We started out on a mission to support safer birth options in Ohio.
Through the efforts of people like you, we will be able to continue making laws that ensure the safety of moms and babies remain a priority across the US.
Bringing ancestral values back into perinatal and infant care.
WHEN ANCIENT ROOTS MEETS MODERN MEDICINE
Midwifery is one of the world’s oldest professions. Midwives in ancient cultures were deeply respected community healers that brought in experience, wisdom, and intuition to their work.
We have evidence that this model of care still holds true for modern times. When mothers feel supported physically, emotionally, culturally, and spiritually, they have better birth outcomes.
“All women should be allowed the right to make choices for their pregnancy and births, and should be thought of as the main care provider for their baby’s pregnancy and birth. This basic right is at the crux of the Midwives Model of Care.”
- MEGHAN NOWLAND, CPM
Major Milestones: From Conception to Today…
Buckeye Birth Coalition, a 501©4 nonprofit organization was formed by Meghan Nowland in 2019 to unite professional and consumer stakeholders from across Ohio to advocate for safer birth options. At the time, Meghan Nowland was a founding board member of the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives and served on their legislative committee. She had been meeting with legislators to discuss midwifery legislation since 2017. In that role she saw a need to create a separate more inclusive organization, bringing together consumers and advocates to combat birthing mortality.
2019
In the summer of 2020 the initial board of Jamaica Gilliam, Meghan Nowland, Lauren Wales, MacKenzie Fischer, Bree Hope, Jocqueline Pressley, and Erica Manto Paulson formed. During this time, Birthing Beautiful Communities, a nonprofit located in Cleveland, found a champion for legislation to license Certified and Certified Professional Midwives in Ohio and a bill was introduced into the House. Because this piece of legislation was not led by a midwife, nor by the Ohio chapter of the American Nurse Midwives, or the Ohio chapter of Certified Professional Midwives, some confusion ensued among midwives in the state. DSD Advisors were engaged by Buckeye Birth Coalition to help push the legislation forward.
2020
In 2021 many interested parties meetings took place and in 2022 the Ohio nurse midwives came to a neutral stance.
2021
HB 496 was introduced in 2022 to license certain types of midwives. Republican representative Kyle Koehler pushed it forward in the House. It was assigned to Families, Aging, and Human Services and received 2 hearings and both proponent and opponent testimonies. Over 70 people submitted proponent testimony! We received support from Chair Manchester, as well as Assistant Majority Whip Adams and Majority Floor Leader Seitz.
2022
In 2023 we focused on finding compromises for the opponents of the legislation and were successfully able to shift the opponents, including the Community Midwives of Ohio, from opposed to neutral and proponents. Compromises included creating an autonomous midwifery board under the department of Commerce, prohibiting breeches except in emergency situations, and requiring breech skills training for midwives. We launched the Provider Network and began hosting regular brunches.
2023
HB 545 was introduced by Republicans Riordan McClain and Melanie Miller. It made it to the opponent's testimony and had no opponents.
2024
In 2025 HB 224 was introduced and assigned to the Healthcare Committee. Chair Schmidt currently holds up the legislation opposing out-of-hospital birth. Our sponsors are working to find a suitable placement to reintroduce the substitute bill and plan to introduce a companion bill in the Senate. We have support from the Speaker of the House. Our organization changed the name to United Birth Coalition to expand our mission to other states.
2025
2026 looks favorable for passage with Kyle Koheler in Senate and Representatives McClain and Miller.
2026
Beyond the 4th Trimester...
Track our growth in policy change and what steps come next.
