Alyssah Hall
Across the country in 2021, there were 13,409 certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives and 3,195 who were students, according to the most recent data from the U. S. Government Accountability Office.
Of the 13,409 certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives, just 7.3% are Black/African American. A May 2025 report titled “Where Are All the Black Midwives? published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, examined the lack of Black midwives in the U.S. The article noted that despite studies showing improved birth outcomes such as reduced rates of preterm births and maternal mortality for Black women, in 2021, just 12% of all births in the country were attended by midwives.
But, no data currently exists that shows how many of those births were attended by Black midwives.
“If we talk about the maternal health disparities, we talk about the stats. The U.S. is not doing well, and I’m not just talking about Black people. Our maternal health rates are not good…one of the pivotal things that impacts us is midwifery care,” explained Aiyana Davison, a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) and founder of the Village House, Inc.
The Village House offers services in the area of home birth and Davison is seeking to expand to a birthing center, an idea that she has had since nursing school. The Village House mission is to build a safe and healing space for birthing families, reproductive care seekers, midwifery students and birth workers to be supported through holistic, comprehensive, community-based, and impactful midwifery care.
“If you look at all these countries, they’re doing better at maternal mortality rates than we are. The one thing that separates them – one of the major things – is midwifery care,” Davison said.
Davison is one of the 7.3% of Black CNM working to educate the community about the local maternal landscape, alongside other Black midwives in the Inland Empire who are working to help bridge the gaps in perinatal care despite challenges.
Davison hosted a community-centered event in May that celebrated Black midwives and their stories. Sponsored by Planned Parenthood Pacific Southwest and Repro TLC, the “Village House’s Voices of Midwifery: A Village Story” featured moderated panel discussions with other midwives and birth workers who discussed first-person accounts of what being a Black midwife entails.
Charlette Withers, MSN, CNM and Celest Winfrey, LM, CPM, IBCLC shared a story about how home-based Black midwives can work with in-hospital Black midwives to ensure their patients get the best care. Winfrey recalled having a client who wanted a home birth, but was at 42 weeks and the baby wasn’t ready. According to Winfrey, at-home midwives have 41-42 weeks until they recommend going to a hospital for induction. Winfrey was able to text and ask Withers if she knew of any Black midwives at a local hospital. Luckily, Withers was available to be on call for Winfrey’s client and assure that she had a safe delivery.
“That’s what community is all about. That’s what breaking down the barriers of any division, [is] really all about. Because, everybody can’t deliver at home. Everybody can’t deliver in a birth center. And so, if they can’t, they need to still have a midwife,” Withers stated.
There are many services midwives can provide that a lot of people don’t know about like cervical cancer screenings, pap smears, sexual transmitted infection (STI) testing, abortion care, hormone replacement therapy and fibroid management.
“People think that midwifery is — and it’s gonna sound strange — limited to birth, but it is not. It is expansive. It is transformative in whatever it is, because we are again talking to people at various stages of their lives. I’ve talked to people as young as 13 and as old as 80 plus,” Davison said.
“I have the pleasure of knowing Aiyana and just being blessed by her spirit and her passion for midwifery,” ShaBazz-Regains said. “[When] I was in nursing school, I actually got the opportunity to work in a birth center. And that is where everything sparked for me, so now I’m a doula and I work that way in supporting women.”
As Davison and other Black midwives in the region make strides to educate the community about their existence and the care they can provide, she emphasized that they are working with and for the community.
“I hope the community learns that we, as Black midwives, are here for them. We’re here for the community, and we are supported by the community,” Davison said. “I hope that students who are looking for their midwifery journey learn that they have support within us and that really we’re here to support all the birthing experiences of Riverside County and the IE. Midwifery is pivotal to maternal health, reproductive rights and we’re here to make that difference.”
For those who are interested in helping The Village House attain their vision, visit their website to learn more about how you can support their work and donate.