doulas

The birth doula movement has certainly grown over the past few years, and innovative and radical projects have expanded care for pregnant people who might otherwise not receive it, such as young mothers and women in prison. During this time, The Doula Project has been building on a new model of doula care: one that supports pregnant people having abortions and choosing adoption.

Childbirth educator and documentary filmmaker, Vicki Elson likes to say, aside from the typical hospital birth, there are essentially three kinds of births on television.

A new web site collects "unbelievable but true" comments made to birthing, pregnant and postpartum women by their ob-gyns, midwives, and lactation consultants.  From the looks of it, it's not hard to see why we've got a crisis of confidence in this country when it comes to women challenging the medical status-quo around childbirth.

Georgia's Community-Base Doula Program has produced some amazing results, including c-section rates nearly half the national rate and breastfeeding initiation rates 25% greater than the national average.

Reproductive and sexual health and rights advocates must be concerned with the full gamut of access issues - including choice in childbirth, which is critical to women's health and well-being and should be included in health care reform measures.