Birth "Think-Tank"

The Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation is currently partnering with doulas and childbirth researchers and birth activists in forming a birth "Think Tank". The purpose of the Think Tank is to gather information, perspectives and solutions to the state of childbirth in the US, which now focuses on the "medical" model of childbirth. We hope to change the direction of birthing in the US and bring it closer to its natural state. Understanding HOW childbirth evolved to where we are now .... and the educating women regarding natural childbirth. If you would like to join us please contact us at momoden@sbcglobal.net

I found this today on Tatia Oden French Foundation website. Through the course of my graduate students, I had begun to wonder if the birth activist community needed a think tank to further the work of improving maternity services through research, advocacy and policy.

For those unfamiliar with what a think tank actually does, here is the definition from wikipedia: "A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization, institute, corporation, or group that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economy, science or technology issues, industrial or business policies, or military advice."

I am most familiar with think tanks relating to issues regarding early care and education (since that is what my graduate degree is in) but as I've been transitioning from preschool issues to birth issues, I've realized the birth community can benefit from the coordinate efforts of a think tank created for the purposes of correcting what is wrong with the way birth is treated today.

This blog post is a call to other researchers and activists to consider what your role can be in assisting in the organization and efforts a birth think tank. As I find out more information, I will post.