IMBCO

I saw this article referred to on a blog called Birth Notes (linked on the right under Natural Birth Bloggers).

The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization created this Initiative after a survey of birth and breast-feeding organizations in 163 countries and on input from a Technical Advisory Group made up of birth experts from around the world who all helped in the construction of the Initiative.

The purpose of this 10 step Initiative is to improve care, save lives, prevent illness and promote health for both mothers and babies around the world.

You can read the Initiative in its entirety here or you can continue to read my break down of what I found important.

The 10 Steps:

1. Treat every women with respect and dignity.

2. Possess and routinely apply midwifery knowledge and skills that optimize the normal physiology of birth and breastfeeding.

3. Inform the mother of the benefits of continuous support during labour and birth, and affirm her right to receive such support from companions of her choice.

4. Provide drug-free comfort and pain relief methods during labour, explaining their benefits for facilitating normal birth.

5. Provide evidence-based practices proven to be beneficial.

6. Avoid potentially harmful procedures and practices.

7. Implement measures that enhance wellness and prevent illness and emergencies.

8. Provide access to evidence-based skilled emergency treatment.

9. Provide a continuum of collaborative care with all the relevant health care providers, institutions and organizations.

10. Strive to achieve the BFHI 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. (I'll write about those steps later.)

The basic principles of the IMBC Initiative are the women's and children's rights and access to humane and effective health care. Pregnancy, birth and postpartum/newborn care should be individualized. The needs of the MotherBaby should take precedence over the needs of caregivers, institutions and the medical industry. Women should receive full, accurate and unbiased information based on best available evidence about harms, benefits and alternatives so that they can make informed decisions about their care and their babies' care.

There are many more principles of the IMBC and I suggest reading the Initiative. It's a life saving resource to have organizations like this one putting time and education together to create standards that make care providers (of all types) more accountable and aware. It's a life altering experience and I'm so glad there are organizations that recognize the seriousness of the experience. I hope that the care providers here in Canada are aware or can be made aware of this document.