As part of its 2021 Advocacy Summit, Lamaze International held a virtual Congressional Hill Day to help increase access to evidence-based childbirth education and certified childbirth educators, for all.

A big thank you to all Lamaze members who participated in the first virtual Hill Day! Collectively, Lamaze educators from across the country—and the world—connected with close to 50 House and Senate offices to raise awareness of Lamaze childbirth education’s role in improving maternal health and childbirth outcomes.

Evidence-based childbirth education is a critical part of the prenatal care continuum, but too few are aware of, or have access to, this vital service. Lamaze members took this message to the Hill to educate Congressional staff on childbirth education’s critical role in improved outcomes and to advocate for increased access to their services.

To help increase access to Lamaze education and its educators, Hill Day participants asked Congressional offices to support the following bills:    

• The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act (S. 1675/H.R. 4387), which would:
  • Use evidence-based processes and resources to facilitate best practices to improve maternal health and childbirth outcomes.
  • Generate data-driven initiatives that would address health detriments and deliver comprehensive, accessible, high-quality care throughout the prenatal, labor, and early childhood journeys.
  • Establish grant programs to

1) Expand and diversify health professional training programs

2) Create/support perinatal quality collaboratives

3) Establish/support programs that deliver integrated health services to pregnant or postpartum women.

• The Birth Access Benefiting Improved Essential Facility Services (BABIES) Act (H.R. 3337), which would:
  • Launch Medicaid-demonstration projects to improve access to birth centers in underserved communities.
  • Promote and support birth centers and increase access to local, comprehensive care for those in remote or underserved areas.
  • Generate data to help increase Medicaid and third-party payer coverage of birth centers.
• The Momnibus (S. 346/H.R. 959), which would:
  • Address maternal health disparities through the 12 bills.
  • This package includes language that recognizes the role of childbirth education and certified childbirth educators.

Lamaze continues to advocate for more pathways to its childbirth education via legislation, payer coverage, and awareness; expand and diversify its community of educators; and promote the value of evidence-based childbirth education. As the calls to action to tackle the U.S. maternal health crisis grow louder among policymakers, parents, and maternal health stakeholders, Lamaze stands by as a resource and as partner in developing and implementing accessible and sustainable solutions. 

In doing so, Lamaze iterates the critical role that the evidence-based childbirth education and certified childbirth educators have in informing parents, empowering voices, improving maternal health and childbirth outcomes for all. 

For questions about the 2021 Virtual Hill Day or any of this legislation, please contact Molly Giammarco.

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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