Citizens for Midwifery: Susan Hodges
By OBOS — April 15, 2009
From 2009 – 2011, Our Bodies Ourselves honored the work of women’s health advocates worldwide by asking readers to nominate their favorite women’s health hero. View all nominees by year: 2009, 2010, 2011
Entrant: Molly Remer
Nominee: Susan Hodges, President, Citizens for Midwifery
Susan Hodges was a founding member of Citizens for Midwifery in the early 90’s and continues to serve tirelessly as the organization’s President. CfM is the only national consumer organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the Midwives Model of Care.
Susan travels, speaks, and writes extensively on behalf of consumers seeking access to midwifery services nationwide. Susan is a treasure-trove of information about birth activism, women’s health, midwifery care, grassroots organizing, legislative efforts, and consumer issues in health care. She also has a special interest in violence against women in the birthplace (and how this is so often ignored/overlooked).
Susan has spent her life working for better birth options for mothers and babies!
I admire Susan’s work.
I have heard Susan speak and she is awesome!
What a great nomination!
I have had the privilege of working with Susan Hodges on the CfM Board for the last 7 years. She is an extraordinary mentor and has taught me so much about birth and about what women should be able to expect from their birth experiences. Susan is also a consumer reviewer for the Cochrane, and has a deep understanding of the science around maternity care.
Susan never forgets who is most important in this process — the motherbaby(ies) and their families. She has devoted nearly 25 years of her life to the herculean task of getting the maternity care system to put the motherbaby(ies) at the center of care and supporting the midwifery profession as it tries to do so, with little to no monetary reimbursement for her incredible body of work.
Susan has also helped so many of us learn how to do the work of advocating on behalf of women, babies, and families, and is incredibly generous with her support and her love.
Susan Hodges is most definitely one of my great heros!
Susan is a hero for so many reasons. Her work on behalf of mothers and babies, midwives and families, brings together her experience as a scientist, mother, activist, creative thinker, artist–everything about her, in a way which is inspiring for all women who are looking for a way to make a difference in the world. I have only been working with her for half a year, but already she has taught me so much: how being moderate in one’s approach, even when passionate about a cause, can be the most effective route; how to balance one’s work with one’s family life and activism; how enormous of a difference to the larger culture one person can really make; how even when older and wiser than the people you work with, you can still be graceful, a good listener, and a constant learner.
If, when I am Susan’s age, I have done half as much as she has for midwifery and mothers and babies, with half as much grace, intelligence, compassion and wisdom, I will feel like I have lived a very full and satisfying life indeed. She is an inspiration.
Susan is my hero! She works tirelessly for consumer education about birth options. She speaks all around the country, and maintains a great website full of information for consumers. She does all this as a volunteer and inspires everyone else to volunteer, too.