The Essential Ingredient: Doula

HypnoBirthing -- As Good As It Gets

Mother's Advocate
Mother's Advocate is dedicated to helping you have the healthiest, safest, most satisfying births possible. While every birth is unique there is substantial evidence that points to ways you can improve your chances of having the best birth experience. This website offers free video clips and print materials that will educate and inform you on how to have the birth you want for you and your baby.

Intro: Safe and Healthy Birth

Let Labor Begin on its Own

Walk, Move and Change Positions

Have Continuous Support

Avoid Unnecessary Interventions

Get Upright and Follow Urges to Push

Keep Your Baby With You

Breastfeeding: The Essentials

Delayed Cord Clamping: A Demonstration by Penny Simkin
Watch this video demonstration that illustrates how much blood is withheld from a newborn by the harmful and almost universal practice of early cord clamping and cutting.

Reducing Infant Mortality and Improving the Health of Babies
Learn how the U.S. can improve mother/baby care resulting in better outcomes and reduced health care costs.

Reducing Infant Mortality from Debby Takikawa on Vimeo.

Print Materials for a Better Birth
Here you can download the "Health Birth Your Way: Six Steps to a Safer Birth" complete 18-page PDF booklet or six different modules, based on the Lamaze International "Six Care Practices that Support Normal Birth" as well as additional helpful printouts.

The Risks of Cesarean Section -- A Coalition for Improving Maternity Services Fact Sheet
These two documents -- The Risks of Cesarean Section, A Coalition for Improving Maternity Services Fact Sheet and About the Risks of Cesarean Section, A Checklist For Expectant Mothers To Read During Pregnancy were introduced at the CIMS 2010 Annual Forum in Austin, Texas. Both publications are meant to increase awareness of the risks of cesareans for mothers and babies compared to having a normal vaginal birth. CIMS encourages childbearing women to take advantage of their rights and to find out more about the risks of cesarean section so they can make informed decisions about how they want to give birth in advance of the stresses of labor.