Birth Rite: Reclaiming the Hospital Birth Experience

Abstract

With over 4.1 million births annually, childbirth is the leading reason for hospitalization among women in the United States. Our current state of maternity care, with its technology-based procedures and medically managed approach, can often leave women feeling disheartened and disconnected from the nature, wonder, and power of their birth experience. The following toolkit was developed for health educators and other health professionals and provides essential components for working with pregnant women who want an empowered, supportive, safe, and satisfying birth experience in a hospital setting.