Alabama Home Birth Fund
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The Alabama Birth Fund strongly believes home birth should be accessible to a diversity of families, and we are aiming to provide the funds to annually support 10 low-risk, low-income birthing persons with access to home birth care with licensed midwives beginning in 2021. Our intention is to make home birth a possibility for families who would otherwise be unable to afford it, prioritizing women of color in an effort to combat the racial inequities that persist in maternal health.
photo credit: Hello Baby Co
Background
Alabama ranks third highest in the nation in maternal death rates, as Alabama women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications at more than double the rate of women nationally. Nationally, Black women are 3-4x more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. As of 2015 in Alabama , the death rate for black women was 27.6% versus 5.6% for white women dying from pregnancy and childbirth complications, with 60% of those deaths occurring after the birth. One way to address this crisis is increasing access to high quality care during pregnancy, labor, birth, and throughout the postpartum period with compassionate and skilled care providers for low-income birthing persons who would otherwise be unable to afford such services.
Logistics
When initial funding is raised to support at least 2-3 families, we will announce the application process for those who are interested in applying. While anyone with financial difficulties is encouraged to apply, we will be prioritizing pregnant people of color and families on Medicaid. After reviewing applications, we will connect qualified applicants with licensed midwives in the state of Alabama for further screening. With safety being of the utmost importance, all potential applicants will be screened for medical risk and only low-risk candidates will be considered. Alabama Birth Fund will then cover all or a portion of a discounted $3500 fee per birth, depending on a family’s ability to pay and their income. Unfortunately, due to Alabama law, we are unable to provide home birth services to birthing persons pregnant with multiples or with a history of previous cesarean section.
In order to be notified when funding is available, please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Midwives Currently Participating in the Alabama Birth Fund
Lauren Collins, LM, MSM, CPM
Jo Crawford, LM, CPM
Christine Litas, LM, CPM
Nancy Megginson, LM, CPM
Rebekah Myrick, LM, CPM
Laura Reeder, LM, CPM
Hamilton Yarbrough, MSN, CNM, CPM, RN
photo credit: Rosanna Marie
If you are interested in learning more about midwifery laws in Alabama, see The Alabama State Board of Midwifery - http://alsbm.org/
To learn more about Alabama midwives and find one who services your area, visit the Alabama Midwives Alliance - http://www.alabamamidwivesalliance.org/
Check out Save Alabama Moms for more information and statistics about the health of Alabama mothers -
https://alabamamedicine.org/savealmoms/#1574276262217-89a9a056-1e3d
World Health Organization’s Recommendation on Postnatal Care - https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/postnatal-care-recommendations/en/
For current information regarding AL’s maternal mortality rates, see this news article from Feb 2020: “Alabama has third-highest death rate of mothers in the nation, new federal report says”
https://www.al.com/news/2020/02/alabama-has-third-highest-death-rate-of-mothers-in-the-nation-new-federal-report-says.html
For research and statistics on home birth - https://www.birthplacelab.org/homebirth-an-annotated-guide-to-the-literature/
To learn about the evidence regarding the safety of home birth for low-risk pregnancies visit the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives - https://nacpm.org/about-cpms/evidence/
If you would like more Cesarean information and local hospital rates, please find your local International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) chapter - https://www.ican-online.org/find-a-chapter-2/
photo credit: Hello Baby Co Background
Alabama ranks third highest in the nation in maternal death rates, as Alabama women die from pregnancy and childbirth complications at more than double the rate of women nationally. Nationally, Black women are 3-4x more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. As of 2015 in Alabama , the death rate for black women was 27.6% versus 5.6% for white women dying from pregnancy and childbirth complications, with 60% of those deaths occurring after the birth. One way to address this crisis is increasing access to high quality care during pregnancy, labor, birth, and throughout the postpartum period with compassionate and skilled care providers for low-income birthing persons who would otherwise be unable to afford such services.
Logistics
When initial funding is raised to support at least 2-3 families, we will announce the application process for those who are interested in applying. While anyone with financial difficulties is encouraged to apply, we will be prioritizing pregnant people of color and families on Medicaid. After reviewing applications, we will connect qualified applicants with licensed midwives in the state of Alabama for further screening. With safety being of the utmost importance, all potential applicants will be screened for medical risk and only low-risk candidates will be considered. Alabama Birth Fund will then cover all or a portion of a discounted $3500 fee per birth, depending on a family’s ability to pay and their income. Unfortunately, due to Alabama law, we are unable to provide home birth services to birthing persons pregnant with multiples or with a history of previous cesarean section.
In order to be notified when funding is available, please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Midwives Currently Participating in the Alabama Birth Fund
Lauren Collins, LM, MSM, CPM
Jo Crawford, LM, CPM
Christine Litas, LM, CPM
Nancy Megginson, LM, CPM
Rebekah Myrick, LM, CPM
Laura Reeder, LM, CPM
Hamilton Yarbrough, MSN, CNM, CPM, RN
photo credit: Rosanna MarieIf you are interested in learning more about midwifery laws in Alabama, see The Alabama State Board of Midwifery - http://alsbm.org/
To learn more about Alabama midwives and find one who services your area, visit the Alabama Midwives Alliance - http://www.alabamamidwivesalliance.org/
Check out Save Alabama Moms for more information and statistics about the health of Alabama mothers -
https://alabamamedicine.org/savealmoms/#1574276262217-89a9a056-1e3d
World Health Organization’s Recommendation on Postnatal Care - https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/postnatal-care-recommendations/en/
For current information regarding AL’s maternal mortality rates, see this news article from Feb 2020: “Alabama has third-highest death rate of mothers in the nation, new federal report says”
https://www.al.com/news/2020/02/alabama-has-third-highest-death-rate-of-mothers-in-the-nation-new-federal-report-says.html
For research and statistics on home birth - https://www.birthplacelab.org/homebirth-an-annotated-guide-to-the-literature/
To learn about the evidence regarding the safety of home birth for low-risk pregnancies visit the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives - https://nacpm.org/about-cpms/evidence/
If you would like more Cesarean information and local hospital rates, please find your local International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) chapter - https://www.ican-online.org/find-a-chapter-2/
Organizer
Alabama Birth Fund
Organizer
Birmingham, AL