What is community birth?
Community births are births that are planned to occur in non-hospital settings, such as at home or a birth center. The community birth ecosystem also includes services related to perinatal health that happen in the community, which can include doula supports, postpartum social support, and lactation support.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) is working to increase equitable access to community birth services through several approaches:
- Standardizing the regulations and integration of certified professional midwives (CPMs)
- Updating birth center regulations
- Developing a statewide system for transfer of care from community to hospital
- Expanding the contributions of doulas and midwives in perinatal home visiting
- Providing grants to community birth organizations
Community Birth Integration Initiatives
Standardizing the access to and regulation of certified professional midwives (CPMs)
A certified professional midwife (CPM) is a skilled and trained professional who provides clinical care for birthing people from pre-conception through postpartum period, as well as education and support for their families. CPMs scope of practice includes labor and delivery care in home or birth center settings.
CPMs have a unique approach to care that emphasizes the importance of patient autonomy, shared decision making, and management of conception, pregnancy, delivery, and the post-birth transitions as normal biological processes. CPMs specialize in low-risk pregnancies, and care for people without underlying complex medical needs. CPMs are also trained to recognize and manage perinatal emergencies, including facilitating and expediting transfer of care to obstetricians or other healthcare providers when necessary.
CPMs services include:
- Providing well-woman care, including annual exams, preconception care, and contraceptive counseling
- Providing primary management of a low-risk pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum period
- Providing neonatal resuscitation
- Managing obstetric hemorrhage
- Recognizing and managing pre-eclampsia and eclampsia
- Providing breastfeeding support and newborn care
In 2024, the landmark Maternal Health Bill called for the regulation of CPMs through licensure. The Board of Midwifery was inaugurated in 2025, and licensing will be available in early 2026. You can learn more about the Board of Midwifery and licensure on the Board of Registration in Midwifery website.
Connecting pregnant & birthing people to certified professional midwives (CPM)
If you are looking for a certified professional midwife, please contact the following organizations:
- Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association for Certified Professional Midwives (MA-NACPM): The Massachusetts Chapter of the NACPM serves as the local arm of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. The NACPM is committed to the advancement of the CPM credential, building CPM workforce diversity, and advocating for integration of CPMs into every facet of reproductive and perinatal care consistent with our scope of practice.
- Massachusetts Midwives Alliance (MMA): The Massachusetts Midwives Alliance is a professional trade organization created by and for a dynamic and diverse group of birth workers. The MMA was founded to build cooperation among midwives, and to promote midwifery as a means of improving health care for women and their families.
Updating birth center regulations
In 2024, the Department of Public Health updated its birth center regulations to enable more equitable access to opening and operating birth centers in the state. To learn more about the updated regulations please view 130 CMR 457.000: Freestanding Birth Center Services.
Seven Sisters Midwifery Center is currently the only operating birth center in the state. If you’re looking for birth center care, you can learn about their services on SevenSistersMidwifery.com. Three additional birth centers are in development, with plans to open in 2026-2027.
Developing a statewide system for transfer of care from community to hospital
The safe and meaningful integration of community birth into the maternal health ecosystem requires the establishment of systems for transfer of care from community to hospital settings. DPH is currently working with hospitals, obstetric units, community midwives, and EMS systems to develop transfer of care guidelines, protocols and implement drills.
If you are a community midwife, hospital or EMS system looking for more information about transfer of care, please contact Cristina Alonso at Cristina.E.AlonsoLord@mass.gov or Rebecca Herman at Rebecca.Herman@mass.gov.
Expanding the contributions of doulas and midwives in perinatal home visiting
Many birthing families will benefit from receiving perinatal services and care in their home or neighborhood. From lactation support, remote blood pressure monitoring, to screening for perinatal mood disorders, community birth workers play a vital role in ensuring all birthing families have access to high quality care, and in the Commonwealth’s work to eliminate health inequities. Alongside the clinical care provided by midwives, doulas are a non-medical group of professionals who provide emotional and social support to people giving birth. Visit the Doula Initiative page to learn more.
Providing grants to community birth organizations
Beginning in 2024, DPH has been issuing grants to community birth organizations and birth centers to support non-governmental partners working to advance community birth integration, and access to midwifery and doula care. A new call for proposals for FY26 birth center grants will be released in December 2025.
Contact Community Birth Integration Team
Rebecca Herman, CPM, MPH
Rebecca.Herman@mass.gov
Director, Community Birth and Doula Integration
Sonia Chang, MS
Sonia.Chang@mass.gov
Project Coordinator, Community Birth and Doula Integration