The Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI) was created by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) in 1996, specifically for the United States. The International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI) took the MFCI as its original basis, then sought input from dozens of international organizations and 100 individual experts to create an Initiative that would work for every country beyond the US. The MFCI is a national, US-based initiative, whereas the IMBCI is a global initiative, designed for the flexibility needed to improve maternity care in both developed and developing countries.
In 1996 the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services ratified the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI): 10 Steps to Mother-Friendly Hospitals, Birth Centers, and Home Birth Services for the U.S. In subsequent years, CIMS received many requests from individual groups in various countries to help them create their own initiatives, and then began receiving an increasing number of requests to create a global initiative, especially from representatives of various birth-related organizations who began attending the CIMS conferences in the U.S.
In response, in 2002 CIMS created an International Committee, which subsequently received a grant in 2005 to develop an international initiative. Childbirth Connection, a recognized leader in maternity care quality improvement, was instrumental in supporting the project. The CIMS International Committee created a network of regional and country representatives, who identified contact information for hundreds of international maternity and breastfeeding organizations in 163 countries, including grassroots consumer groups, health-care professionals, government organizations, and nongovernmental agencies around the world, generating the world's largest international database on maternity and breastfeeding organizations.
In response, in 2002 CIMS created an International Committee, which subsequently received a grant in 2005 to develop an international initiative. Childbirth Connection, a recognized leader in maternity care quality improvement, was instrumental in supporting the project. The CIMS International Committee created a network of regional and country representatives, who identified contact information for hundreds of international maternity and breastfeeding organizations in 163 countries, including grassroots consumer groups, health-care professionals, government organizations, and nongovernmental agencies around the world, generating the world's largest international database on maternity and breastfeeding organizations.