Give the Gift of
Midwifery
Mountain Laurel Midwifery
Open Hands
Mission Statement
Midwifery, in particular the midwifery model of care, is the primary health care for women. Key elements of the midwifery model of care are normality, emphasis on physiological birth with minimal, evidenced-based interventions, Informed Consent and empowerment of the woman and family. These ideas are seen in the context of both human rights, and reproductive justice. Mountain Laurel Midwifery relies on the midwifery model of care to reduce the maternal and perinatal mortality/morbidity rates, with particular attention to rates amongst Black women, and to assure equitable access to safe and respectful maternity care for all women.
This page is to raise money for the not-profit organization Mountain Laurel Midwifery Open Hands. This not-profit is dedicated to reducing the maternal mortality/morbidity rates in birthing mothers.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (.gov) the Maternal Mortality rate in the U.S. for 2022 was:
- 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births
- 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women
- Nearly 2 out of 3 maternal death rates in the U.S. occur during the postpartum period (42 days after birth).
- The U.S. has a higher maternal mortality rate than most other high income countries. In half of the countries studied, there were fewer than 5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
- 98 % of those who died had Medicaid or were uninsured
The research shows that the growing Black maternal and perinatal mortality rates are a direct reflection of a generations-long, systemic classism, racism, and implicit bias in the health care system. We understand the complexities, violence, racism, and other issues that marginalized women (Black, Brown, Queer) face bringing forth children in this world. In most areas of the United States, midwifery services are not covered by insurance, making homebirth inaccessible to many. We believe parents deserve the choice to have their babies at home (or in midwifery-owned, free-standing birth centers) regardless of their financial situation. The inability to pay for homebirth services disproportionately affects low-income families and people of color.
A new paper from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that investment in midwifery models of care is key to improving outcomes and experiences of care through out pregnancy and birth. Despite this evidenced-based, cost-effective model to improve maternal health, midwives are significantly underutilized. Learn more about the case for implementing the midwifery model of care http://bit.ly/3A2b8aT
Endeavors will include funding for the education of more Certified Professional Midwives, scholarships for expectant parents who otherwise may not afford this care, and ongoing advocacy and activism around midwifery issues.
Initial donations will be used to pay for setup, tax, and legal advice, etc., in furtherance of the non-profit mission.
All donations are tax-deductible. EIN # 99-3804012
“Let choice whisper in your ear and love murmur in your heart. Be ready. Here comes life”
Maya Angelou