Women of the Mountains Birth Initiative

The Women of the Mountains Birth Initiative (WOMB) was born out of a deeply felt community need in New Hampshire’s North Country that became especially visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, many women transitioned from hospital-based maternity care to midwifery-led care and began voicing a shared realization: the time, education, informed consent, and holistic support they received through midwifery care should be accessible to all women—regardless of income, risk assessment, insurance status, or place of birth. These lived experiences, coupled with persistent gaps in rural maternity access, highlighted how unevenly information and support were distributed across the maternal health system. In response, WOMB was founded in 2021 as a nonprofit organization to “fill the metaphorical backpacks” of women with practical resources, education, peer support, and community throughout the full spectrum of motherhood. Since its founding, WOMB has grown from that initial community-informed impetus to offer monthly enrichment gatherings, peer support circles, research-informed awareness initiatives, and practical resources such as a traveling nursing nook and a budding regional doula collective. The organization remains grounded in its original purpose: to ensure no woman has to climb the mountain of motherhood alone, and to honor pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as sacred, transformative life stages that deserve respect and community support. Founders and core team members continue to be actively involved, guiding WOMB’s evolution, sustaining its grassroots energy, and expanding its impact across northern New Hampshire and neighboring communities.

The Women of the Mountains Birth Initiative (WOMB) is a community-based nonprofit organization serving women, mothers, and families across New Hampshire’s North Country and surrounding rural communities. WOMB focuses on improving access to equitable, trauma-informed maternal, infant, and family supports by strengthening community-based care, peer connection, and public awareness. The organization convenes and supports birth workers and families through programs such as a regional doula collective, a lending library and virtual book club, portable nursing and changing spaces at community events, community education gatherings, and a traveling Photovoice exhibit that elevates lived experiences of rural maternity care. WOMB’s primary organizing goals are to reduce isolation, address systemic barriers to care in rural settings, and build community-driven solutions that support maternal health, mental well-being, and informed decision-making.