In wake of a renewed focus on New York City’s maternal mortality rates, activists and community members held a rally in Herbert Von Park pushing for more access to birthing centers.

In 2001, the city had four free standing birthing centers, which consisted of doulas, midwives and independent nurses.

The city currently has only three out of 345 birthing centers in the entire country.

Twenty independent midwifery practices have been launched in order to deal with the high demand for out-of-hospital births.

"Birthing centers help with at home births before, during and after birth. It's important because the mortality rate with childbirth is overwhelming and birthing centers help that. They offer the care these women don't know they need,” said Trinisha Williams, president and founder of Haven Midwifery Birthing Center.

“It is proven we can reduce the mortality rate in America if we add more doulas, midwives and nurses to handle one on one experiences that these mothers need.”

In an effort to combat the high maternal mortality rate, Brooklyn borough President Antonio Reynoso allotted his entire 2023 capital budget to three public hospitals in Brooklyn earlier this week.