It is with sadness that we share there will be a farewell event for the PeaceHealth Nurse Midwifery Birth Center in November. Despite a groundswell of community support and a strong campaign, PeaceHealth is closing the Nurse Midwifery Birth Center and repurposing the building. For the time being, women in our community will no longer have the option of a birth center birth. We won’t rehash the many arguments in support of the current birth center model here, but as we all know, this is a loss to our community.
Everyone who wishes to honor and say farewell to the Nurse Midwifery Birth Center please stay tuned for more information to follow. We are in communication with PeaceHealth regarding plans for this event and will announce the details as soon as they are available. If you are unable to attend, the Birth Center is also open during Baby Clinic hours every Tuesday from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm through November 22.
Because PeaceHealth has fired its staff midwives and now makes available only obstetricians and midwives employed by a private practice, there are not enough midwives to provide 24-7 midwifery services at RiverBend Hospital. This means that families who planned care with the birth center midwives may not receive midwifery care at RiverBend Hospital. We understand this is a very challenging time for families who will not be able to have the birth care they had planned and we want to support them as much as possible.
The Friends of the Birth Center are currently focused on supporting these families who have been forced to change care providers late in their pregnancy. This support includes answering questions we receive and creating a program to ensure that families who have lost their midwives have access to doula care. Birth Center families who are currently pregnant and due in October, November or December may contact The Friends of the Birth Center at lanecofbc@gmail.com for information about doulas. Scholarships are available to help families expecting babies this Fall access doula care, regardless of ability to pay. A doula is not a midwife and does not provide medical care; rather, doulas are trained and certified to provide support to birthing parents throughout every stage. Research shows that doula support improves birth outcomes (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/).
The Friends of the Birth Center remains committed to supporting a freestanding birth center in our community and will continue to advocate for this option. We are excited to share that plans are underway for a new community birth center in Lane County! This new organization will make a public announcement soon, which we look forward to sharing. We will continue to update all of you, Nurse Midwifery Birth Center families and the community, regarding where to find your midwives and your birth center in the future.
