The International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative: 
Working to Create Optimal Maternity Care Worldwide

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This article tells the story of the creation of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI): 10 Steps to Optimal MotherBaby Maternity Services, a global initiative designed to improve childbirth care and birth and breastfeeding outcomes for all women, and of the organization and the individuals behind it. This initiative arose from a dream and is well on its way to becoming a reality grounded in a strong evidence basis and in a clear human rights framework. The specifics of this initiative and the process of its creation form the subject matter of this article. In telling this story, we hope to offer a template for positive change—a template that builds on the prior work of many others, created by and for the birth-giving women of the world.  Read article here.

The 21st Century Motherhood Movement:  Mothers Speak Out on Why We Need to Change the World and How to Do It 
 edited by Andrea O’Reilly

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Davis-Floyd, Robbie, Debra Pascali Bonaro, Mayri Sagady Leslie, Rae Davies, Helene Vadeboncoeur, and Rodolfo Gomez Ponce de Leon. 2011. “The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization: Working to Create Optimal Maternity Care Worldwide”. In The 21st Century Motherhood Movement: Mothers Speak Out on Why We Need to Change the World and How To Do It, ed. Andrea O’Reilly. Demeter Press, pp. 181-195.

A Human Rights Approach to Optimal Maternity Care

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Is birth a human right? Clearly not, as millions of women around the world are infertile or have other conditions and complications that prevent them from giving birth, even if they wish to do so. There is no guaranteed right to be able to get pregnant and give birth. So why are we discussing birth as a human rights issue? Because we deeply believe that women who do get pregnant should have what we consider to be the basic human right of humane and evidence-based maternity care. It’s not about the right to give birth—there is no such right—it’s about the right to receive appropriate care when you do. Davis-Floyd, Robbie, Debra Pascali Bonaro, Rae Davies, and Rodolfo Gomez  Ponce de Leon.2010  “The International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI): A Human Rights Approach to Optimal Maternity Care” Midwifery Today, Issue 94: 12-14, 64-66. 

ReHuNa - Rede pela Humanização do Parto e Nascimento


Davis-Floyd, Robbie, Debra Pascali Bonaro, Rae Davies, Rodolfo Gomez Ponce de Leon. 2011 “A iniciativa internacional pelo nascimento MãeBebê: Uma bordagem de um atendimento materno eficiente à luz dos direitos humanos” RESUMO PDF http://www.tempusactas.unb.br/index.php/tempus/issue/view/87/showToc