Why Homebirth?

Birth should be safe, supported, and centered around the needs of the family.

For many Black families, pregnancy and birth unfold within a healthcare system where disparities in treatment and outcomes remain profound. Even after accounting for income, education, and insurance status, Black women continue to experience significantly higher rates of pregnancy-related complications and death than their white counterparts.

These inequities are not the result of biology. They are the result of generations of structural inequities, unequal access to care, chronic stress, and racism within our healthcare systems.

The result is a maternal health crisis that continues to impact Black families across the United States.

  • Three x

    Black women are approximately three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.

  • Two x

    Black infants are twice as likely to die before their first birthday.

  • Thousands

    Average out-of-pocket cost of homebirth for many Texas families.

  • Home birth isn't the right choice for every pregnancy, and we believe families deserve access to all forms of safe, evidence-based maternity care.

    But for healthy, low-risk pregnancies cared for by qualified midwives, planned home birth can offer something our healthcare system often struggles to provide:

    • Longer prenatal appointments

    • Continuity of care with the same provider

    • Shared decision making

    • Lower rates of unnecessary interventions

    • Greater autonomy during labor and birth

    • Care that honors the whole person—not just the pregnancy

    For many Black families, this kind of relationship-centered care can be deeply meaningful.

  • Research continues to show that patients often experience better communication, greater trust, and higher satisfaction when cared for by providers who understand their lived experiences.

    Yet Black midwives remain dramatically underrepresented in the United States.

    Increasing the number of Black midwives isn't simply about representation.

    It's about expanding access to culturally affirming care, strengthening communities, and ensuring that more families have the opportunity to choose providers who understand both the medical and cultural realities of their lives.

  • The challenge is that home birth often comes with significant out-of-pocket costs.

    While hospital births are frequently covered by insurance, many home birth practices require families to pay thousands of dollars themselves. For many families, cost—not desire—is what determines where they give birth.

    At the same time, aspiring Black midwives face substantial educational expenses, licensing costs, clinical training requirements, and lost income while completing their education.

    Financial barriers exist on both sides of the birth experience.

  • BHBMATX exists to remove some of those barriers.

    Through community-funded grants, we help:

    • Offset the cost of home birth for Black families in Central Texas.

    • Support Black student midwives as they complete their education and clinical training.

    • Strengthen a future where culturally affirming maternity care is more accessible for everyone.

    Every dollar invested supports healthier births today while helping grow the next generation of Black midwives tomorrow.

Better birth outcomes begin before labor.

Safer births begin with access.

With trust.

With providers who listen.

With communities that believe every family deserves respectful care.

When we invest in Black families and Black midwives, we're investing in healthier generations to come.