Principles for Humane Birth
- Pregnancy and birth should be left to unfold without intervention unless there’s clear and verifiable danger to the health of the mother or child.
- The best place to give birth, for a woman with a low-risk pregnancy, is her home or another familiar place chosen by her.
- The woman should have the choice to select who will attend and witness the birth of her child.
- Birth attendants should find other ways to assess labor progress other than vaginal exams.
- Vaginal exams should be used only as a last resort and always with consent from the mother.
- Any intervention should be preceded by informed consent and offered without coercion.
- Women should not be shamed, harassed, threatened, or scared when declining an intervention.
- Mother and newborn are one and should not be separated unless medically necessary. In case of separation, the mother should have unrestricted access to her newborn.
- Every practice during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn care, should be based on current evidence, common sense, and respect for cultural and family traditions.