| | Big Wins With Big Impact: A Month of Organizational Success for NACPMBy: Cassaundra Jah CPM, PhD |
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| This May, NACPM made history. Our first-ever virtual conference, “Centering Midwives, Restoring Care,” brought together midwives, students, birth workers, funders, advocates, and allies from across the country for two transformative days of learning, connection, and community. We started with a goal that transformed into a vision and ended in an event that we will not soon forget!
The conference opened with a powerful welcome from our very own board member, Autumn Canvender, setting the tone for everything that followed. Over two days, attendees engaged with eight dynamic sessions spanning the full landscape of community midwifery: Pennie Bumrungsiri challenged us to reimagine the reach of our profession in her session, “A Systems Integration Model for Midwifery-Led Care Across the Lifespan,” presenting the Mana Mama model. Star August Ali and Hilary Schlinger painted a bold picture of what full access to midwifery care could look like in “A Midwife in Every Neighborhood.” Jen Moffitt brought grounding and heart-based data in her talk about embodied mindful practices, which can be leveraged to decrease health disparities. Jill Wodnick took attendees inside the policy arena with “Modernizing Midwifery Regulations,” connecting state-level legislative momentum to the day-to-day realities of practice from a consumer perspective. Audra Post offered a fresh lens on power and investment in “Collaboration Towards Metrics of Participatory Grantmaking.” Dr. Jordana Frost laid out a compelling roadmap for expanded access in “Leveraging FQHCs.” Dr. Melissa Cheyney reminded us why the numbers matter in “Data That Delivers,” exploring how community-centered data has and continues to drive the change we need. While we were sad that Dr. Kanika Harris wasn’t able to join us, Cassidy Spence was able to close out the educational sessions with “The Black Birthing Bill of Rights,” a presentation that left the room (virtual as it was) profoundly moved and called to action.
The conference closed with remarks from Staysha Quentrill, sending attendees off inspired and renewed.
If you are super sad you missed the conference or a single session, you still have an opportunity to learn from each of these speakers! Check out our new NACPM Leadership Hub, where each session is up for viewing and ready for CEU purchase.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge with gratitude that none of this would have been possible without the generous support of our platinum sponsors: the Foundation for Health Care Quality's Community Birth Data Registry and Smooth Transitions Programs, Birth Center Equity, Every Mother Counts, Lactation Education Resources, and the Intersectionality Training Institute. We are also deeply grateful to our grant funders the Skyline Foundation, Pritzker Children's Initiative, and the Wagner Foundation, whose belief in this work made it real. |
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| In addition to hosting the conference and these incredible experts, we also launched a collection of new conference-specific designs on a variety of merchandise items. These items celebrate the theme of Centering Midwives, Restoring Care and joy! I am personally enamored with our punk cat, designed by Zev Colsen, our Legislative & Policy Analyst! I invite you to take a look and support the movement in style.
A Fundraising Milestone: The Bigger Table Fund is Fully Funded for One Year! I am overjoyed to share that, thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised enough money during the conference between registrations, sponsorships, individual donations, and merchandise purchases to fully resource The Bigger Table Fund for one year. This fund exists to remove some of the significant financial barriers faced by students and midwives of color and from Indigenous and LGBTQIA2S+ communities to entering the CPM profession. To everyone who gave: Thank you! We are already dreaming about next year. When we were advertising for this virtual conference, you may have noticed that we often said it was the “first-ever,” but never used the words “first annual” because, honestly, our tiny staff wasn’t sure we could pull it off annually. While we aren’t quite ready to commit to hosting annually, we are seriously thinking about a 2027 fall virtual conference after experiencing the incredible leadership-building opportunities it brought, how it increased access for on-call community members, and the profound impact it has for our grant and scholarship funding. More to come on this as details emerge.
Lastly, while we haven’t fully committed to another virtual conference in 2027, we are ready to announce a partnership with the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) for a Spring 2027 in-person conference! Mark your calendars for the “The Community Birth Conference.” Meet us there May 20-23, 2027 in Greenville, South Carolina.
