If you've ever been pregnant, you've most likely searched for a care provider and birth place that would be just right for you. But how do you find out what care providers and birth locales are really like? It's nearly impossible to get specific answers to questions from providers, and especially from hospitals. Without this data, we're left to choose from the proverbial phone book, or insurance company lists. Even personal referrals leave a lot of unanswered questions. But what if these choices could make a huge difference in your pregnancy and birth?
The reality is that the choice of care provider and birth setting makes a tremendous difference, both on the progress of pregnancy and the outcome of the birth. The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) has undertaken the task of making information about care providers and birth locations available to mothers, so we can make informed decisions about our births.
The foundation of their project is The Birth Survey, which is open to all women who have birthed in the U.S. in the last three years. The survey gives you the chance to submit feedback for your prenatal as well as delivery care, through a detailed series of questions. The information is being compiled into reports for the benefit of both mothers and care providers and hospitals, who can use the feedback to improve their services.
If you've given birth in the last three years, I highly encourage you to take The Birth Survey (take it once for each birth), so that other mothers will benefit from your experiences.
