06/29/2022
We will miss this safe place in the Concord Community, but take solace knowing home Midwife services will be available.
A Note From Kate
I want to share that I have made the decision to close the birth center, with our last month being July of 2023. I will be offering home birth services only after that point. There are a few reasons why, which I will highlight here.
It cannot go without saying that the climate of midwifery in the US is changing. While the demand for midwives and out of hospital birth is steadily increasing, the systems in place to support us are lacking. Our medical malpractice insurance, which is required in order to be in network with insurance companies, increased by more than double in the past year. Affordable medical malpractice insurance has been an issue since I started midwifery. I have had to wonder, every year, whether or not I would be able to maintain this expense. This, combined with poor reimbursement rates from insurance companies and Medicaid, makes it impossible to run a sustainable or profitable business without compromising our own work/life balance.
Since my son’s birth, I have been able to take a step back from on-call duties at the Birth Center. I have spent the first year and a half of Monty’s life as a full time, present parent and realized how much I value time with my children and family—and how much I missed with my older daughters. Midwifery is a beautiful calling, but I let myself give more to my clients than my family. It's time to give my family the same dedication I’ve given my calling to midwifery.
With this decrease in my on-call time, I’ve had the time to reflect on why I wanted to be a midwife in the first place. What came out of that was the ability to provide compassionate, personal care that is based on the principles of informed choice. I wanted the ability to teach people how their birth can be a positive and profoundly life changing experience. I also wanted the ability to take time to get to know my clients, and to celebrate life or mourn loss together, with humility, humanity, and loving care as the guiding principles of my practice.
The decision to close the birth center brings me back to those roots. I am so thankful for the last 16 years of this beautiful space and I am looking forward to this last year in it as the new start we all need to our midwifery practices. I will continue to take clients for both home and birth center, but I plan on a much lower volume, with the due date cutoff being July 15, 2023. Clients in my care who are due after that will be planning home births.
As far as the staff of the birth center goes, Bryn will be opening her own home birth practice based out of Loudon. I cannot put to words how much I have appreciated Bryn’s steadfast support for so many years. We plan to continue to work together regularly, assisting each other and covering for each other when needed. Her practice is called Northern Lights Midwifery and she is taking clients due in September 2022 and beyond.
Tessa will be practicing in their home state of Vermont. Tessa, you have been such a gift to our practice in so many ways. Tessa’s practice is called Threshold Community Midwives, providing home birth and IUI services in Central VT.
Nora will remain with me at the birth center, as well as attending births with Bryn and other area midwives. We look forward to continuing to work with her as she transitions into being a certified, licensed midwife.
Sherry will continue her home birth practice, New Life Midwifery, based out of Meredith. Thank you for your help at the center over the last couple years, and for your experience, companionship, and reliability.
I love and appreciate all the students that have grown into midwifery here. Thank you for your commitment and loving care to the center and our clients.
I cannot end this letter without thanking my longtime colleague and friend Cindy Owen. You brought so much to this place, and to me.
Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns. You, our community, are important to us. We all look forward to continuing to serve as your midwives, with a renewed perspective of what we want to give and what we need to take.
