/maneuvers for optimal fetal positioning, information on encouraging breech and OP babies to turn.
- Bellybelly
This is an Australian site with informative articles on pregnancy and birth.
Breastfeeding
- International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA)
The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) is the professional association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and other health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families.
- La Leche League International
La Leche League was founded to give information and encouragement, mainly through personal help, to all mothers who want to breastfeed their babies. While complementing the care of the physician and other health care professionals, it recognizes the unique importance of one mother helping another to perceive the needs of her child and to learn the best means of fulfilling those needs.
- Breastfeeding.com
Promotes breastfeeding, informative articles.
- Lactivist
A good website by a lactation activist!
- Breastfeeding Café
The Breastfeeding Café has information for parents, health care providers, the media, and anyone interested in knowing more about breastfeeding and the nursing relationship. Highlights include articles and other sources of information on breastfeeding and "mother and baby friendly" maternity care.
Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
- UNICEF
Unicef overview: Hospitals and maternity units set a powerful example for new mothers. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative ( BFHI ), launched in 1991, is an effort by UNICEF and the World Health Organization to ensure that all maternities, whether free standing or in a hospital, become centers of breastfeeding support
- US Baby Friendly Hospitals
Baby-Friendly USA envisions an American culture
that values the enduring benefits of breastfeeding and human milk
for mothers, babies, and society.
Circumcision
Health Organizations /Databases
Alternative Health (acupuncture, massage, bodywork, herbalism, etc.)
Midwifery/Doula/Birth Blogs
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