With gratitude and in community, Cassaundra |
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| NACPM Virtual Conference Recordings are Available! |
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| Thank you to all who joined the conference! We hope you enjoyed it and left feeling restored.
All registered participants should have received access to the session recordings via an email from Zoom. To access, use the "Join" link. Recordings will remain available in the event lobby until May 1, 2027.
For those who didn’t register for the conference, the opening and closing sessions are available for free and the CEU session recordings are available for individual purchase at the normal CEU rate of $45 for members and $90 for non-members (each session is 1.5 hours). Discount codes for members will be emailed. Remember! Participants can earn up to 12 continuing education contact hours (1.2 MEAC CEUs) for attending the full conference and completing the required evaluations. |
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| | New Tanya Khemet Taiwo Scholarship Cycle — Apply Starting June 1! |
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| We have changed the annual cycle timeline for the Tanya Khemet Taiwo Midwifery (TKT) Student Scholarship! The new application opens June 1 and closes June 30.
The TKT Scholarship is an initiative to grow the number of Black and Indigenous midwives in the CPM workforce. More specifically, it provides $5,000 individual awards for tuition and related educational expenses to second- and third-year Black and Indigenous midwifery students enrolled in MEAC-accredited programs. |
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| | The Fund is a celebration of the legacy of Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo as NACPM’s longest-serving Black woman on its Board of Directors, as well as an exemplary community health innovator, epidemiologist, researcher, and midwifery educator. We encourage you to help continue this work by making a contribution to the fund. No matter how small the amount, it all adds up! |
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| | | International Day of the Midwife Recap |
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| NACPM joined our colleagues on social media, uplifting this year’s International Day of the Midwife (#IDM2026), led by the International Confederation of Midwives! IDM is always a moment to celebrate midwives, and this year’s these is especially pertinent: “One Million More Midwives.”
The world needs one million more midwives.
Midwives provide essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services worldwide. They support women and gender-diverse people before, during, and after birth. Yet globally, there are not enough midwives, and many of the ones we do have are not enabled to work to their full scope of practice. When midwives are educated to international standards, properly regulated, fairly paid, and integrated into health systems, outcomes improve. Maternal and newborn deaths decrease. Unnecessary interventions are reduced. Care becomes more accessible, more respectful, and more cost effective.
We all know that investing in midwives is not only the right thing to do; it is one of the smartest investments a health system can make. Thank you to every one of you who used your voice, shared the message, signed the petition, joined events, and helped make sure midwives could not be ignored. Change happens when people speak together, and this year, the message was clear: the world needs one million more midwives. Thank you for reminding the world that investing in midwives is not optional, it is essential.
Whether you’ll be joining us at the 34th ICM Triennial Congress or you continue to raise awareness and support via social media, your engagement is much needed and appreciated! |
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| The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM) issues this brief to articulate our opposition to proposals that would restrict or eliminate birthright citizenship in the United States. It documents the direct and cascading consequences such policies would have for maternal, infant, and family health — and for the perinatal care systems, community midwives, and public health infrastructure that families depend on at the most vulnerable moments of their lives. |
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| Please take just two minutes before June 5th to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to protect the midwifery set-aside in the final FY 2027 Labor, HHS Appropriations Bill.
This funding isn’t just a line item; it’s a lifeline for the programs that educate and train the next generation of midwives who will serve families and communities across the country. Accredited midwifery education programs support all nationally recognized midwifery credentials — Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), Certified Midwives (CMs), and Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). Without this funding, these programs and the expanded access to midwifery-led care they make possible are at risk.
Every email, call, and conversation makes a difference in securing the future of midwifery care and birth center access! |
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| | | Place Your Bid in Our Monthly Silent Auction |
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| This month’s NACPM Silent Auction is sponsored by NACPM Board Member Lisa Peña. It’s a welcome baby and postpartum basket!
