Community input

Breech Without Borders is applying for grants, specifically ones that will allow us to train health professionals in historically underrepresented communities. Our target populations include:

• BIPOC maternity care providers (Black/Indigenous/People of Color)
  
• Plain midwives and/or providers who serve predominantly Plain populations
• Indigenous providers and providers who serve predominantly Indigenous populations
• Rural maternity care providers (defined by the March of Dimes as maternity care deserts/low access to maternity care)

Our vision

We want to bring vaginal breech training workshops to the communities that need them most. In addition, each community would receive a Sophie and Her Mum simulator, which would be entrusted to a local organization capable of caring for and operating the simulator. Any local birth worker would be able to practice on the simulator, creating a open-access, collaborative model for learning and continuing education. 

Community input

We gathered input from our target populations. Below are highlights from these meetings. 

Testimonials from trainees and potential grant recipients

Attendees of the NW Indiana Breech Workshop--primarily from the Chicago area--explain why breech training is important in their communities. Over 50% of the attendees received full scholarships, thanks to the combined efforts of Breech Without Borders and several generous donors. 

Meet Ximena Rojas of Justicia en Salud and the Refugee Health Alliance. She is a midwife on the Tijuana-San Diego border and serves migrant communities. Ximena is a potential grant recipient. 

Rebecca Walker, a midwife in northern Minnesota, care for Indigenous women and populations living in maternity care deserts. 

Leslie M. Payne, CPM discusses why Amish communities need breech-skilled providers.

Maureen McIver, CPM serves Amish, Mennonite, and African-American communities.

Susanah Smith, a midwife in central Pennsylvania who serves a large Plain community, explains why breech skills are important. 

Aravah Salatino is a midwife in Ohio serving Amish and Mennonite families. These women may have 12 or more children, necessitating access to vaginal breech providers in order to avoid cesarean sections. 

OBs and midwives speak about breech training

Kristine Lauria, CPM, currently works for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) as well as Breech Without Borders. 

Parents speak