Creating Change and Staying Connected through Collaboration

In this column, a childbirth educator describes feeling overwhelmed and alone in her work. Collaboration is presented as a key agent to creating change, staying connected, and "keeping going." The Cochrane Library, the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, the ongoing collaboration of Lamaze International with the Maternity Center Association and DONA International, and birth networks are presented as examples of valuable collaborations. Childbirth educators benefit from these collaborative efforts by being able to access and use evidence-based information and to feel connected with like-minded colleagues.