American Association of Birth Centers

What American Association of Birth Centers does

The American Association of Birth Centers (AABC), founded in 1983 and headquartered in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) multi-disciplinary membership organization that operates as the recognized national authority on the U.S. freestanding birth center model of care. AABC serves approximately 400+ member birth centers, midwives (CNMs, CPMs, and licensed midwives), expecting families, insurers, employers, and federal and state policymakers. Its mission centers on promoting midwifery-led, evidence-based maternity care as a high-value alternative to hospital-based delivery, with quantified outcomes including a 6% cesarean rate vs. an estimated 24% for comparable hospital births, a 26% reduction in preterm births, and $2,010 in Medicaid savings per mother-infant pair.

AABC's product portfolio spans advocacy resources, professional standards, an annual conference, training programs, and a subscription-based data platform. Core technical assets include the Perinatal Data Registry (PDR), an annual subscription outcome-tracking platform ($499/yr members, $699/yr non-members); the Standards for Birth Centers, which form the foundation for Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC) accreditation; the Member Compass online portal; the AABC Online Learning Center; and a Mobilize.io-powered member community. Educational products include the annual Birth Institute conference (20th year, October 2026, Indianapolis), Community Birth Assistant Training, Birth Center Onboarding Training, 'How to Start a Birth Center' workshops, Midwifery-Led Resuscitation Training (NRP), and webinars on demand.

AABC's revenue model is diversified across five streams: membership dues (subscription), education and training programs (workshops, professional services), events and conferences (registration fees), products and publications (one-time and unit-priced sales of toolkits, slide decks, brochures, and webinar recordings through the AABC store), and career center listings. Pricing is tiered by member vs. non-member status, with member discounts ranging from modest (e.g., $69 vs. $95 onboarding training) to substantial (Affinity Circles are free for members). Distribution is primarily direct via the AABC website, e-commerce store, online learning center, member portal, and the annual conference. The organization has no parent company, no external institutional investor, and is member-governed through a Board of Directors.

Name

American Association of Birth Centers

Legal name

American Association of Birth Centers

Website

https://birthcenters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Association of Birth Centers is a non-profit membership association founded in 1983 that serves as the national authority on freestanding birth centers, providing standards, advocacy, education, accreditation support, and the Perinatal Data Registry to 400+ member birth centers, midwives, insurers, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Continuing medical education
• Perinatal data registry
• Healthcare standards development
• Maternity care advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Perkiomenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for birth centers, individual practitioners, and organizational members. Membership provides access to standards, advocacy, education, networking, and member resources.
2. Education and Training Programs: Revenue from workshops including 'How to Start a Birth Center' workshops, Community Birth Assistant Training, Birth Center Onboarding Training, and continuing education programs.
3. Events and Conferences: Registration fees for the annual Birth Institute conference and other educational events.
4. Products and Publications: Sales of toolkits, webinar recordings, standards documents, presentation materials, and other educational resources through the AABC store.
5. Career Center Listings: Fee-based job postings for member organizations seeking birth center professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AABC is a multi-disciplinary membership organization that promotes and supports freestanding birth centers and midwifery-led maternity care. It sells membership subscriptions, educational conferences and workshops, training and certification programs, the Perinatal Data Registry (PDR), and national standards documents to birth center operators, midwives, and birth professionals. The organization also conducts advocacy, research, and consulting services to advance the birth center model of care.

Product overview

The American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services supporting the birth center model of care. The organization provides educational conferences (AABC Birth Institute), online learning modules (AABC Online Learning Center), training programs (Community Birth Assistant Training, Birth Center Onboarding Training, Midwifery Resuscitation Training), professional toolkits, webinars on demand, and the Perinatal Data Registry (PDR) for outcome tracking. Additional offerings include membership benefits such as Member Compass portal, Affinity Circles, Career Center, and consulting services like Curbside Consulting and LCBCS. AABC also provides advocacy resources, research publications, marketing materials, and the How to Start a Birth Center workshop series. The portfolio supports birth center operators, midwives, and families through standards documents, white papers like 'Getting Payment Right,' and community-building initiatives including the International Confederation of Midwifery Centres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AABC Birth Institute: The nation's only conference dedicated to midwifery-led birth centers, celebrating its 20th year in 2026.
• AABC Foundation
• Perinatal Data Registry (PDR)
• Community Birth Assistant Training Program

