advocacy
Making Pregnancy
and Childbirth
Safe for All
Mothers
advocacy
Making
Pregnancy and
Childbirth Safe
for All Mothers
Despite efforts to improve maternal
health in India,
The Maternal
Mortality Ratio (MMR)
remains high at 103 per
1,00,000 live births.
In India,
25 million babies are born every year.
Of these,
2.7 million babies are stillborn.
35,000 new mothers die of pregnancy-related complications.
Most of these deaths occur during childbirth.
Majority are preventable.
This makes childbirth the most stressful event in the life of a woman and her family.
Despite efforts to improve maternal
health in India,
The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) remains high at 103 per 1,00,000 live births.
In India,
25 million babies are born every year.
Of these,
2.7 million babies are stillborn.
35,000 new mothers die of pregnancy-related complications.
Most of these deaths occur during childbirth.
Majority are preventable.
This makes childbirth the most stressful event in the life of a woman and her family.
Our Priority
Physical and emotional well-being of every mother and baby
Our Priority
Physical and emotional
well-being of every
mother and baby
Practices that support our
Philosophy
Natural
Birthing
Natural birthing, for low-risk pregnancies, supports the mother to actively participate in her journey and initiate skin-to-skin contact with the baby. This early bonding plays a vital role in ensuring the baby is physically and psychologically healthy.
Professional
Midwifery
Most low-risk, healthy women do not need medical or surgical intervention. Research today proves that maternal deaths can be prevented by the presence of a professional midwife trained to global standards. If implemented widely, midwifery can ensure skilled and affordable care during labour and birth.
Birthing
Companion
A birthing companion is someone who provides the mother emotional support during birth. The woman can choose to have a Doula, partner, mother or anyone else she is comfortable with. Even though the presence of a birth companion is a basic human right, it is still not the norm in most places across the country. Through our practice and advocacy efforts, we hope to restore this right to every birthing mother.
Kangaroo
Mother Care
Sometimes, babies are born too soon or too small. Kangaroo Mother Care is an effective, safe, and affordable method of care that helps low birth weight babies grow better without medical intervention. If the baby is premature but stable, they are kept on the mother’s chest. These babies stay warm, feed better, heal quicker, and are eventually healthy enough to go home faster.
Human Milk
Bank
Milk Banks ensure preterm and sick babies access to mother’s milk. Excess milk is collected from lactating mothers and is treated and stored safely in these banks. Mothers facing lactation issues or illness can use these banks to give their infants necessary natural nutrition.
Practices that support our
Philosophy
Natural
Birthing
Natural birthing, for low-risk pregnancies, supports the mother to actively participate in her journey and initiate skin-to-skin contact with the baby. This early bonding plays a vital role in ensuring the baby is physically and psychologically healthy.
Professional
Midwifery
Most low-risk, healthy women do not need medical or surgical intervention. Research today proves that maternal deaths can be prevented by the presence of a professional midwife trained to global standards. If implemented widely, midwifery can ensure skilled and affordable care during labour and birth.
Birthing
Companion
A birthing companion is someone who provides the mother emotional support during birth. The woman can choose to have a Doula, partner, mother or anyone else she is comfortable with. Even though the presence of a birth companion is a basic human right, it is still not the norm in most places across the country. Through our practice and advocacy efforts, we hope to restore this right to every birthing mother.
Kangaroo
Mother Care
Sometimes, babies are born too soon or too small. Kangaroo Mother Care is an effective, safe, and affordable method of care that helps low birth weight babies grow better without medical intervention. If the baby is premature but stable, they are kept on the mother’s chest. These babies stay warm, feed better, heal quicker, and are eventually healthy enough to go home faster.
Human Milk
Bank
Milk Banks ensure preterm and sick babies access to mother’s milk. Excess milk is collected from lactating mothers and is treated and stored safely in these banks. Mothers facing lactation issues or illness can use these banks to give their infants necessary natural nutrition.
Driving Systemic Change,
One act at a time
1
Practice
Advocacy begins with implementation. We practice our philosophy across all our healthcare units. We try our best to ensure a natural birth for mothers and only intervene medically or surgically if there is a risk to the mother or baby. Midwifery care is always the first option, with obstetrics playing a key role in complicated, high-risk pregnancies.
2
Training
Midwifery care is yet to become the norm for low-risk births in India. Contrary to popular belief, it is a highly skilled profession that demands rigorous training. At Fernandez, we offer midwifery training for nurses and trainers through partnerships with the government. Our trainers are a mix of international midwives and qualified midwives from the Foundation. We believe that midwifery will make high-quality care accessible to every woman, irrespective of her background.
Driving Systemic Change,
One act at a time
1
Practice
Advocacy begins with implementation. We practice our philosophy across all our healthcare units. We try our best to ensure a natural birth for mothers and only intervene medically or surgically if there is a risk to the mother or baby. Midwifery care is always the first option, with obstetrics playing a key role in complicated, high-risk pregnancies.
2
Training
Midwifery care is yet to become the norm for low-risk births in India. Contrary to popular belief, it is a highly skilled profession that demands rigorous training. At Fernandez, we offer midwifery training for nurses and trainers through partnerships with the government. Our trainers are a mix of international midwives and qualified midwives from the Foundation. We believe that midwifery will make high-quality care accessible to every woman, irrespective of her background.
