I have a dream. 

Did you know?

The state of Mississippi consistently leads the country in adverse birth outcomes and C-section rates. Mississippi also boasts the lowest breastfeeding rates. 

Did you know?

Midwifery care can change all of that. In fact, studies have shown that midwifery care can improve outcomes even if someone doesn't birth with a midwife. I think people deserve to be born in a beautiful space with people who are welcoming them in the best way possible. Midwifery care is an age-old nuance that has been around forever. It works!

I have a dream that right here in the dirt of Mississippi we can create an oasis of sorts. I dream of a space where individuals can come and learn to be midwives in their own communities without the financial burden for training. I dream of a space where, if needed, people can come and birth safely without paying anything. I dream of a space where people can come for quality prenatal care at no cost to them. I dream of a location where birth workers can come for a complimentary reprieve to prevent burnout.

My dream is for approximately 10 acres of land with a couple of small houses where people can give birth. They would also serve as a space for individuals to come learn the art and wisdom of practicing traditional midwifery. This would be a place where herbs can grow freely and you can learn southern herbalism. It would be a space for teaching homeopathy and have an apothecary. It would be a homestead of sorts with an herbal garden and even bees for local honey. 

I have a dream. 

Will you help this dream come true?

Donations can be made via Venmo to @Toni-Hill-11.

Greetings!

We hope you and your families are well. There are hundreds of expectant families wondering if this global pandemic will affect them, their pregnancy, their family, and their unborn baby. We assure you we have the same concerns for ourselves, our own families, our clients, and community as well. Midwives have been rooted in every community since communities began. Our care for women and their families has been a pillar in every community on the planet. The idea that women can physiologically have their babies without intervention is not new. Physiological birth, also known as low intervention, or “natural” birth has been shown to be very beneficial for mothers and babies worldwide.

For good reason, there are lots of families who have some anxiety surrounding their impending birth. Some are finding out daily that things are changing at their chosen birth location and are unsure what birth will look like when their time comes to welcome their new baby. We assure you that your concerns are not unheard. The midwives of Mississippi Midwives’ Alliance hear your concerns and hold those and other concerns close to our hearts.

Midwives are frontline workers when it comes to the care of low risk mothers and babies in out of hospital environments. Some families choose midwifery care as soon as they have the earliest inkling that they may have a baby on the way the same way others choose the medical model of care. Mississippi has too few midwives who specialize in out of hospital birth. Mississippi does not currently provide licensure for midwives. Most insurance companies do cover out of hospital birth. Many practices are full many months in advance.

The midwives of MMA understand that parents are facing many new restrictions at their medical facility of choice. This is a scary and uncertain time, with hospital policies changing almost hourly. There may be some midwives who are taking new clients, but many don't have the capacity to take clients late to care. Keep in mind, even though clients are coming into care late, fees can’t be discounted and the strict criteria we maintain for low risk mothers remains the same.

Midwives, like many OB/GYN practices, have gone to some telemedicine visits with their clients. Families may find that some midwives can begin telemed prenatals, even though the midwife may not be able to provide care during the birth of the baby. Some midwives also can be very helpful in the time postpartum by doing postpartum telemed, lactation counseling, or general health assessments for new parents and their newborns. Each midwife will be different in what she decides to do for her community so utilize our directory and contact each midwife directly with any individual questions. Expectant families will find that midwives will be happy to hear from them and answer any question they have during a consultation.

Cordially,
​
The midwives’ of the MMA