CfM Achieves All Maternity Care Goals!

Citizens for Midwifery is pleased to report that, with an extra bit of effort, we have achieved all of our organization's stated aims over the course of the last two months. The following goals have been met:

• All women now have equal access to high-quality care that follows the Midwives Model of Care, and, due to recent federal legislation, all maternity care is fully subsidized and/or covered by insurance, and the government has launched a comprehensive effort to encourage lower-cost out-of-hospital and non-medicalized birth.
• All midwifery licensing is now federally recognized, and the government's recent reports on the vast benefits of midwifery care are encouraging more and more women to seek out midwifery services.
• Due to the above, new Cesarean rates are starting to come in, and the percentage is down to about 15% of all births.
• Also due to the above, new Epidural rates are starting to come in, and the percentage is down to about 20% of all births.
• All American hospitals have recently adopted the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative and have replaced standard L&D wards with 90%+ birthing rooms fully equipped with tubs, birthing stools, and free doula services.
• Due to the new across-the-board Baby-Friendly Hospital standards that have come out of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative, 95% of all American women are now breastfeeding for at least a year.
• The World Health Organization is now promoting the American model of maternity and midwifery care, what with its excellent outcomes and evidence-based policies, as the gold standard in the world.

In light of all of this, Citizens for Midwifery has decided to disband its board, but only after we use our remaining funds for one last annual board meeting at an all-inclusive Caribbean resort.

Happy April 1st, everyone! May it one day not be such a joke!

--Arielle Greenberg (CfM Board)