Childbirth Experts Share Best Delivery Practices at Second Annual Birth Community Day

Doctors, doulas, nurses and midwives among hundreds attending birthing summit on July 17

Los Angeles - July 16, 2013 - Doctors, nurses, midwives and doulas will share their best practices and new research at the Cedars- Sinai second annual Birth Community Day on July 17, 2013.

Just as no two children are alike, every childbirth experience is unique for each mother. As women become more aware of new medical options, including ways to increase comfort and manage pain during labor, Cedars-Sinai nurses and physicians instituted Birth Community Day to unite the growing ranks of childbirth professionals.

“As new research leads to new best practices, we must continue to transform our models of care,” said Sarah J. Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai who holds the Helping Hand of Los Angeles Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Every mother is different and we want to respond appropriately to her needs.”

Historically, medical professionals and alternative childbirth attendants, such as midwives and doulas, have been at odds in the delivery room, with mothers often caught in between. A conversation between a Cedars-Sinai Labor and Delivery nurse and a doula sparked the idea for an annual summit. Participants share valuable knowledge and experience about the best ways to ensure a safe, comfortable and memorable birthing experience. The meeting is presented in collaboration with the doula organization DONA and BINI Birth, an educational organization whose mission is to teach that “birth is normal, intimate and individual.”

Renowned child birth educator, author and doula Penny Simkin will be the guest speaker. Simkin has been in practice for more than 50 years and said she has prepared nearly 11,000 women and families for labor and delivery.

Birth Community Day takes place July 17 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Harvey Morse Auditorium at Cedars-Sinai.