The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) is a coalition of individuals and national organizations with concern for the care and well-being of mothers, babies, and families. Our mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs. This evidence-based mother-, baby-, and family-friendly model focuses on prevention and wellness as the alternatives to high-cost screening, diagnosis, and treatment programs.

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 corporation in 1997.

Our focus is on supporting both “bottom-up” and “top-down” advocacy for Mother-Friendly Care. From the powerful work of the Grassroots Advocates Committee’s The Birth Survey project, which is mobilizing mothers and volunteers across the country, to the significant contributions of research on the evidence basis for Mother-Friendly Care, CIMS remains committed to providing the guidance and collaboration needed to support the maternity care community and ensure that mothers receive the care they deserve.

CIMS is an active member of the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), a collaborative partnership of organizations dedicated to improving the nation’s health by protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. 

Please join us on Facebook and Twitter ! We would love to hear how you are working to improve maternity care within your community!

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Check out this video made especially for CIMS by Dr. Michael Lu.

Dr. Michael C. Lu, MD, MS, MPH is the Associate Administrator of Maternal and Child Health at the Health Resources and Services Administration (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). He created this video for the 2013 CIMS Forum, which was held March 1-2 in Kansas City, MO. The theme of the CIMS Forum was "Health Disparities in Maternity Care; Using Mother-Friendly and Baby-Friendly to Build Health Equity".

In the video, Dr. Lu acknowledged that the CIMS' Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI) is an important tool that contributes to quality improvement in maternity care. He said, "You've been the champions of quality and safety for maternity services in our nation." 

Dr. Lu also stated his support of the philosophical principles of the MFCI: "...no woman should be subjected to unnecessary interventions and... every woman should be cared for in a system that respects her autonomy and upholds the principles of Empowerment, Do No Harm, and Responsibility and be given the choice of Mother-Friendly maternity services that you all champion...I applaud the leadership you've shown in promoting health equity over the years and want to commend you for confronting the theme of your Forum (Health Disparities in Maternity Care) this year."

Dr. Lu recognized CIMS' efforts over the last seventeen years, "You remind me of what Dr. (Martin Luther) King said about human progress. He said, ' ...human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concerns of dedicated individuals' like yourselves."

The Leadership Team of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services would like to thank Dr. Lu for creating this video for our Forum and for being a tireless advocate for women and their families Please share this video far and wide.