International MotherBaby Support
Birth Worker Cultural Exchange Program and Learning Collaborative
Happy Mamas and Healthy Babies
Mamas heureuses et bébés en bonne santé
Furaha ya Mamm na Watoto walio na Afya
Umu nne nwere obi uto
Ilmaha Caafimaadka Farxsan ee Mamas
Awọn ọmọ inu ilera Ọmọ Mamas
Our International Birth Worker Cultural Exchange Program brings Traditional Birth Workers, Midwives and Doulas together in a cross-cultural exchange program to share unique maternity care experiences, and support birthing women in the USA and Africa. Projects in development are located in Ghana, and Senegal, West Africa and Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Our programs, which are currently in development, are aimed to:
Train Birth Workers from Africa and USA in promoting maternal and infant health through birth skills and health promotion. Topics Covered include:
- Human Sexuality
- Family Planning
- Nutrition for Pregnancy
- Prevention of STDs and HIV and Malaria
- Emotional Well-Being During Pregnancy
- Maternal and Infant Mental Health
- Understanding the Birth Process
- Supporting Mothers Through Labor & Postpartum
We also train Traditional Birth Attendants, Doulas and Midwives in emergency birth skills such as:
- Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage
- Helping Babies Breathe (Neonatal resuscitation & life support)
- Management of Shoulder Dystocia
- Management of Retained Placenta
- Suturing and Repair of Lacerations
- Working with women with Female Genital Cutting
- Fetal Heartrate Monitoring
- IV infusion
Midwifery Care Center
We are establishing a midwifery care center in Ghana, West Africa staffed by midwives, Traditional Birth Attendants and Doulas and developing emergency transport systems.
The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization
Our work is aligned with The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization (IMBCO) who has joined forces with the Federation ofGynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) developing a single global initiative to provide guidance and support for safe and respectful maternity care, building upon their previous work and incorporating the most recent evidence and insights into what constitutes optimal maternal and newborn health.
Launched in 2018, this initiative, The International Childbirth Initiative (ICI): 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care provides clear steps for implementing evidence-based maternity care worldwide, acknowledging the interaction between the MotherBaby dyad, Family and Environment as well as their interactions with health providers and health systems. The ICI also supports the implementation of the 12 steps and self-initiated quality improvement mechanisms that can be used to monitor process, effect and engagement in safe and respectful maternity services.
For more information, see 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care, please download here.
