Mother-Friendly Maternity Care

To even say “mother-friendly” and pregnancy usually prompts people to respond: how could pregnancy not be mother-friendly?

Exactly.

Unfortunately most industrialized cultures today do not put pregnant mothers at the center of their birth experiences often choosing business practices over best practices for care. Yes, there are pockets of superior mother-friendly maternity care in every country, especially among midwives and doulas (labor assistants). BOLD applauds these hospitals and care providers. But there is a long way to go.

BOLD aligns our definition of “mother-friendly maternity care” with the way it is defined by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS).

According to CIMS the philosophical cornerstones of mother-friendly maternity care is as follows:

Normalcy of the Birthing Process

Birth is a normal, natural, and healthy process.
Women and babies have the inherent wisdom necessary for birth.
Babies are aware, sensitive human beings at the time of birth, and should be acknowledged and treated as such.
Breastfeeding provides the optimum nourishment for newborns and infants.
Birth can safely take place in hospitals, birth centers, and homes.
The midwifery model of care, which supports and protects the normal birth process, is the most appropriate for the majority of women during pregnancy and birth.

Empowerment

A woman’s confidence and ability to give birth and to care for her baby are enhanced or diminished by every person who gives her care, and by the environment in which she gives birth.
A mother and baby are distinct yet interdependent during pregnancy, birth, and infancy. Their interconnected–ness is vital and must be respected.
Pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period are milestone events in the continuum of life. These experiences profoundly affect women, babies, fathers, and families, and have important and long-lasting effects on society.

Autonomy

Every woman should have the opportunity to:
Have a healthy and joyous birth experience for herself and her family, regardless of her age or circumstances;
Give birth as she wishes in an environment in which she feels nurtured and secure, and her emotional well-being, privacy, and personal preferences are respected;
Have access to the full range of options for pregnancy, birth, and nurturing her baby, and to accurate information on all available birthing sites, caregivers, and practices;
Receive accurate and up-to-date information about the benefits and risks of all procedures, drugs, and tests suggested for use during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period, with the rights to informed consent and informed refusal;
Receive support for making informed choices about what is best for her and her baby based on her individual values and beliefs.

Do No Harm

Interventions should not be applied routinely during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period. Many standard medical tests, procedures, technologies, and drugs carry risks to both mother and baby, and should be avoided in the absence of specific scientific indications for their use.
If complications arise during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period, medical treatments should be evidence-based.

Responsibility

Each caregiver is responsible for the quality of care she or he provides.
Maternity care practice should be based not on the needs of the caregiver or provider, but solely on the needs of the mother and child.
Each hospital and birth center is responsible for the periodic review and evaluation, according to current scientific evidence, of the effectiveness, risks, and rates of use of its medical procedures for mothers and babies.
Society, through both its government and the public health establishment, is responsible for ensuring access to maternity services for all women, and for monitoring the quality of those services.
Individuals are ultimately responsible for making informed choices about the health care they and their babies receive.

For a more detailed definition of “mother-friendly maternity care” visit the CIMS website.