Welcome to the second edition of the Birth Equity Education Project. Voices for Birth was designed by the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health to increase knowledge and foster discussion about opportunities to improve maternal and infant outcomes.
About
Across Michigan, women face preventable risks of death or serious health complications due to inadequate access to and affordability of quality healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. There are significant disparities based on factors like socioeconomic status and race, particularly for Black and Indigenous women.
Our state must create equitable solutions that Michigan mothers and babies deserve.
Discover the core issues that affect maternal and child health in Michigan. Learn how to best support maternal health and improve birth outcomes.
Doulas are trained professionals who are not healthcare providers, but complement the medical care and other services during the perinatal period.
A healthy dyad serves as a basis for healthy development of the child.
Innovative care models provide inclusive, community-centered support.
Models should center patients’ needs and be accountable to outcomes.
Breastfeeding offers health benefits for both babies and mothers.
Addressing SUD can prevent relapse, and support lasting recovery.
High-quality perinatal care is fair, respectful, and patient-centered.
Mothers and families deserve to be informed and heard at every stage.
Everyone has the right to make choices about pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
Families who lose babies need to be met with compassion, care, and adequate support.
Basic needs must be met, and women must be treated with respect in both prison and jail.
Birthing people with disabilities face entrenched barriers to care.
Preparing youth with sex education and parenting support remains urgent.
Stay informed and help improve birth outcomes.
Subscribe to MCMCH's Friday Notes newsletter, which includes current information and resources related to these issues.
Find additional information about maternal and infant health in Michigan.
Educational materials and personal stories from Michigan women were created and gathered with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional Voices for Birth resources were shaped and made possible by the contributions of healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and individuals across the state. You can view our list of contributors here.