Midwife honored with CNN Hero award

Image from: http://www.guerrillamidwife.org

Robin Lim, a midwife in Bali, was honored with CNN's Hero of the Year award this past Sunday. She believes that how a child is brought into the world helps shape how they interact and behave in the world. It brings to the forefront the importance of supportive care of women in the childbearing year, peaceful birth, and midwifery. Proper prenatal care and attendance by an experienced set of hands (midwives or doctors) is essential to the health and wellbeing of women and children.

In some countries, like Bali, women sometimes have no one in attendance to help them with one of life's greatest challenges and most rewarding experiences (birth), not to mention any prenatal care. As a result 981 women die every day. Robin pleas for your help to change that by supporting midwifery to mother care.

Women in the US are blessed with many options for prenatal care and birth. Sometimes the safest, best option is a home or birth center birth attended by a midwife (certified nurse midwife, certified professional midwife, lay midwife, or naturopathic doctor/midwife). Other times, a hospital birth with an an obstetrician or certified nurse midwife may be best. The most important thing to consider, after health risks, is where the woman feels the safest because in order for the birth to progress she must be relaxed. I hope all women take the time to investigate all their options so they can make a well informed choice that is best for their family.

To learn about Robin Lim see her excellent documentary Guerrilla Midwife. Learn more about choices in childbirth at Childbirth Connection

"Peace on Earth begins with birth, support midwives"