Dear Ms.Goer,

It has been a little over a month since I first met you at your presentation in Charlottesville - I was that girl from Slovakia whom you talked about your trip to Prague and success with Czech translation of your book. I m currently in Slovakia and was wondering whether there is a way I can make my first modest contribution to childbirth awareness or even first steps towards change in the hospitals.

I m ICEA certified instructor and recently started to teach at UVA hospital as we moved here, but I have taught at various location, including Slovakia and Germany and I love it! I have MPH degree in public health from TX and another graduate teaching degree in biology from SLovakia.

While in SLovakia, my initial thoughts about the needs here areI
a, train childbirth instructors to give informed choices to childbearing families - these should first be midwives I think , then it can extend further
b, conduct informative workshops for OB-GYNs and nurses about current trends in childbirth preparation based on the compiled data
c, conduct original data collection on what is the situation here really like in hospitals

I realize these are all huge projects, but is there anything you feel I could be useful here for? I have had couple of articles published here in Slovak magazine for women about childbirth, but that s truly just a tiny contribution and I wish I could do more.

Best regards from Slovakia, and thank you for inspiring my mind with your book and words,
Sylvia Metzger
By: Sylvi

I think the first step is to create a demand for care that supports normal birth. Otherwise, those providing care will tell you, "We don't need to change; our mothers are happy with the care we provide." Once you have created the demand, care providers will switch to, "Women may want this care, but it is dangerous." Nevertheless, making the case that care that supports and promotes normal birth is safe, effective, and satisfying takes second place to creating a grassroots movement. With that end in mind, you have come to the right place. On this site, you will find a whole section on "Birth Networks." These are grassroots groups intended to, according to an article reprinted in this area of the website, "stimulate better birth practices, political activism, and media savvy for the birth community." To get to this area, look to the left on this screen and click on "Birth Networks." Lamaze International even makes grant money available to people trying to start a Network, and you do not need to be based in the U.S. to apply.

You may also find it helpful to read an article posted on my own website, HenciGoer.com, that I wrote for the journal Birth. It's entitled Humanizing Birth A Global Grassroots Movement, and, among other things you may find useful, it contains a table with contact information for other grassroots groups around the world.

Good luck! And I'd love to hear back on how you are doing.

-- Henci By: Henci Goer