A Bellies, Birth and Babies event is the perfect place for new and expectant parents to come together with birth and parenting related professionals to explore options. Putting on this kind of free event is what Birth Network of Santa Cruz County was born to do. In fact, Birth Network was born twenty years ago this fall, becoming the first nonprofit organization in the nation founded to promote Mother-Friendly Childbirth.

Mother Friendly in this case refers to the Mother- Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI) created in 1996 by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services. The MFCI has withstood the test of time to remain a relevant document to help support both parents and professionals in making decisions in the childbearing year.

Service providers who endorse the MFCI are eligible to become profes- sional members of Birth Network and become part of an online and printed Pregnancy and Birth Resource Guide. These providers include midwives, birth and postpartum doulas, childbirth educators, birth photographers, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, lactation support, doctors, yoga instructors and so many more.

The resource guide can be a lifesaver for busy parents looking for a childbirth class or lactation support, but it is also handy for care providers to refer to other professionals. Instead of keeping track of a stack of business cards, they can share a resource guide with their favorite practitioners marked.

Seeing names on paper or in an online listing is one way to get information, but Birth Network wants to encourage parents to have real conversations about real issues to help them understand the choices and decisions affecting their pregnancy and birth. Often the standard care expectant parents receive leaves some holes – time can be short at appointments or taken up with other concerns leaving parents with lingering questions. But more often than not, there can be entire aspects of care options that aren’t explored at all, simply because the provider may not know much about it.

Birth Network’s next Bellies, Birth and Babies event, coming up on Nov 3, from 2-5pm, will give parents an opportunity to have open ended conversations with birth professionals and other parents about their goals and concerns about birth and parenting issues. But just as important as exploring known concerns is the exposure to new topics and ideas that may not have been considered yet.