A birth center is a home-like place where midwives provide prenatal, birth, and postpartum care.

Birth centers are freestanding and not in hospitals. Community birth centers provide safe, culturally relevant, midwifery-led healthcare for all.(1)

Birth Detroit’s Easy Access Clinic™ provides prenatal care by midwives.

We have relationships with providers all over the Metro Detroit area and are happy to initiate a warm handoff to trusted provider.

Research shows that 80% of people giving birth in the United States could safely give birth in a birth center.(2)

Birth centers are a safe choice for low-risk pregnancy and an essential part of an integrated health system.

Birth Detroit is actively pursuing accreditation through the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC).

Continuous learning, quality improvement and the pursuit of excellence are among our highest priorities.(10)

Birth Detroit is committed to safety, accountability and best practice. Adverse outcomes are avoided by ongoing risk assessment and adherence to eligibility criteria, as well as the use of evidence-based protocols for comprehensive perinatal care and strong transfer partnerships.

Clients requiring interventions not appropriate in a birth center are transferred to the appropriate level of care in a timely manner.(2)

Community birth centers, especially those led by Black, Indigenous, people of color provide safe, culturally relevant care to meet the needs of communities of color facing high maternal and infant mortality rates and perinatal clinic and hospital closures nationwide.

Community birth centers like Birth Detroit are designed to honor cultural and spiritual traditions, reflect stories and dreams, and heal the frustrations and traumas of people and families who are not usually centered in the design of healthcare spaces.(1)

Birth centers can improve public health outcomes. Birth center care improves birth outcomes, increases satisfaction; and, if it is culturally responsive, can make a life-or-death difference for people of color by reducing disparities in care.

A 2022 study suggests that culturally affirming care provided by Black, Indigenous, people of color-led birth centers benefits all birthing people – regardless of race and can be protective for Black birthing people. (11)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid study also found that birth center participants achieved better birth outcomes at a 21% lower overall cost.(9)

“Collaboration within an integrated maternity care system is essential for optimal mother-baby outcomes.” (12)

Community birth center care offers options not typically available in other settings such as longer perinatal visits, extensive comfort measures, companions of choice, earlier discharge and home visits that provide birthing people with more freedom and autonomy over their birth care.(13)

Birth center care provided by certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and licensed midwives (LMs) also helps address the increasing shortage of maternity care providers in the U.S.(5)

Freestanding birth centers are partners in integrated health care systems. The Birth Settings in America report states that “integration creates a single, coordinated, high-functioning system and is an important driver of safety,” and that the integration of midwifery into a state’s maternal care system can improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.(6)Birth Detroit will provide community-based prenatal and postpartum care with the option of a birth center birth, and will work to partner with local hospitals to uphold birthing people’s right to “respectful, safe, and seamless consultation, referral, transport and transfer of care when necessary”.(12) Birth Detroit estimates seeing up to 500 birthing people annually for perinatal care, with potentially 100 birthing people choosing the option of birth center birth.

Most major private insurance companies contract with birth centers.(7) Medicaid is required to cover birth center care in states that license birth centers (8). The state of Birth Justice Coalition along with Birth Detroit just had legislation signed into law to license birth centers in Michigan in February of 2025. Birth Detroit will be reimbursed by Medicaid because of this legislation.

Please check with your insurance provider as they may not reimburse for our services.

We prioritize the safety of both mother and baby, with well-established protocols for emergency transfers to local hospitals if needed.

Birth Detroit has a transfer agreement with Henry Ford Hospital in cases where emergency care is needed.

Please check with your insurance as they may not reimburse for our services.

Attend an Open House to learn more about our birth center and the personalized care we offer. This event will help you to decide if Birth Detroit is the right choice for you.

You can register to attend an open house here: Open House Registration