NYC needs a Midwifery Led Birthing Center NOW!

Currently, NYC has only 2 out of the 345 Birthing Centers in the U.S. The U.S. is the only rich country where the rate of maternal mortality is increasing. There are zero midwife-led birth centers in NYC. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to lack of out-of-hospital birth options, those who could afford to, left NYC to give birth or switched to birth centers and home birth practices. In NYC, African American People are up to 12 times more likely to die giving birth than their white counterparts. Overwhelmed hospitals faced PPE shortages, staffing shortages, denied birthing people their basic rights of companionship during birth, and sent patients home with almost no follow up postpartum care, even leading to the death of one black mother. NY State has the 11th highest c-section rate in the U.S. We must prioritize our limited hospital resources for those 15% of high-risk clients that require it. We understand firsthand the challenges of achieving a physiologic birth and they are dedicated to providing families with the highest quality care through Haven Midwifery Birthing Center.