Overview
The following white papers, developed by Lamaze International, provide an in-depth look at evidence-based childbirth education (CBE) techniques that improve birth outcomes and reduce maternal health disparities.
Evidence-based Childbirth Education: A Key Strategy to Improve U.S. Maternal & Childbirth Outcomes
Childbirth education empowers women and their partners to play a large role in their pregnancy. By providing individualized guidance to parents throughout pregnancy, childbirth education increases their confidence, helps them address pregnancy and childbirth fears, and prepares them for the labor process with individualized and informed birth plans.
Childbirth Education Shared Decision-Making: An Essential Step in Shared Decision-Making for Maternity Care
Shared decision-making in pregnancy is a low-cost, low-risk process in which clinicians and parents make informed decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care together. This evidence-based measure is endorsed by the National Quality Forum and improves patient safety, autonomy, and satisfaction, as well as reducing healthcare costs.
How Does Childbirth Education Support Healthy Birth Outcomes?
This one-pager highlights how childbirth education can add to a mother’s pregnancy and the common barriers that typically prevent a mother from participating in childbirth education.
Authors: Lamaze Foundation