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Transforming Maternity Care ProjectWhat is the Transforming Maternity Care Project?Transforming Maternity Care is Childbirth Connection's ongoing project to improve the care that is provided to childbearing women and newborns by improving the systems in which care is delivered. Despite the dedication of many hard-working maternity professionals, many mothers and babies are not receiving the best care. Some procedures are overused, and other beneficial practices are not used enough. Trends in the U.S. have been going in the wrong direction for many indicators, and other countries that spend far less have better maternal and newborn outcomes.Many system-level factors contribute to these disappointing results. For example, payment systems encourage high rates of some procedures — such as cesarean section — in this largely healthy population, but rarely pay for some types of beneficial care — such as help with smoking cessation, doula services and breastfeeding support programs. Some basic skills — e.g., attending vaginal breech births — are being lost because trainees do not have a chance to learn them. Pregnant women are choosing labor induction for convenience because they do not have information about downsides, for example, that every week counts in the health of their babies and also that induction can greatly increase the likelihood of cesarean section in some situations. The Transforming Maternity Care project has engaged stakeholders from across the health system to develop a consensus about the kind of maternity care mothers and babies need and to identify priority steps for getting there. These are outlined in two pathbreaking reports released in January 2010:
To learn more about this project and become involved, go to the Transforming Maternity Care section of this website. Most recent page update: 1/26/2010
© 2013 Childbirth Connection. All rights reserved.
Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality and value of maternity care through consumer engagement and health system transformation. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families. |
News and Features
Listening to MothersSM III is the third national
survey exploring women’s experiences in pregnancy and childbirth.
Commissioned by Childbirth Connection, conducted by Harris Interactive, and
funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the survey polled 2,400 women who gave
birth in U.S. hospitals from 2011 to 2012. Results show that medically
intensive experiences are typical, and evidence-based practices are
underutilized. Childbearing women need better support and knowledge to
navigate their maternity care.
Access the full report and supplementary materials  New Report: Maternity Care and Liability Go to report and supporting materials New Report: The Cost of Having a Baby in the United States Go to report and supporting materials New Cesarean Resources: Go to Best Evidence Report Go to web pages and booklet for women 
For 95 years, Childbirth Connection has been dedicated to improving the
quality and value of maternity care for all women and their families. Learn
more about our rich history through our interactive
timeline and give
$95 for 95 in honor of
our 95th birthday. 
Childbirth Connection works to ensure that all women and babies get the best
possible maternity care. We have the collective vision and we know how to get
there, but we can't do it alone. Join the transformation
today.
The Transforming
Maternity Care website focuses on maternity care
system improvements designed to engage diverse stakeholders in quality
improvement efforts. The site offers full access to the landmark reports 2020 Vision and
Blueprint for
Action, features a Blog, and other
resources such as an Action Center, a
database of
quality improvement projects, an interactive data
center, and many more tools
for advocates and stakeholders.
Help Transform Maternity Care! |
