Women came through the doors at a community-based birthing center in the South Bronx seeking prenatal care. They had heard about the center from a neighbor, a parents' group at their childrens school, or the local mosque or church. What they found when they arrived was a brightly-colored waiting area that resembled a living room, children immersed in games in a corner, and staff that reflected the mosaic of cultures living in the surrounding apartments. They also met midwives who asked about their lives, their children, their families and traditions.  If pregnancies developed complications, back-up obstetricians were there to give higher levels of care, with the women returning to the midwifery center afterwards. The results were healthy mothers and healthy babies.  For over twenty years the center became a haven for womens health care and a national exemplar.  

Jennifer Dohrn is a Professor and Assistant Dean of the Office of Global Initiatives and its PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Advanced Practice Nursing at Columbia University School of Nursing, USA. As Director of Midwifery Services, with the leadership of Dr. Ruth Lubic she initiated the first freestanding maternity center in an inner city in the United States in the Bronx, New York, which became a model for community-based midwifery care.  

Chapter 1 Introduction: The Situation and the Story.- Section I: Why is midwifery essential for a robust maternal health care system?.- Chapter 2 Rosie Hernandez: Becoming a guardian of births for other women.- Chapter 3 Jillia Edris: Speaking up for midwifery care.- Chapter 4 Marylyn Garcia: Relying on midwifery care through birth and death.- Section II: Deconstructing racism.- Chapter 5 Lizette Aguilar: Deepening connection to her Latina heritage.- Chapter 6 Zakiyyah Madyun: Finding her voice in policy.- Chapter 7 Dana Keys: Understanding the racialization of the US health care system.- Section III: Transforming legacy.- Chapter 8 Elizabeth Miron: Breaking the legacy of maternal mortality.- Chapter 9 Nana Oumou Toure: Connecting global to local.- Chapter 10 Grace Zambrano: Building new traditions for her family.- Section IV: Empowerment.- Chapter 11 Tyice Tucker: Discovering strength and sense of self through her births.- Chapter 12 Fatoumata: Becoming a leader against female cutting.- Chapter 13 Nkenge Mollineaux: Facing tragedy while building her family.- Chapter 14 Conclusion: Time to Push - A Call for Better Birthing and Safe Motherhood in America.