About Us

What we do:

  • Host educational movie showings, outreach events, and workshops.
  • Offer one to one support for families exploring their birth options in Alaska.
  • Distribute  the “Guide to a Healthy Birth”, a free evidence based maternity care booklet.
  • Publish a Professional Member Guide listing local providers who have endorsed the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative.

We Believe:

  • Birth is a normal, healthy process, not an illness or disease.
  • Empowering births can take place in birth centers, hospitals and homes.
  • Women are entitled to complete and accurate information on their full range of options for pregnancy, birth, post-partum and breastfeeding.
  • Women have a right to make health care decisions for themselves and their babies. That right includes Informed Consent, as well as Informed Refusal.

Our Mission & The MFCI:

Alaska Birth Network is a chapter of BirthNetwork National, a consumer based, grassroots organization based on the belief that birth can profoundly affect our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. We are experienced mothers, breastfeeding supporters, consumer advocates, midwives and complementary care providers all dedicated to the cause of promoting awareness and availability of Mother-Friendly Care, as defined below by the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative, also known as the MFCI.

The MFCI is the work of The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), the collaborative effort of numerous individuals and more than 50 organizations representing over 90,000 members. Their mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs.

Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative: The CIMS document that defines the ten steps of Mother-Friendly care. A must-read for all childbirth professionals, advocates and families. The initiative outlines ten steps for mother-friendly care.

Mother Friendly Chlidbirth: Highlights of the Evidence This is a summary of the Evidence Basis document (above) contributed by consumer groups BirthNetwork National and Citizens for Midwifery that makes it possible to see at a glance the results of the research in a easy to comprehend, quick presentation.

Mother-Friendly Childbirth: Highlights of the Evidence Access to Midwifery Care and Out-of-Hospital Birth Another hand-out based upon the summary of the Evidence Basis document that was created in a collaboration by consumer groups BirthNetwork National and Citizens for Midwifery. This hand-out focuses on access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth.