Birth Center Community Support: Key to Sustainability

Birth Center Week came and went this year with its usual mix of inspiration, education and that familiar tug of wishing you could be everywhere at once. While I didn't make it to the Birth Institute in person this year (virtual tickets would be a game-changer!), I participated in several online programs and webinars that left me with one overwhelming takeaway: birth center community support isn't just nice to have—it's absolutely essential for birth center survival and growth.

This year's Birth Center Week also coincided with the launch of my "Make This Make Sense" series, and the response has been incredible. The engagement tells me that the challenges we're discussing aren't isolated incidents—they're systemic issues that resonate across our entire community of birth center providers and advocates.

While it's encouraging to know these struggles are relatable and shared, it's also heartbreaking that birth centers have to navigate these inequities at all. But here's what I heard again and again throughout the week's events: when birth centers succeed despite the odds, it's because they've built strong community connections that sustain them through every challenge.

Lessons from the Trenches: State-Level Policy Success Stories

The webinar "What Works for Us? Lessons from State-Level Birth Justice Policy Campaigns" featured some truly remarkable women who have overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to secure birth center access for families in their states. Organizations like Birth Center Equity are doing crucial work to address these systemic challenges at the policy level. Their stories weren't just inspiring—they were instructive.

What struck me most wasn't just their individual determination, but the fact that none of them succeeded alone. Every victory they shared had one thing in common: robust community support backing their efforts. These weren't policy experts or seasoned lobbyists working in isolation. They were passionate advocates who understood that community involvement isn't a nice add-on to policy work—it's the foundation that makes change possible.

Their experiences demonstrate that birth centers can't afford to operate as islands. The centers that thrive are the ones that cultivate deep roots in their communities, building relationships that extend far beyond the families they serve during birth.

Southern Wisdom: Expanding the Vision of What Birth Centers Can Be

I made a point of attending the "Lessons from the South" webinar, even though I'm based in the northeast. Why? Because the South faces the nation's highest maternal mortality rates—if we're serious about transformational change in maternal health, we need to pay attention to what's happening there.

What I heard was both sobering and deeply encouraging. The challenges are real: uncertainty around Medicaid subsidies, hospital closures, decreased access to care and systemic barriers that make every victory feel hard-won. But the women speaking weren't defeated by these realities. Instead, they're meeting these challenges with a powerful strategy: lean into community even harder.

Tamara Taitt shared insights that completely reframed how I think about birth center sustainability. She reminded us that historically, midwives were "all things to all people" in their communities. They weren't just birth attendants—they were healers, advisors, community pillars who met whatever needs arose.

Birth centers, Tamara suggested, need to embrace this same comprehensive community role. Instead of thinking of your facility as just a place where births happen, envision it as a true community hub. What if your birth center also offered:

• Comprehensive well-woman care throughout the lifespan

• Community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs

• Self-defense classes for women and teens

• Childcare and parenting support groups

• Health education workshops

• Meeting space for community organizations

The key is discovering what your specific community needs and finding creative ways to meet those needs within your mission and capacity.

As Tamara put it so beautifully: "People will pour into the birth center because the birth center gives back to them." This isn't just about community service—it's about building the kind of deep, reciprocal relationships that create sustainable support for your center's long-term success.

Finding Your Community Connection Point

Before I started Birth Center Consulting, I seriously considered starting a farm instead. (I think my family breathed a collective sigh of relief when I chose consulting!) But I was genuinely excited about the vision of growing organic food for the community—running CSA programs, providing fresh produce to schools, taking food trucks into underserved areas.

The more I reflect on that alternative path, the more I see the connection to what we're discussing here. Whether it's organic vegetables or exceptional maternal care, the principle is the same: find people with passion and build something together that serves real community needs.

The beauty of this approach is that you don't have to do everything yourself. Community-centered birth centers succeed because they tap into existing networks of passionate people who want to contribute to something meaningful. Your role isn't to be everything to everyone—it's to be the catalyst that brings together community needs with community talents to create something beautiful and sustainable.

The Ripple Effect of Birth Center Community Support

When birth centers truly embed themselves in their communities, the benefits extend far beyond financial sustainability (though that matters too). You create:

• Deeper advocacy networks when policy challenges arise

• Stronger referral relationships with other community health providers

• More diverse revenue streams that buffer against reimbursement uncertainties

• Enhanced visibility that helps families discover your services

• Meaningful partnerships that expand your capacity without stretching your resources

• Community ownership of your mission that transcends individual client relationships

Moving Forward: Your Community Assessment

As we return to the daily work of serving families after Birth Center Week, I challenge you to think differently about your role in your community. Consider these questions:

• What needs exist in your community that align with your skills and mission?

• Who are the passionate people in your area who might want to collaborate on community health initiatives?

• How could your physical space be used more fully to serve community needs?

• What partnerships could you develop that would strengthen both your center and your community?

The challenges facing birth centers are real, and they're not going away anytime soon. But neither is the power of community to create solutions, provide support, and build the kind of sustainable change that individual efforts alone can't achieve.

This Birth Center Week reminded me that our greatest resource isn't found in policy papers or business plans—it's in the relationships we build and the communities we serve. When we get that right, everything else becomes possible.

What does community connection look like at your birth center? I'd love to hear about the creative ways you're building relationships and meeting community needs beyond birth services.

Further Reading / Sources

Source	What it Shows
CDC: Maternal deaths and mortality rates: Each state, the District of Columbia, United States, 2018-2022	Southern states face the highest maternal mortality rates.
March of Dimes: Maternity Care Deserts Report	Illustration of systemic barriers to care and community needs.
American Association of Birth Centers (AABC)	Authoritative source for birth center data, policy work and accreditation context.
CMS: Findings at a Glace: Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns	Evidence that birth centers improve outcomes and reduce costs.