Kentucky Needs Birth Centers (2025)
Doulas and Midwives take on Frankfort, lobbying for birth centers in Kentucky!
You may have seen the photos or new stories on social media, but I wanted to share my personal reflections on advocating for birth options in Kentucky.
| Lobby Day 2025 marked another step in the long fight to bring birth centers to the Bluegrass. I’ve been attending various lobby days for KBC since 2017! And I can still remember stopping by their booth at the Rally to Improve Birth in 2015 to get more information. I remain in awe of the work of everyday moms, midwives, doulas, and folks who care about families having choices. |
| Why Kentucky Doesn’t Have Birth Centers |
| Birth centers are licensed in 40 states…but Kentucky is not one of them. The main roadblock? A CON requirement (certificate of need requirement), which has prevented birth centers from opening for over 40 years. Despite multiple attempts—including a midwife who spent her life savings trying to secure the certificate—hospital legislative power has continuously blocked these efforts. Their argument? Hospitals already provide birth services, so birth centers are unnecessary. Isn’t that nuts!? As birthing families and birth workers know, hospital births and birth center births offer very different experiences, and parents deserve full options!The Kentucky Birth Coalition’s proposed bill aims to remove this certificate of need requirement, making birth centers a reality for families who seek alternatives to hospital births. |
| The AMAZING Progress of The Birth Center Bill |
| On January 7, 2025, Rep. Jason Nemes (R- Louisville) filed HB90 the Mary Carol Akers Birth Centers Act. Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R- Alexandria) filed the Senate companion bill SB17 on the same day.The bill has already passed the Kentucky Senate and is now moving to the House of Representatives. However, we know that legislative progress can be fragile and unpredictable. This is the fifth year of working on passing the birth center bill in the Kentucky legislature. While 11th hour roadblocks are always a possibility, the work this legislative session has been encouraging. My favorite Lobby Day tradition is that the KBC brings baked cookies to legislators! Every Kentucky lawmaker’s office would have received a box of cookies with our bill stamped on it. We’re known as ‘the group with the cookies and the babies’! I did get to sit in one of the many legislative meetings on Lobby Day. It really is a special experience knowing that you, as a citizen, can sit down with the people in power and tell them what you believe should happen in the state.This year, my job was to be the ‘room mom’ of our home base. I handed out meeting folders and cookie boxes, reminded folks of their meeting times, and helped people know where they were going. I really enjoyed getting to meet all the folks who came out to make their voices heard. |
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| The Power of Politics and Lobbying |
| Probably the greatest challenger to expanding birth options is the power of lobbying. The hospital industry spends significant money and effort to influence legislation, often overshadowing grassroots organizations like the Kentucky Birth Coalition. Even well-prepared, well-supported bills can be derailed in committee meetings by a single influential voice opposing them.Additionally, legislation is often at the mercy of political dynamics. Whether or not a bill even gets heard in committee can depend entirely on the personal opinions and priorities of the committee chair. A bill that lacks their support might never even make it to a vote, regardless of public demand. |
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| Personal Opinions Over Evidence-Based Policy |
| “When everyone believes ya, what’s that like?” – The Man, Taylor Swift |
| Watching birth bills make their way through the system, I’m always surprised by how much of the process is driven by personal experience and bias.Time and time again, discussions about birth center legislation have been derailed by lawmakers sharing their own birth experiences or opinions, rather than focusing on data and public need. It’s not uncommon to hear a (yep, usually male) lawmaker say, “I’m not comfortable with the idea of giving birth outside of the hospital. It’s not something I would ever do.” We know that birth stories are deeply personal. And stories do matter! But it’s difficult when a single, difficult birth one legislator experienced leads them to dismiss the entire idea of birth centers, ignoring the overwhelming demand and evidence supporting them. When personal bias overrides research and expert recommendations, progress becomes an uphill battle. |
| The Strength of Grassroots Advocacy |
| After all the KBC has been through in the push for free-standing birth centers, Lobby Day was a huge success. The event brought together mothers, midwives, birth workers, and supporters—many of whom traveled long distances or balanced busy lives to advocate for change. I was especially heartened to see allies within the government, passionate lobbyists, and engaged media reps who took the time to listen and understand this issue. Their support reinforces that progress is possible, even against the odds of being underdogs against the healthcare machine. |
| The Kentucky Birth Coalition continues to charge forward, ensuring that lawmakers hear the voices of the childbearing constituents they serve. This fight is about giving Kentuckians the same choices that most other Americans already have—the right to choose where and how they give birth.I truly hope bringing birth centers to Kentucky will finally become a reality this year!Stay tuned, stay engaged, and if you support this cause, contact your representatives and make your voice heard! Consider donating to the KBC for its lobby work to continue. |
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