Office of Development

The Birth Sisters Program

Birth Sisters is an innovative program of lay community-based social support for women across the childbearing cycle.  Patients are referred to the program by their prenatal providers, and generally have an increased risk for complications of pregnancy based on physical and social factors. Since its inception in 1999, the Birth Sisters has provided services for over 600 women.  A Birth Sister is a trained and knowledgeable community woman who serves as a crucial link between the mother and available healthcare and social resources in the community.  She helps to foster community and provides a safety net of loving support especially valuable to women at high risk of poor pregnancy outcomes.  A Birth Sister provides continuous support during the client’s pregnancy and conducts home visits in the postpartum period.  Birth Sisters are recruited from a wide diversity of racial, ethnic and language groups.  The 45 current active Birth Sisters speak 8 languages, and come from and live in the communities served by Boston Medical Center.  Client support for the Birth Sisters   Program at BMC has been overwhelmingly positive.  Women state that they (1) experience a more positive childbirth, (2) have a decreased need for pain medication and anesthesia in labor, and (3) are more prone to breastfeed.  Among our clients, the breastfeeding initiation rate is a remarkable 93.5%.  By reinforcing the teaching and counseling provided by the doctors and nurse midwives, the Birth Sister also serves as a confidante, enhancing the prenatal provider’s ability to identify any problems which would place the woman and her newborn at increased risk for complications.