Bangalore Birth Network

We started as an informal support group in 2007 because we saw a pressing need to empower women to have better experiences in pregnancy, birth and pos Read moretpartum and felt compelled to address it. We were all individuals working in maternal health in varying roles and capacities. Quality of care issues was cross-cutting all sections of society, with women and newborns facing a distinct lack of evidence-based, respectful care, manifesting as physical, psychological and financial distress and unnecessary and uninformed procedures.  Among those who are poor, this means slapping, gagging, threats to withdraw care and high costs. Among the more well-to-do, it takes the form of no informed consent, dominant behavior and no tolerance for questions and preferences. Psycho-social support was universally lacking. Hospitals and doctors were seeing and treating women as patients with a risky condition, and giving little or no attention to respectful, compassionate care and informed choice.  We were influenced by our own birth experiences – some demoralizing, some joyful, some yet to be realized. We saw a vision for a different model of maternal health care, that was empowering, humane and based on scientific evidence as opposed to fear and risk. We resolved to improve the birth scenario for all women regardless of class, caste, economic status, religious background or sexual orientation.