10 Steps to Optimal MotherBaby* Maternity Services

An optimal MotherBaby maternity service has written policies, implemented in education and practice, requiring that its health care providers:

Step 1 - Treat every woman with respect and dignity.

Step 2 - Possess and routinely apply midwifery knowledge and skills that optimize the normal physiology of birth and breastfeeding.

Step 3 - Inform the mother of the benefits of continuous support during labour and birth, and affirm her right to receive such support from companions of her choice.

Step 4 - Provide drug-free comfort and pain relief methods during labour, explaining their benefits for facilitating normal birth.

Step 5 - Provide evidence-based practices proven to be beneficial.

Step 6 - Avoid potentially harmful procedures and practices.

Step 7 - Implement measures that enhance wellness and prevent illness and emergencies.

Step 8 - Provide access to evidence-based skilled emergency treatment.

Step 9 - Provide a continuum of collaborative care with all relevant health care providers, institutions, and organizations.

Step 10 - Strive to achieve the BFHI 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

For a more detailed look at the 10 Steps, please click here.

*The mother and baby constitute an integral unit during pregnancy, birth, and infancy, herein referred to as the MotherBaby.

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