Lamaze International is pleased to announce its coordination with the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC) to present a webinar, Evidence-Based Childbirth Education: A Critical Strategy to Improve Birth Outcomes and Reduce Maternal Health Disparities. The webinar will take place on Thursday, July 23, 2020, at 11am CDT/12pm EDT and is free to all. All Lamaze members, parents, supporters, and Congressional staffers are welcome to attend.

The webinar will feature Representatives Alma Adams of North Carolina and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, Co-Chairs of the BMHC. Tara Owens Schuler, CD (DONA), LCCE, Chair of the Lamaze Diversity + Outreach Committee will moderate the webinar and present on the role Lamaze childbirth education has in reducing maternal mortality/morbidity disparities and Lamaze initiatives to increase access to childbirth education to underserved populations and in underserved areas.

Melissa Harley, CD(DONA), LCCE, President of DONA International will join Tara to speak about the complementary relationship doulas have with childbirth educators, the role childbirth education has in preparing mothers for birth, and how Lamaze childbirth education is evolving to meet the needs of more mothers and families.  

While maternal mortality and morbidity and the overall disparities in maternal health are multi-faceted, Lamaze sees the important role that childbirth education has in reducing these statistics. In seeking to meet mothers where they are, Lamaze is working to increase access to Lamaze childbirth education by offering classes in various in-person and virtual settings to accommodate the schedules, demands, and circumstances of pregnant parents. Lamaze is working to increase the number of certified educators to served diverse populations to bring more community-based offerings to under-resourced areas.

Lamaze recognizes that many of these efforts will take cooperative actions that require a collective voice. The BMHC has become a strong voice in addressing maternal health disparities among Black mothers and has already taken major steps toward these efforts. In March 2020, the BMCH launched the MOMNIBUS, which consists of nine bills addressing maternal disparities and recognizes childbirth education as a component to reducing these disparities. Lamaze is proud to be an original endorser of the historical package and a proud partner of the BMHC.

Join Lamaze and the BMHC to hear how childbirth education can play a part in the collective effort to reduce maternal health disparities and the work Representatives Adams and Underwood are doing to make a true difference in improving maternal and childbirth outcomes for Black mothers.

Register for the Webinar Here

Spread the word and join us for this collaborative event! The Lamaze/BMHC Webinar is free, open to all, and will include a live Q&A. Contact Molly Giammarco, Lamaze Policy & Government Relations, for more information.

About Molly Giammarco

Molly Giammarco has consulted for professional healthcare associations for more than eight years. As Lamaze International’s Senior Manager for Policy & Government Relations, Molly monitors legislation regulations related to maternal and child health, as well as advises the Lamaze Advocacy + Collaboration Committee.

Molly received her undergraduate degree from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts and her master’s degree in public policy from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  She currently lives in Washington, D.C.

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