Frequently Asked Questions

What does BOLD do?

BOLD events create a dialogue around the importance of listening to and honoring pregnant women’s voices during their entire birth process. We inspire and support activists who are working to create a world where pregnant mothers are nurtured and respected, through grassroots activism, public education activities and support services.

How does BOLD do our work?

BOLD supports local activists in producing local benefit performances of Karen Brody’s critically acclaimed play Birth and BOLD Red Tent birth storytelling circles, the proceeds of which are given to local mother-friendly childbirth projects. We encourage communities to spotlight local birth issues and campaigns especially in cases of abuse against pregnant women. Childbirth issues are often forgotten by the mainstream media, portrayed only as a joke or highlighting extremely frightening cases. We encourage activists to highlight real birth stories in their community that have the opportunity to educate people about childbirth rights and options.

What does “BOLD” stand for?

Originally the name BOLD came from “Birth On Labor Day.” In 2006 playwright Karen Brody founded “Birth On Labor Day, “ in response to demand in communities to perform her critically acclaimed play, Birth, and allowed it to be performed royalty-free throughout the world over four days during the American Labor Day weekend to raise money and awareness to make maternity care more mother-friendly. Brody was astounded by the huge response from communities to perform the play that weekend. In 4 days more than forty performances of the play took place raising over $50,000 for organizations working to make maternity care mother-friendly. Today BOLD events – performances and BOLD Red Tents – can be held throughout the year. BOLD no longer stands for “Birth On Labor Day”, but we kept the acronym – it was just too good to give up!

Why does maternity care need our attention now?

Here are the shocking facts: Throughout the world nearly every minute a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth. In industrialized countries like the United States the cesarean section rate is over thirty percent, double the expected norm according to the World Health Organization. Although mother’s voices in childbirth are lightly scattered throughout from the childbirth discourse their voices are often ignored or silenced by the needs of the business of maternity care. BOLD founder and playwright Karen Brody discovered that when you pay attention to mothers and ask mothers in industrialized countries their birth stories the typical story you hear is one of coercion, powerlessness and even trauma. BOLD believes that until these themes are addressed, named and taken up by communities they will continue. To learn more click here.

How can you be BOLD?

Organize a BOLD event! Find the outstanding childbirth champions in your community and honor them and their work at a BOLD event. Raise money to save a mother-friendly birth center or start a needed one. Hold a BOLD event to fund a local hotline for mothers who have experienced birth trauma. Be the change in childbirth that you envision.