About Us

When I was preparing to have my first baby in New York, I knew I wanted to give birth at a freestanding birth center. I researched my options—but there were none nearby. I delivered with midwives at a hospital-based birthing center. Although my daughter was born just after Superstorm Sandy and the birth center was being used to house stranded hospital staff, I still had a great experience with supportive midwives.

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For my second pregnancy, I again worked with midwives. This time, the freestanding birth center they had once operated had closed, so I gave birth in a hospital again. It wasn’t my ideal setting, but I still received excellent care.

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By the time I was pregnant with my third, I was ready to try an out-of-hospital birth. I had a beautiful waterbirth at home with midwives. Though it still wasn’t in a birth center, it ended up being my most empowering experience—by far the most peaceful and least painful of all my births.

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These personal experiences have shaped my deep belief in the importance of community birth centers and community birth workers. I see them as a vital piece of the solution to the maternal health crisis in the United States. Birth centers offer a model of care intentionally distanced from the conventional medical system, where birth is often treated as a condition to manage rather than a natural process to support.

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Hospitals play an essential role in emergencies and for anyone who feels safest giving birth there—and I support that fully. But if we look at the data, it’s clear our current healthcare system is not serving birthing people well. In 2023, the maternal mortality rate in the United States (U.S.) was 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is more than double that of most other developed countries including Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Stark racial disparities persist: Black women in the U.S. face a maternal mortality rate of 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly 3.5 times that of White women at 14.5 per 100,000. Additionally, as of 2020 over one-third of U.S. counties are classified by the March of Dimes as maternity deserts, lacking adequate obstetric services and impacting access to care for millions of women. These disparities underscore the urgent need for alternative models of care that prioritize physiological birth, community-based care, and equitable access for all.

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Freestanding birth centers are typically led by providers who embrace that philosophy. They embrace the midwifery model of care—defined by continuity of care, compassionate and evidence-based practice, and shared decision-making. A 2023 study from the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) found that people who give birth at accredited freestanding birth centers experience significantly lower rates of cesarean section (6% compared to the national average of over 30%), higher rates of breastfeeding initiation (98% vs. 84% nationally), and fewer interventions and preterm births, all while achieving comparable neonatal outcomes to low-risk hospital births—at significantly lower cost. A 2018 nationwide analysis further showed that birth center care is associated with lower rates of low birth weight and reduced racial disparities, particularly for Black and Hispanic women. With midwifery care at the heart of the birth center model, these outcomes aren’t isolated—they are replicable and scalable. As more communities gain access to this model of care, we have the opportunity to improve outcomes, reduce disparities, and provide safer, more empowering birth experiences nationwide.

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That’s why I do this work. At Birth Center Consulting LLC, I’m committed to helping make birth centers a reality for more families. I believe deeply in the difference they can make—and there’s still a lot of work to be done to get there.

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So let’s get started.