March for Moms, Rally to Improve Birth in Santa Cruz County

2018 March for Moms, Rally to Improve Birth in Santa Cruz County

When: Sunday, May 6 at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT

Location: Anna Jean Cummings Park, 461 Old San Jose Rd, Soquel 95073

Join us as we march for moms and rally to improve birth here in Santa Cruz County!

Bring your pen for a letter writing campaign to thank our local providers for the strides made in improving maternity care and to advocate for the adoption and further implementation of ACOG and CMQCC's guidelines to limit unnecessary intervention in birth.

While consumers, health care professionals and diverse stakeholders gather in the nation’s capital for the March for Moms, the annual Rally to Improve Birth will take place simultaneously in states and communities across the country.

One in every three Americans is born through major surgery and we have the highest rates of maternal death and injury, the lowest birth weights, and the widest disparities in the entire developed world.

We believe that birth can be better and that it matters for the lifelong mental health and well-being of the entire family.

We believe that women are the ultimate decisions makers in childbirth, and they have the right to be treated with dignity and compassion.

We believe that the U.S. maternity care system is decades behind what we know is best for mothers and babies and that there is no real motivation for the system to change.

But most importantly, we believe that when consumers and health care professionals have the tools to inspire change, they will take action.

THE ISSUES: Rising Maternal Mortality and Poor Health Outcomes

The rate of Mothers dying in childbirth or due to pregnancy related causes continues to climb in the U.S., unlike all other industrialized countries.

WHY? Poor access to healthcare, discrimination, lack of information about family planning options, and healthcare provider shortage, among others.

Due to these barriers, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality out of every industrialized country.

Maternal death for American Indian/Alaskan Native and non-Hispanic Black women is 3 to 4 times more likely to happen compared to White women.

Over 50% of maternal deaths are considered preventable.

MATERNITY & FAMILY LEAVE POLICIES

Of 186 countries, 96% provide some pay to women during maternity leave.

The United States is the only high-income country, and one of only eight countries in the world, that does not mandate paid leave for mothers of newborns.

Research shows that paid leave increases the likelihood that:

--Workers will return to work after childbirth
--Improve employee morale
--Has no or positive effects on workplace productivity
--Reduces costs to employers through improved employee retention
--Improves family incomes

Persons of color have an even greater barrier in obtaining any leave at all, whether it is paid or not.

http://www.marchformoms.org/the-issues/