Impact
Midwives fill critical gaps in care, especially in rural and underserved communities. They center trust, cultural understanding, and informed consent—reducing birth trauma and improving outcomes.
But midwives still face barriers.
Licensure and reimbursement rates vary by state, leaving many unable to practice legally and sustainably. A Certified Professional Midwife celebrated in one state can be criminalized just across the border.
Fully integrated midwifery care leads to:
Our Goals
The ARREST THE MIDWIFE campaign is rooted in the following goals:
- Expand awareness of the full range of birthing options
- Promote midwifery as a key solution to the maternal health crisis
- Educate communities about pro-midwifery policies and legislation
- Mobilize support against the criminalization of midwives
- Build trust and unity across the birth worker community
The Stakes
Maternal Healthcare in Crisis
- The United States is one of the most dangerous places in the developed world to give birth.
- Every day, two women lose their lives to pregnancy or childbirth—deaths that are 80% preventable.
- Black women are four times more likely to die in the perinatal period than white women.
- Our system is more medicalized, more expensive, and delivers worse outcomes than any other high income nation.
Gaps in Care
- Cuts to Medicaid, hospital closures, and provider shortages have left 1 in 3 U.S. counties without a single birthing facility.
- Over 100 rural hospitals have closed their labor and delivery units since 2020, deepening the crisis for rural and BIPOC families.
Lack of Choice & Rising Birth Trauma
- In most hospitals, birth is treated as an emergency, not a natural process.
Interventions are often rushed or done without consent, leaving 1 in 3 women with birth trauma. - Few people realize they have a choice in where and how they give birth—or that midwives offer a safer, more empowering model of care.