Together, we are laying the groundwork to become a powerful, change-making national organization. The new direction for the organization will focus on training birth advocates to engage deeply with the families, providers and hospitals in their areas, through a Community Advocate Training Program. The new organization also intends to bring the principles of the MFCI to life by creating a nationwide Mother-Friendly Provider Designation as well as a Mother-Friendly Hospital Certification program, making this distinction meaningful and sought-after.

Dawn Thompson, the founder of Improving Birth: "We’re incredibly excited about broadening and deepening our work here in the United States. We will continue to shed light on pressing issues that affect maternity care like evidence-based are, obstetric violence, informed consent, access to midwifery care, access to vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), and racial and economic disparities, while helping local communities make the changes that best work for their own populations.”

The History of CIMS

CIMS originally began as a coalition of individuals and national organizations with a mutual concern for the care and well-being of mothers, babies, and families. Our members consist of the broader community of childbirth organizations, birth professionals, stakeholders, birth advocates and consumers. CIMS’ mission is to work with the birth and breastfeeding community and our members by encouraging and promoting evidence-based, Mother-and-Baby-Friendly maternity care, as outlined in the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI), the first and only consensus document on U.S. maternity care.

The evidence-based Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI) evolved from the collaborative effort of many individuals and more than 26 organizations focused on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding during meetings spanning nearly three years in the 1990's. The MFCI - the cornerstone of our mission - is the first and only consensus document on U.S. maternity care. The MFCI is recognized as an important instrument for change both in this country and abroad. Acknowledging the need to ensure the ongoing education and promotion of the Mother-Friendly childbirth model of care defined in the MFCI, CIMS was established as a non-profit organization in 1997.