Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
January 21, 2020 | by: Molly Giammarco, MPP
Evidence continues to show that comprehensive childbirth education reduces the need for birth interventions and increases the likelihood of a non-complicated vaginal birth. (Gluck, Pinchas‐Cohen, Hiaev, Rubinstein, Bar, & Kovo 2018) Although costs for both vaginal and cesarean deliveries both continue to increase, the difference between an uncomplicated vaginal birth ($4,314) and a cesarean birth ($5,161) is significant. Because beneficiaries feel the direct impact of out-of-pocket costs, the approximate $1,000 difference in these birth procedures (other health matters aside) may be an incentive to learn more about pre-birth measures that increase the likelihood of a vaginal birth. With this point alone, Lamaze advocacy continues to make the case to lawmakers and payers that childbirth education is a small price to pay for improved childbirth outcomes.
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January 14, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Neel Shah, MD, Harvard Medical School and frequent contributor/subject of this blog and keynote at several recent Lamaze conferences wrote the below commentary "I'm an OB/GYN who attended thousands of deliveries before wondering why Americans give birth in bed" recently for The Conversation.
December 24, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Childbirth educators and other perinatal professionals the world over know the magic of the holiday season when a new baby is on the scene. Connecting the Dots and Lamaze International would like to wish our readership the warmest of holidays and a genuine thank you for being faithful readers. Also, gratitude and recognition for the job you do all year long to help families welcome their little ones in the best way possible. What you all do matters every single day for families everywhere!
December 20, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As we get ready to turn the calendar over to a new year, (and if you think about it, also a new decade!) and say good bye to 2019, there is something to look forward to and celebrate on the maternal-infant health front! The World Health Organization Assembly (WHO) has declared 2020 “The International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.” WHO and their partners are celebrating the work of the nurses and midwives, highlighting the challenging conditions they often face, and advocating for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce.
December 10, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Lamaze International has invited the amazing Natalie S. Burke, President and CEO of CommonHealth ACTION to host a webinar available to any interested participant titled “From Intentions to Impact: When Being an “Ally” is Not Nearly Enough.” This 75-minute webinar is scheduled for Thursday, December 12, 2:00 PM ET. Participants will receive a 1.0 Lamaze Contact Hour. The webinar will also be available in recorded form after the live event.
December 05, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Lamaze International is a non-profit association, and therefore your charitable contributions have the potential to make a significant impact as we strive to make evidence-based childbirth education accessible to all. In this way, we can play a critical role in improving birth outcomes and reducing maternal mortality rates. Contributions made during this direct giving campaign are used to fund scholarships, certifications and attendance opportunities at in-person events.
December 03, 2019 | by: Molly Giammarco
The Lamaze advocacy team continuously tracks bills relevant to maternal and childbirth health and would like to highlight a few that Lamaze currently supports. Those who attend the Lamaze Childbirth Advocacy Summit in May 2020 will receive more information on the bills relevant to Lamaze—and much will happen with new and existing bills between now and May. This is just a summary for some of the prominent bills currently tracking in the U.S. Congress. This is not a comprehensive list of bills relating to maternal and/or child health outcomes; Lamaze is tracking many bills that seek to improve maternal and childbirth outcomes. Stay tuned.
November 22, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
It is hard to believe that the end of the year is almost upon us, with December just a week away. For folks all around the world, this time of year is often full of festive occasions, travels and time with family and friends, good food and many traditions. Not many of us have our sights fully set on 2020 yet, but do make sure that you have Lamaze International’s Childbirth Education Advocacy Summit on your radar.
November 13, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Many childbirth educators new to Lamaze International have just finished the fall testing period and now wait to find out if they can add the credentials Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) to their name. When you are a new childbirth educator, it feels as if there is so much knowledge and information that you must remember and you worry about how you will be able to recall all the important content when facilitating your first classes without looking like a fumbling fool while clutching handfuls of notes and papers. This is a completely normal feeling, and the reality is, even experienced educators don’t hold all the information in their head and often rely on notes to be sure they are providing accurate information to class members. Here are five recall hacks that can help you be the professional educator you are right from the start.
November 05, 2019 | by: Molly Giammarco
To support its growing advocacy platform, Lamaze launched the Advocacy + Collaboration (A+C) Committee earlier this year to help navigate, develop, and monitor state, federal, and local advocacy efforts related to CBE. The timing for this new Committee is perfect as discussions around improving maternal and childbirth outcomes continue to gain momentum among communities, clinicians, and all levels of government.
This movement creates many new opportunities for Lamaze advocacy. Led by Jill Wodnick, the A+C Committee is developing a toolkit to help advance state and local maternal and child health priorities, integrate CBE into state Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Programs funding, and further engage health departments, perinatal collaboratives.
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