Products and services

• AABC Birth Institute Annual Conference The nation's only conference dedicated to midwifery-led birth centers, featuring educational sessions, exhibit hall, networking, and the AABC Foundation Moonlit Masquerade. Celebrating its 20th year in 2026 in Indianapolis with 250+ attendees including midwives, physicians, nurses, and administrators.
• AABC Perinatal Data Registry (PDR) Annual subscription to an online data platform for member birth centers to track and report outcomes, quality measures, and clinical performance. Supports research, benchmarking, and evidence generation for the birth center model. Priced at $499/year for members and $699/year for non-members.
• Standards for Birth Centers National standards document covering licensure, accreditation, clinical practice, and facility requirements for birth center operation. Available in print and digital formats; print $99 members / $149 non-members. Forms the basis for CABC accreditation.
• Community Birth Assistant Training Program Standardized training program for birth assistants consisting of 15 modules, skills videos, HIPAA/OSHA compliance training, and an in-person skills assessment. Priced at $700 members / $750 non-members plus $150 for skills assessment.
• Birth Center Onboarding Training (BCOT) Online interactive self-paced training modules including HIPAA Information Security, Infection Control, and Point of Care Tests with continuing education credit. Priced at $69 members / $95 non-members.
• How to Start a Birth Center Workshops Educational workshops covering the process of opening a birth center, including faculty, registration, continuing education, and multi-fee components. Designed for clinicians and entrepreneurs planning new birth centers.
• Midwifery Led Resuscitation Training (NRP) Training program for neonatal resuscitation with faculty, hosting options, and attendee registration, designed for birth center and midwifery practice staff.
• Learning Collaborative for Birth Center Sustainability (LCBCS) Collaborative program supporting birth center financial and operational sustainability, including Price Transparency Data Reports and dedicated office hours.
• Curbside Consulting Consulting service for birth center operators seeking expert guidance on business, operational, reimbursement, and regulatory matters.
• Getting Payment Right White Paper Comprehensive report analyzing birth center payment systems and providing guidance for equitable access and financial viability, targeted at payers and birth center operators.
• AABC Toolkit - Best Practices in Birth Center Regulations Regulatory guidance toolkit addressing regulatory complexity as a barrier to entry for new birth centers.
• Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Manual CQI manual developed and tested by birth center personnel to support quality improvement processes in member facilities.
• AABC Career Center Job board connecting birth centers with qualified midwifery and administrative professionals; $150 for a 90-day listing, discounted or free for AABC members depending on tier.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6% cesarean rate vs 24% for low-risk hospital births
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, strategic, core and minor.

• National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2027AABC and NACPM have partnered to host 'The Community Birth Conference' from May 20-23, 2027, in Greenville, SC. This collaboration brings together two leading organizations in the birth center and midwifery space to advance community birth.
• International Confederation of Midwifery Centres (ICMC)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026AABC played a leading role in launching the ICMC at the ICM Congress in Lisbon in June 2026. The confederation provides a global forum for advancing midwifery centers, building on AABC's 40+ years of experience.
• Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCABC provides accreditation services for birth centers using AABC Standards as the foundation. AABC refers members to CABC for accreditation and the organizations work together on quality standards development.
• AABC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAABC Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to advancing midwifery-led birth center care. The Foundation supports scholarships (D+I Scholarships), educational programs, and advocacy efforts complementary to AABC's work.
• International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAABC's International Committee participates in ICM Congresses and contributed to launching the International Confederation of Midwifery Centres (ICMC). AABC standards serve as a model for international birth center development.
• Goodbirth NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner organization working to advance birth centers globally; collaboration through ICMC framework.
• MuNetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational midwifery network partner; collaboration through ICMC international forum for knowledge sharing and advocacy.
• The Leapfrog GroupminorOthersMentioned alongside AABC as recipients of Health Value Awards in 2022. Both organizations focus on healthcare quality and transparency.
• American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the ACNM Benchmarking Project since 2014, allowing AABC member birth centers to share Perinatal Data Registry data for quality monitoring and improvement.
• Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)majorOthersCMMI awarded AABC a multi-year grant (2013-2017) for the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative, studying birth center care for Medicaid beneficiaries across 45 birth centers.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)majorOthersFederal agency that published the Strong Start evaluation report recommending birth centers as part of solutions to reduce poor maternal outcomes. CMS is implementing Rural Health Transformation Program with $50 billion over 5 years prioritizing prenatal care.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA): Alliance of midwifery practitioners and advocates in North America, including CPMs, CNMs, and traditional midwives. Direct peer to AABC serving overlapping communities of midwives and birth center operators with a shared advocacy focus.
• International Confederation of Midwives (ICM): Global federation of midwifery associations. AABC participates in ICM Congresses and helped launch the midwife-centres-specific ICMC under ICM's umbrella, making this a closely aligned international peer in mission and governance structure.
• American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM): National professional association for certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives. Direct peer to AABC, with overlapping membership, joint benchmarking programs, and a shared mission of advancing midwifery-led care in the U.S.
• National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM): Professional association representing Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) and the community birth model. Direct peer to AABC, partnering with AABC on the 2027 Community Birth Conference and jointly advocating for CPM licensure and birth center support.

Emerging players

• Lamaze International: Nonprofit organization promoting evidence-based childbirth education and healthy birth practices. Adjacent peer to AABC with partial overlap on family-facing childbirth content and a network of certified educators.
• Postpartum Support International (PSI): Nonprofit focused on perinatal mental health support and provider training. Adjacent peer to AABC's maternal health mission with partial overlap on family-facing resources and postpartum care standards.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA): Cross-sectoral alliance advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Adjacent peer to AABC in the maternal health equity space, intersecting with AABC's D+I scholarships and affinity circle programs.
• National Partnership for Women & Families (Childbirth Connection): Nonprofit advocacy organization that absorbed Childbirth Connection and continues to publish maternity care quality and policy research. Conceptually adjacent to AABC in the maternal health policy space with partial overlap on consumer research and HRSA-funded maternity initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• March of Dimes: Major nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health, including preterm birth prevention. Broader incumbent peer that overlaps with AABC on maternal health advocacy and research but is not birth center-specific.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): National specialty society for OB-GYN physicians, representing the hospital-based, physician-led maternity model. Broad incumbent peer whose membership overlaps with AABC's hospital-transfer partners, and whose clinical guidelines shape the regulatory environment for birth centers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/birthcenters
• Xx.com/birthcenters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Association of Birth Centers