AABC International Work

The International Committee of the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) is a dedicated group of professionals committed to promoting and supporting the birth center model (also known as midwifery centers) globally. This committee works tenaciously to foster international collaborations, share knowledge and research, and advocate for policies that enhance the quality and accessibility of birth center care.

The International Committee recognizes that birth centers play a vital role in healthcare and healthcare systems. Birth centers allow midwives to function within their full scope of practice. As an integral part of the healthcare system, birth centers can strengthen the healthcare system by providing right-sized care - matching need to provider - and clear referral pathways.

By connecting with birth center communities worldwide, the International Committee of AABC strives to advance best practices, promote equitable access to care, and ultimately contribute to the improvement of maternal and newborn outcomes globally.

Defining a Birth Center

The birth center is a healthcare facility for childbirth and sexual and reproductive health care services where care is provided in the midwifery wellness model. The birth center is freestanding and not a hospital.

Birth centers are an integrated part of the health care system and are guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention, and cost-effectiveness. While the practice of midwifery and the support of physiologic birth and newborn transition may occur in other settings, this is the exclusive model of care in a birth center.

The birth center respects and facilitates a birthing person's right to make informed choices about their health care and their baby's health care based on their values and beliefs. The person's family, as they define it, is welcome to participate in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period.

The midwifery center is a healthcare facility offering birth and sexual and reproductive health care services, using the midwifery model of care. It specializes in care for routine birth, ensures access to basic emergency care, and is fully integrated within the healthcare system. A midwifery center is distinguished by its alignment with the midwifery philosophy of care.

This human rights based, woman-centered approach is expressed through a homelike shared space that encourages participation of the birthing person and their community. The midwifery center aligns the level of care provided to changing needs, staying alert and responsive, to provide an optimal outcome. The care provided at a midwifery center is oriented and directed towards the woman’s experience. 

For more information on the background of and principles within this definition, see Good Birth's Midwifery Center Manual.