“If people lose the right to say where and how they birth . . . then they will have lost something that's as dear to life as breathing.”
― Ami McKay, The Birth House
The NYC Homebirth Collective
The NYC Homebirth Collective is the community advocacy organization for active practicing and retired homebirth midwives in the NYC area. Together we represent one of the most thriving homebirth communities with the largest number of masters and doctoral prepared homebirth midwives in the country.
The NYC Homebirth Collective is where homebirth midwives provide ongoing support for each other through monthly meetings, mentoring, peer-review, continuing education, review the latest research, standards of care in home birth, and cases from within our Collective and across the country.
Additionally we collaborate with a network of physicians and midwives in the NYC area who support our practices when we need consultation or transfer to a higher level of care, both of which will always be necessary for safe homebirth. We actively educate midwives, physicians, other healthcare providers, and the public at large on the benefits of homebirth and safe homebirth practices. While our practices are tiny, we never work alone.
In a birth culture still ruled by a coercive, patriarchal, authoritative, white supremacist, degree-worshipping medical model, homebirth midwives remain at the bottom of the hierarchy. Our greatest resource is each other.
We are largely misunderstood by the medical community, including many OBGYN's, hospital based midwives and organizations, and labor & delivery nurses, if not overtly held in disdain.
Homebirth midwives largely work in isolation. Each of us takes on great personal risk to work in the homebirth setting. While we are not beholden to the productivity rules of a hospital administration, we practice homebirth at great cost to ourselves, our families, and our own health.
No one clears the way for us.
We must clear the way ourselves.
This is why the NYC Homebirth Collective exists.
The NYC Homebirth Collective is where homebirth midwives provide ongoing support for each other through monthly meetings, mentoring, peer-review, continuing education, review the latest research, standards of care in home birth, and cases from within our Collective and across the country.
Additionally we collaborate with a network of physicians and midwives in the NYC area who support our practices when we need consultation or transfer to a higher level of care, both of which will always be necessary for safe homebirth. We actively educate midwives, physicians, other healthcare providers, and the public at large on the benefits of homebirth and safe homebirth practices. While our practices are tiny, we never work alone.
In a birth culture still ruled by a coercive, patriarchal, authoritative, white supremacist, degree-worshipping medical model, homebirth midwives remain at the bottom of the hierarchy. Our greatest resource is each other.
We are largely misunderstood by the medical community, including many OBGYN's, hospital based midwives and organizations, and labor & delivery nurses, if not overtly held in disdain.
- We are not compensated equally to hospital providers by insurance companies.
- We do not receive health or retirement benefits.
- We don't do shift work. The babies come when they come.
- We are on-call 24/7/365 for our entire careers and receive no paid time off.
Homebirth midwives largely work in isolation. Each of us takes on great personal risk to work in the homebirth setting. While we are not beholden to the productivity rules of a hospital administration, we practice homebirth at great cost to ourselves, our families, and our own health.
- We carry our bags and oxygen tanks up sixth floor walk-ups.
- We do not have special parking privileges in NYC, as MD's who do not make house-calls do.
- We are regularly greeted by orange tickets on our windshields after finishing up overnight at a birth.
- We have not been granted flashing lights as EMT's have been so we rush at our own risk to get to our clients.
No one clears the way for us.
We must clear the way ourselves.
This is why the NYC Homebirth Collective exists.
Our Commitment to Quality and Safety
Quality and safety are important to every family, regardless of where they choose to birth. The safety of homebirth has been proven time and again (cite here). The NYC Homebirth Collective holds each midwife accountable for safe practices through the following:
- Birth in the Community Setting in New York State: NYSALM Guidelines for Best Practice
- Each homebirth practice in the NYC Homebirth Collective follows these guidelines when advising clients on making decisions about their care. The guidelines are evidence-based for best community-based outcomes, while always respecting individual clients' autonomy using a shared decision making process without the use of coercion.
- NYC Homebirth Collective Peer Review Process
- Bimonthly we meet in person to formally review each case with co-management, collaboration, or hospital transfer. The providing midwife presents their case and receives feedback and recommendations based on the care they provided. Feedback is provided in a constructive manner to promote a cohesive community and avoid isolation.
- Scientific research has proven time and time again that the key to improving outcomes in homebirth is integration of the transfer process into the hospital system. (cite here) The NYC Homebirth Collective continually strives to improve relationships with local hospitals and evaluates the transfer process of each individual case, course correcting and collaborating to promote ideal outcomes. Part of the peer review process is identifying what parts of the transfer process may be improved.
- Identifying topics for continuing education, research, or gaps in knowledge allow the Collective to provide a standard of care for homebirth based on the needs of the Collective.
- Published 2020 NYC Homebirth Statistics
- Homebirth Outcomes for all NYC Homebirth Collective practices will be published and presented to the public each year.
- They will be available on the website for review.
