Home Births Rise 47% in Massachusetts

The home birth rate in Massachusetts rose 47% since the pandemic began according to a new CDC report. This surpasses the 22% rise in home births nationally. The increase was significantly higher among Black birthing people than for the overall population, a trend that has been previously attributed to the intersection of the pandemic and the Black maternal health crisis.

Studies prior to the pandemic have shown that interest in home birth far outstripped its rate, but the pandemic seems to have tipped the scales and more families are choosing this option. As the pandemic and its impact on our hospitals persists, the demand for home births has not abated. The closure of 2 of the 3 freestanding birth centers in Massachusetts may be another factor driving more families to turn to home birth. (Cambridge Birth Center has been closed since spring of 2020, and North Shore Birth Center in Beverly is temporarily closed, leaving just Seven Sisters Birth Center in Northampton still operating. Another birth center is planned to open in Boston in 2023.)

Unfortunately, home birth midwifery care still remains out of reach for most families as Certified Professional Midwives are not yet licensed in Massachusetts nor covered by insurance or Medicaid/MassHealth. We continue to lag most of the nation when it comes to integrating midwives and out-of-hospital birthing options into our maternity care system. Why is midwifery important? As reported by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission in 2021, expanding midwifery care results in fewer maternal and infant deaths, fewer C-sections, fewer birth complications, lower costs, and reduced health disparities.