Alan Huber, CFP has been involved with the birthing industry for well over a decade and is in a unique position of seeing things from a neutral ground position. In an interview with Angela England, Pregnancy Editor at BellaOnline, Huber said, "The real issues are not being addressed". And Alan is right.

His brisk accent added an underscore to his words as he spoke to me with enthusiasm. He talked about how this conference could be the opportunity for the consumers, for women like you and I, to change America's birth culture in a positive way.

For many years now we have had knee-jerk reactions to the changing birth culture in America. Bradley's Husband-Coached philosophy rose in reaction harsh and restrictive hospital environments. Now, we currently have AMA and ACOG setting their sights on stamping out midwifery and homebirth completely, in reaction to recent popular movie releases like "Business of Being Born" and "Orgasmic Birth". Huber continued, "We have all these organizations talking at each other, but no one is talking to each other. Nothing is truly being resolved."

As the Controversies in Childbirth Conference website points out there are a lot of problems facing the general birth climate in America - and it is ultimately the women, and their babies, who suffer as a result. "Rising costs and reduced reimbursements have caused many OBs to stop delivering babies" and "Malpractice insurers regulate birth and limit women’s options by prohibiting practitioners from attending VBACs, water labor, and home birth . . . even though exercising these options may lower costs." are just two examples of the catch-22 reasonings that are negatively influencing a pregnant woman's choices today.

So the idea of a neutral ground meeting place was born. Controversies in Childbirth Conference will be the first place where practicing American physicians, midwives, doulas, malpractice insurers, financial planners, and more will be able to come together to truly work towards solving some of the problems women face within the current birth model in America.

My personal hope is that many average citizens will attend the conference as well. I feel it is time for us to stop accepting what large, interest-group organizations say is best for us, and time to decide for ourselves! Alan Huber remarked towards the end of our interview, "This will be a place for women to speak up! It will be a place to create a birth culture of mutual respect in America."

The Controversies in Childbirth Conference will be held in Dallas, TX March 27-29, 2009. A free Baby Fair Expo will run simultaneously, allowing women to attend both events. More information can be found on the Conference Website listed below.

I personally plan to be there and see whether we can force the broken, multiple-system currently in place, to work together and reach some agreements that won't leave the women, and their babies, without choices! I hope you can make it too.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject in the Pregnancy Forum Thread about this article.

Want to learn more about the current birth climate in America, how we got there and what steps we can take to change? Check out these two books for some well-researched opinions: