Birth Advocacy Resources
Education is a powerful tool when creating your birth plan. It’s important to have all the information available so you can make informed decisions about your maternity care.
Here are some resources to use if you are seeking support or information when making a birth plan:
Improving Birth
What they do: Promote evidence-based care and humanity in childbirth. Improving Birth provides information on your rights and can assist in filing complaints about mistreatment and trauma from a childbirth experience.
Contact: https://improvingbirth.org/
https://www.facebook.com/ImprovingBirth
Birth Monopoly
What they do: Advocate for better treatment of women in childbirth. The Birth Monopoly website provides tools and information regarding your rights in childbirth and encourages women to be active participants in their care.
Contact: http://birthmonopoly.com/
ICAN
What they do: The International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc. 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).
Contact: http://www.ican-online.org/
1-800-686-ICAN (4226)
Evidence-Based Birth
What they do: Make birth research simple and accessible for parents. The website provides evidence about options during childbirth and ways to start conversation with healthcare providers about those options. Parents can download free, evidence-based printables written in the language of healthcare providers, but so that you and your significant others can understand too.
Contact: http://evidencebasedbirth.com/
VBAC Facts
What they do: Provide information for women wishing to plan for a vaginal birth after caesarean and for providers so they may have the unbiased, medical evidence supporting VBAC. Workshops, printables, event listings and testimonials are available online.
Contact: http://vbacfacts.com
Baby Dreams Maternity Concierge
What they do: Provide doula services, maternity coaching and birth advocacy services including tools for informed consent and refusal.
Contact: http://babydreamsmc.com/
If you provide birth advocacy services, please email lexingtonfamilyevents@gmail.com to be included in this listing.