Midwives change lives—and so can your story. Whether you’ve received midwifery care, worked alongside midwives, or witnessed their impact in your community, your experiences can help shape policies that ensure everyone has access to respectful, evidence-based, and person-centered maternity care. 

We work alongside advocates, policymakers, and healthcare leaders to expand access to midwifery and protect the rights of birthing people and families. Personal stories help decision-makers understand what’s at stake and why investing in midwifery care is essential. 

Use the prompts below as inspiration—or simply share your experience in the Freeform Story Share section. You’re welcome to share more than one story. Please include your name and email before submitting. 

Please Note: Your story may be shared with legislators, policymakers, media outlets, and included in blogs, reports, advocacy campaigns, and other public education materials. 

1. Access to Midwifery Care 

• Did you have access to midwifery care during your pregnancy? What helped—or made it harder—to choose a midwife? 
• Were midwives covered by your insurance? Were there enough midwives in your area? 
• How would expanding access to midwifery improve care for people in your community? 

2. Birth Experience 

• Where did you give birth (home, birth center, hospital)? What role did your midwife play? 
• How did midwifery care support your choices and safety during labor and birth? 
• What would you want every birthing person to experience based on your birth? 

3. Postpartum Support 

• What kind of follow-up care did you receive after birth from your midwife? 
• How did midwifery care support your mental health, infant feeding, or recovery? 
• What resources or care were missing in the postpartum period? 

4. Culturally Responsive & Respectful Care 

• Did your midwife provide care that respected your culture, language, identity, and values? 
• How did your care experience compare to other types of providers you've seen? 
• What would you change to make maternity care more equitable and inclusive? 

5. Midwives in Rural and Underserved Communities 

• Is midwifery care available where you live? 
• How could more midwives or birth centers help people in your area? 
• What barriers are there to getting care outside major cities or hospital systems? 

6. Continuity of Care & Shared Decision-Making 

• How did your midwife involve you in decisions about your care? 
• Did you feel informed, respected, and heard throughout your experience? 
• Why is relationship-based, continuous care important to you? 

7. Midwives as Part of the Healthcare Team 

• Did your midwife work with other providers (OBs, pediatricians, doulas, etc.)? 
• How did that team approach affect your experience or outcomes? 
• How could healthcare systems better integrate midwives? 

8. Education, Licensing & Policy 

• Were you aware of the different types of midwives (e.g. CPM, CNM, CM)? 
• What do you wish policymakers understood about midwives and the care they provide? 
• Have licensing, legal, or regulatory issues affected your ability to access midwifery care? 

9. Freeform Story Share 

Do you have a different experience or topic you’d like to share? This is your space to tell your story in your own words. Share what matters most to YOU. 

10. How would you like your story shared? 

✅ Feel free to share my story with my first name and the state where I live 
✅ Keep my story anonymous