Lovingly prepared and donated by Jacqueline Thomas, Maternal Health Advocate and CEO of Vet-Her-An Enterprises of New Mexico, this welcome baby and postpartum basket includes all the sweet extras that everything a new parent could want! Inside this bountiful basket are: 10 disposable diapers Wipes 2 disposable postpartum pants 1 waterproof bed mat Cute baby toothbrush 2 shower steamers and a facemask for the new parent Baby socks Washcloth 1 homemade tealight candle Handmade relaxing lavender pouch Burpcloths and/or a belly beltwarmer Nail files Lip balm Newborn mittens A plush unicorn, as unique as is the postpartum experience
This is a gift of love with the little things that encourage “5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, and 5 days near the bed.” It’s a charming and considerate gift for a client, new parents to be, or someone special who needs that extra love and pampering support. |
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| “As a mother, midwife, maternal health advocate, and board member of NACPM, I have seen firsthand how NACPM’s work impacts our profession and communities. One area I’m especially passionate about is the postpartum period. The postpartum period is too often treated as an afterthought in our healthcare system, despite being a time of immense physical recovery, emotional adjustment, and vulnerability. I’ve seen families leave birth feeling supported, only to navigate the weeks that follow with far less guidance and care than they need. This gap can have real consequences—from missed warning signs of complications to untreated mental health challenges and a lack of support with feeding, sleep, and recovery.
As midwives, we are uniquely positioned to change this. Our model of care recognizes that birth is not an endpoint, but part of a continuum that includes sustained, relationship-based support through the postpartum period. Expanding access to comprehensive postpartum care—home visits, mental health screening, lactation support, and community connection—can transform outcomes for families.
Through NACPM’s work, we have an opportunity to advocate for policies and systems that truly value postpartum care as essential, not optional. When we invest in this period, we are investing in long-term health for parents, babies, and communities.” — Lisa Peña, CPM |
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| Every bid helps advance Certified Professional Midwives through advocacy, education, and community programs that protect informed choice in birth. Each item you win directly supports access to safe, respectful, and culturally grounded maternity care.
Browse, bid, and share to stand with midwives and the people who choose their care. |
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| “Ours: A Story of Loss and Healing” is a groundbreaking picture book about a multiracial family that experiences a late-term pregnancy loss told through the perspective of a young sibling. The story explores how each person in a family processes grief in their own way and collectively.
Ours is told in the perspective of the young son, showing positive ways boys and men engage and articulate their emotions, support the women in their lives, and understand their resilient love for each other.
Far from moralistic this intimate snapshot of a family's story about unexpected loss, grief, and unrealized expectations seeks to give children language and validation to what they see and experience in their lives when there may not be easy answers. |
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| | | Reminder to Submit Your Events! |
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| We welcome all NACPM Chapters and Partners to submit your events, updates, and happenings!
View Our Event Calendar. (If viewing on mobile device, hover over the gray calendar boxes.)
Submit Your Event. If you or others in your network/community are hosting relevant events, or events that offer CEUs to midwives, please share this form with them so we can feature the event on our calendar. |
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| | | Save the Date! “The Community Birth Conference” is Happening May 2027. |
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| We’re delighted to announce that NACPM and AABC will be hosting a joint conference: “The Community Birth Conference”, happening May 20-23, 2027 in Greenville, SC!
Subscribe for updates. We can’t wait to see you all next spring! |
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| | Join Us for NACPM’s Midwifery Student Social Hour |
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| NACPM warmly invites you to our Midwifery Student Social Hour — a space for student midwives to connect, share experiences, engage with NACPM leaders, and discuss the unique challenges and opportunities within midwifery education and practice.
Date: June 10, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM PST | 3:00 PM CST | 4:00 PM EST
Learn more and register. We hope to see you there! |
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| Get your gear! Every purchase directly supports the work of NACPM, helping to advance the workforce and causes of Certified Professional Midwives in the U.S. |
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| | | NACPM is proud to be supported by hundreds of individual donors and these visionary foundations. |
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