Beliefs
The Maternity Services Consumer Council believes that:
- Birth is a normal life cycle event
- Birth is family affair, an experience to be shared as the woman and her family/whanau choose
- Women have the right to any information that could affect their care or that of their baby
- Continuity of care is of the utmost importance to women and their families/whanau
- Midwives are the guardians of normal childbirth and in this role act as the advocate of the birthing woman
- Maternity care and related support services must be of a high standard and be accessible and acceptable to women
- All decisions relating to maternity care must involve the active participation of women health consumer representatives so that maternity services meet the needs of those who use them