July 23, 2013 – Four midwives hosted a congressional briefing urging the United States to take the lead in supporting midwifery both globally and at home. Presenters were: Stembile Mugore – senior advisor for IntraHealth International, Sheena Currie – senior maternal health adviser forJHpiego, Theresa Shaver – president of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, and Suzanne Stalls – vice president of global outreach for the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Read more…
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Webinar: A Home Birth Primer for MCH Programs
July 11, 2013 – In light of the recent attention on safe birthing practices and the newly released AAP policy statement on Planned Home Births, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs(AMCHP) hosted a national webinar, ” A Home Birth Primer for MCH Programs,” on Thursday, July 11, 2013. The webinar was moderated by Valerie Ricker, RN, MSN, MS, Title V Director for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Presenters were the following Home Birth Consensus Summit delegates: Marian MacDorman, PhD, National Center for Health Statistics; Bill Barth, MD, Mass General Hospital/Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, and Past Chair, Committee on Obstetric Practice, ACOG; Kristi Watterberg, MD, University of New Mexico and Chair, Committee on Fetus and Newborn, AAP; and Geradine Simkins, RN, DEM, CNM, MSN, Executive Director, Midwives Alliance of North America.Presentation slides and a complete recording are available on the AMCHP web site.
Listening to Mothers III Released
June 12, 2013 – Childbirth Connection has released the third of a series of national surveys that explore women’s experiences from before pregnancy through the months after birth. Listening to Mothers III Pregnancy and Birth released in May, and New Mothers Speak out released in June. HBCS delegates Eugene Declercq and Carol Sakala were 2 of the 5 co-authors of these studies. Reports can be viewed on the Childbirth Connection web site.
Every Mother Counts Awards Funds to Reduce Maternal Mortality
May 10, 2013 – The Every Mother Counts campaign has awarded The Birth Place birthing center and midwifery practice $63,000 in grant funds to provide prenatal care and education to low-income women in central Florida. Jennie Joseph, Executive Director of the Birth Place, was a delegate at the 2011 Summit and is a member of the HBCS Health Disparities and Equity action group. Read more: EMC Awards…
US Midwifery Organizations Meet to Find Common Ground
April 22, 2013 – An historic joint meeting of seven organizations directly responsible for education, regulation and professional associations for the three U.S. midwifery credentials — CPM, CNM and CM — was held April 19-21, 2013. Named the United States Midwifery Education, Regulation and Association (US MERA) Work Group, the objectives were to: 1) strengthen the foundation for organizations responsible for midwifery education, regulation and associations to work collaboratively to advance the midwifery profession in the U.S., and 2) grow together as leaders creating the future of midwifery in the U.S. Member organizations include: American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), Accreditation Council for Midwifery Education (ACME), American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB), Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), and National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM.) Many HBCS delegates were present at this meeting. Link to the Joint Statment
National Birth Study Results Published
January 30, 2013 – The American Association of Birth Centers conducted a study over 3 years (2007-2010) with 79 midwifery-led birth centers in 33 states participating. Findings were positive for the safety of birth center care and potential cost savings for maternity care. View the full results of The National Birth Center Study II, visit the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health web site: www.jmwh.org.
Midwives Make the Case for Normal Birth
June 05, 2012 – The United States’ three midwifery organizations—American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), and National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)—have released a historic consensus statement. Supporting Healthy and Normal Physiologic Childbirth: A Consensus Statement by ACNM, MANA, and NACPM gives maternity care providers, policymakers, and women a succinct summary of the evidence for the benefits of normal physiologic childbirth. See the statement in full: ACNM, MANA, and NACPM.