Health care information resources for both childbirth educators and their pregnant couples
Expectant parents today are sometimes accused of spending more time investigating strollers than investigating the choices they have during pregnancy, labour and birth. With the explosion of information available on the internet and in the media, here is a list of valuable resources for both you as the educator as well as for your pregnant moms and dads in your classes.
The Cochrane Collaboration – www.cochrane.org
The Cochrane Collaboration is considered the gold standard in the medical world for reliable information about evidence-based care. It is an international not-for-profit organisation which provides up-to-date information about the effects of health care. There are summaries about many medical care practices, medications and treatments. To access these summaries go to www.cochrane.org Look for the box that says “Browse by topic”. Use the pull-down menu to select “Pregnancy and childbirth”. Select the topic that interests you.
Childbirth Connection – www.childbirthconnection.org
A not-for-profit organisation that uses research, education, and advocacy to improve maternity care for all women and their families. The Childbirth Connection website is divided into 2 sections – one for health professionals and the one for women. You are encouraged to download the free booklet, “What every pregnant woman needs to know about caesarean section”
Coalition for improving maternity services – www.motherfriendly.org
Their mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs. Visit their website to learn more about the Mother-Friendly childbirth Initiative and to download the following act sheet – “Breastfeeding is priceless”
Lamaze International – www.lamaze.org
Their mission is to promote, support and protect safe, healthy, and natural birth through education and advocacy. Lamaze advocates six healthy birth practices that promote safe natural birth.
March of Dimes – www.marchofdimes.com
Their mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. They carry out this mission through research, community services and advocacy to save babies’ lives.
Professionals Organisations
The following professional organisations set clinical standards and recommendations for maternity care for their members. Virtually all medical organisations today recommend evidence-based care i.e. care that is supported by scientific studies.
The American Academy of Family Physicians – www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html
One of the largest medical organisations, its mission has been to preserve and promote the science and art of family medicine and to ensure high-quality, cost-effective health care for patients of all ages.
The American Academy of Paediatrics – www.aap.org
The AAP offers information for both health professionals and consumers on its website
The American College of Nurse-Midwives – www.acnm.org
Provides research, administers and promotes continuing education programs and establishes clinical practice standards.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) – www.acog.org
ACOG publishes patient education pamphlets which can be accessed via the web. On the website click on ACOG patient page, patient education pamphlets.
By Lynne Bluff
Report from the Reality Birth Workshop – Lamaze Conference 2011
