Embracing midwifery could change...

...the state of maternal healthcare in Massachusetts

"Countless studies and extensive reporting over the last decade have laid bare a sad truth: The state of maternal health care in America is profoundly inadequate. That’s especially true here in Massachusetts. A study released last year by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health revealed that rates of severe maternal health complications nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020." WGBH All Things Considered - interview with Nashira Baril Read more

Midwifery In the News

The History That Explains Today’s Shortage of Black Midwives

"Amid growing maternal mortality rates, Black and Indigenous women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women." Read more

I felt safe and taken care of: Can midwifery startups change our broken maternity care?

"Midwifery is having a moment in the US: Oula is one of at least four venture capital-funded midwifery startups that have launched since 2019." Read more

Stop Meddling With Midwives

“Regulations restricting the practice of midwifery only compound America's maternal health crisis. Many new mothers have paid a devastating price tied to childbirth in the U.S., with mothers of color hit particularly hard." Read more

Apology and acknowledgement: The midwives were always right

“No person should simply accept their childbirth experiences as success,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, speaking on the new law that creates licenses for freestanding birth center. We are working to create better experiences..." Read more

How Expanding the Role of Midwives in U.S. Health Care Could Help Address the Maternal Health Crisis

Midwives, incorporated fully into U.S. maternity care systems, could reduce perinatal health disparities and help address provider workforce shortages. Read more

Maternity care in the U.S. is in crisis. It’s time to call the midwife

After pushing for several hours, my patient looks exhausted but happy, clutching her seconds-old newborn to her chest. As I help her put her baby to breast for the first time, she isn’t thinking about anything other than the tiny human blinking up at her. Read more

The U.S. Needs More Midwives for Better Maternity Care

Policy makers, providers and insurers all have good reasons to encourage a shift toward midwifery. Read more

A Larger Role for Midwives Could Improve Deficient U.S. Care for Mothers and Babies

According to a new study, states that give midwives a greater role in patient care achieve better results on key measures of maternal and neonatal health. Read more

To Lower Maternal and Infant Mortality Rates, We Need More Midwives

Far from being anti-science, studies show, midwives lead to a healthier childbirth process. Read more

Why America Needs More Midwives

Considering the failure of the U.S. health care system to reduce maternal mortality rates, the U.S. should return to a midwifery model of care. Change is already happening gradually. Read more

U.S. states with more support for midwives have better birth outcomes

States with laws that make it easier for midwives to care for pregnant women and deliver babies may have better birth outcomes than states where it’s harder for midwives to provide care, a recent study suggests. Read more

Should I Call The Midwife?

Research shows that involving a midwife in your pregnancy could reduce medical interventions. Read more