MI State of Birth Justice
The MI State of Birth Justice is a community coalition working to build urban-rural partnerships to increase access to midwifery care across the state of Michigan. Our purpose is to educate, inform, and engage our communities statewide in realizing Birth Justice.
We did it! The Birth Center Bill has officially passed and been enacted into law!
Urgent Call to Action
The Michigan Momnibus is on the move!! This package has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support- we now need your help to move it through the House.
We ask that you urge Michigan Speaker Hall and Chair VanderWall to schedule a Health Policy Committee hearing for the Michigan Momnibus Package.
To make it easy to take action, we’ve provided a simple script.
Michigan Speaker Matt Hall
Phone: (517) 373-1784
Email: MattHall@house.mi.gov
Dear Speaker Hall,
As Speaker of the House, we urge you to call for a hearing for the Michigan Momnibus bills (SBs 29-39) in the Health Policy Committee.
The Michigan Momnibus received bipartisan support in the Senate. We request a Health Policy hearing in the House. Midwives are increasingly recognized as a critical solution to addressing maternity care deserts—areas with limited or no access to obstetric providers, affecting roughly one-third of Michigan counties.
We call for a Hearing in Health Policy on the Michigan Momnibus! These critical bills will help growing Michigan families.
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Accessible Care: Midwives are trained to provide comprehensive care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period
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Improved Outcomes: Evidence suggests that increasing access to midwife-led care can reduce the likelihood of preterm births.
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Limiting Obstetric Violence: Unjust care is a barrier to quality, safe care, and has been reported all over the state. These bills help mitigate harm. Perinatal care rooted in love in all settings for birth.
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Informed Consent: Strengthening consent matters in Health care
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Transfer: Transferring between levels of care in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum should be seamless
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Doula care: Doulas are essential to a healthy landscape for Michigan families.
Michigan families need your leadership—please schedule a Health Policy hearing and full House chamber vote for these bipartisan bills.
Sincerely Signed a Michigan Voter,
(Name Here)
(Home Address Here)
Michigan Speaker Curtis VanderWall
Phone: (517) 373-1747
Email: CurtisVanderWall@house.mi.gov
Dear Chair VanderWall,
As Chair of the Health Policy Committee in the Michigan House, we urge you to schedule a hearing for the Michigan Momnibus Bills, SBs 29-32, 34, 36-39.
The Michigan Momnibus received bipartisan support in the Senate. We request a Health Policy hearing in the House. Midwives are increasingly recognized as a critical solution to addressing maternity care deserts—areas with limited or no access to obstetric providers, affecting roughly one-third of Michigan counties.
We call for a Hearing in Health Policy on the Michigan Momnibus! These critical Bills will help growing Michigan families.
-
Accessible Care: Midwives are trained to provide comprehensive care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period
-
Improved Outcomes: Evidence suggests that increasing access to midwife-led care can reduce the likelihood of preterm births.
-
Limiting Obstetric Violence: Unjust care is a barrier to quality, safe care, and has been reported all over the state. These bills help mitigate harm. Perinatal care rooted in love in all settings for birth.
-
Informed Consent: Strengthening consent matters in Health care
-
Transfer: Transferring between levels of care in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum should be seamless
-
Doula care: Doulas are essential to a healthy landscape for Michigan families.
Michigan families need your leadership—please schedule a Health Policy hearing for these bipartisan bills with recommendation they be voted on in the House.
Sincerely Signed a Michigan Voter,
(Name Here)
(Home Address Here)
Your voice matters!
The Need
Birth Justice advocates across the state, especially those serving families in urban and rural areas, are working to address structural inequities and improve perinatal health in Michigan. Licensing birth centers and reimbursing midwifery care across birth settings are two important strategies. There are many barriers limiting the reach of this crucial work. Together, we can decrease these barriers.
The Center for American Progress
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Michigan is the only state in the country whose benchmark plan explicitly excludes birth center coverage. Also, Michigan is explicitly excluded in home birth coverage as well.
Currently, over 30% of counties in Michigan do not have access to maternity care.
Together, we can make birth centers and maternal care more accessible to improve Birth Equity across the state of Michigan.
State of Birth Justice Event 2024
Birth Detroit, Mothering Justice, Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice, and the State of Birth Justice collaborated to host an annual community event in April 2024.