Resources
Websites
These websites are great resources for additional information on maternal health:
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) is a professional association in the United States for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs). The mission of ACNM is “to support midwives and advance the practice of midwifery in order to achieve optimal health for women through their lifespan, with expertise in well woman and gynecologic care, promoting optimal pregnancy, physiologic birth, postpartum care, and care of the newborn.”
Association of Midwifery Educators
Association of Midwifery Educators (AME) is a non-profit organization, which is committed to strengthening midwifery educators, schools, and administors through connection, collaboration, and coordination. Everyone has the common goal of “providing the best possible midwifery education through multiple pathways to provide a highly-competent midwifery workforce to address the needs of childbearing families.” AME mission is to “support the people, systems, and processes that provide midwifery education to serve the diverse needs of students and communities.”
The Business Of Being Born
The Business Of Being Born is a documentary, which was driven by Ricki Lake’s disappointing birth experience with her first child to find answers. Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America. Dr. Gene Declercq was a technical adviser to this film documentary.
CesareanRates.com
Created by Jill Arnold, blogger and main author of the The Unnecesarean, this site provides a snapshot of publicly available U.S. cesarean rate data. Jill’s website compiles the most current hospital-level data accessible to the public online, whether reported directly by a state’s department of health or gathered from state hospital association web sites.
Childbirth Connection
Childbirth Connection was originally established in 1918 under the name of Maternity Center Association. A nonprofit organization, Childbirth Connection upholds its mission to “improve the quality and value of maternity care through consumer engagement and health system transformation” Its website is a valuable source of reliable evidence-based information for families, health care providers, and other stakeholders interested in “Transforming Maternity Care.”
Choices in Childbirth
Choices in Childbirth is a non-profit organization that promotes safe and healthy childbirth through consumer advocacy and outreach for women and their families. On their website you may find information about choosing a health care provider, identifying pregnancy and childbirth educators and informational materials, building a birth support team, planning the postpartum transition and more.
International Cesarean Awareness Network
International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to improve maternal child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery, and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC).” ICAN works to support women who have had cesareans, women who are trying to prevent an unnecessary cesareans, and women who are pursuing a VBAC.
The International Childbirth Education Association
The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is a “professional organization that supports educators and health care professionals who believe in freedom to make decisions based on knowledge of alternatives in family-centered maternity and newborn care.”
National Association of Certified Professional Midwives
National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM) is membership organization in the United States for Certified Professional Midwives (CPM). NACPM “directs its influence toward improving outcomes for childbearing women and their infants, developing and strengthening the profession, and informing public policy with the values inherent in CPM care.”
Science & Sensibility
This is a “research blog about healthy pregnancy, birth, and beyond” maintained by Lamaze International. Blogs are posted by regular and guest contributors. They generally present “up-to-date, evidence-based research” as well as interviews with birth professionals and researchers who support and promote safe and healthy childbirth.
Webinars
These webinars are great resources for additional information on maternal health:
The CDC presented this Public Health Grand Rounds titled “Meeting the Challenges of Measuring and Preventing Maternal Mortality in the United States,” which is presented by Eleni Tsigas, William Callaghan, Lisa Hollier, and Mary-Ann Etiebet and facilitated by John Iskander, Phoebe Thorpe, and Susan Laird on November 14, 2017. This Grand Rounds session gives you the opportunity to learn about the various efforts to analyze and prevent future deaths. The panelists examine how maternal death effect family and the community.
America’s High Maternal Mortality and What Can be Done
The USC Health Journalism presented this webinar titled “America’s High Maternal Mortality and What Can be Done” featuring a distinguished panel who include Nina Martin, Elliott Main, and our very own Gene Declercq on October 4, 2017. This webinar talks about how the United States maternal mortality rates are the highest among the developing countries and continuing to increase. The goal of the webinar is to help professionals understand the background behind the high U.S. maternal mortality rates and looking specifically at California. California has become a leader of lowering the maternal mortality rate, utilizing the data better, and improving outcomes. Gene Declercq’s presentation is from the start of the webinar until about 16 minutes and 30 seconds. Additionally, the slides Gene Declercq presented in this webinar are available for download in ‘Gene’s Talks’ tab.
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