We want a maternity care system that recognizes
YOU OWN YOUR BODY
We are working to dismantle the monopoly that tells us how, where, and with whom we are ‘allowed’ and ‘not allowed’ to give birth.
Free Quick Guide – Know Your Rights!
Learn about your most important basic rights during hospital birth
AND START MAKING EMPOWERED CHOICES!
THE FACTS
ON AMERICAN MATERNITY CARE
At least 98% of U.S births happen in hospitals, over 90% with physicians rather than midwives
We have the most expensive, worst performing maternity care system in the developed world
Birthing people are regularly subject to traumatic, dehumanizing care and rights violations
A state-enforced hospital monopoly severely restricts our ability to opt out of this system
KNOW YOUR
Rights
Legal & Human Rights in Childbirth
for Birth Professionals and Advocates
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
Hi, I’m Cristen, founder of Birth Monopoly
When I was pregnant and gave birth to my son, I saw the dysfunction in our maternity care system firsthand. Many of the messages I received were intended to encourage a compliant patient, not an informed and active participant. As the woman giving birth, I felt more like a passenger than a driver.
My experience sparked a career change from public affairs to study American maternity care and women’s rights within it. Since 2012, I have been passionately raising awareness about the abuse of power and obstetric violence running rampant in the maternity care system. My goal is to support birthing people in demanding their rights, options, and power. Together, we can topple the monopoly on childbirth that constrains those rights and options so much… and put birth on birthing people’s terms.
LATEST ARTICLES
Ep. 37 – “Advocacy is putting the birthing person first” | Sabia Wade
“There’s so many different ways that you can advocate for somebody, and even with the clients that I work with, I feel like advocacy and what they expect from advocacy looks different depending on who they are…”
Black Lives Matter.
I keep hearing people ask, what can I do?? The good news is, Black-run organizations and Black individuals are the experts in how to serve their communities and are already doing it.
A Midwife Changed My Life
May 5 is International Day of the Midwife. I remember my very first visit to the obstetrician. I was young and naïve and alone, and a nurse laughed at me because I didn’t know I was supposed to get dressed after the doctor left the room. I’d never been before, and...
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