ABOUT BDBS
You can learn, and train others to support a woman during labor and birth in an emergency or disaster situation.
Basic Disaster Birth Support (BDBS) is a training module developed by Ruth Walsh, RN, MA, CPM and Martha White, DEM. Reviewed by members of Midwives Alliance of West Virginia and Midwives Alliance of North America, this training prepares ordinary citizens and disaster workers to help women under circumstances that require birth outside of the ordinary hospital setting.
As many people as possible need to know how a normal birth proceeds, how to support a woman during labor and birth and how to avoid harm. You can prevent unnecessary injury or death due to lack of knowledge of the normal birth process and you can ensure that a woman in labor has a person trained in physiologic birth to assist her - wherever she may be in a disaster situation - without burdening the existing volunteer pool.
In all cases, every effort should be made to transport a laboring mother to an appropriate birthing facility. But when disaster situations make this impossible, as a BDBS trained team member you, and others you train, may be able to bring calm and valuable information to an otherwise stressful situation.
Please Note: BDBS is NOT preparation for planned unattended home births.
For more information, email bdbsWV@gmail.com.