An Interview With Lauren McCullough, Birth Center Consultant
Written by Mazarine Wellness | All responses are from Lauren McCullough, BSN, RN and reflect her professional experience and perspective.
Can you please begin by sharing a little about yourself and your professional background?
L. McCullough: “I’m Lauren McCullough — a mom of four and a longtime advocate for birth centers and midwifery care. My passion for this work comes directly from my own experiences as a patient.
I had midwives for my first three births, all girls (two in the hospital and one planned home birth) and my son is adopted. From my experience, midwifery care felt transformative. Midwives take time, listen deeply, advocate fiercely and treat you like a whole person.
While I loved my hospital births, my home birth was especially meaningful — not because it was “better,” but because I finally felt I had real autonomy. What stayed with me, though, was the realization that I didn’t truly have choice. There were no birth centers near me, even though I wanted that option. That gap — between what families want and what the health system actually offers — is what sparked my commitment to birth center access.
Professionally, I became a labor and delivery nurse with plans to pursue midwifery, but life circumstances made that path unrealistic at the time. Instead, I found another way to serve families. I began assisting a local home birth midwife, and when she decided to open a birth center, I helped her bring it to life — from startup to accreditation to licensure.
I discovered that I loved the administrative and systems side of this work, and that I was good at it. Even though I wasn’t at the bedside, I realized that strengthening birth centers behind the scenes is another powerful way to advocate for families. By helping birth centers open and stay sustainable, I’m helping ensure that families actually have access to the kind of care they deserve.”
What inspired you to start Birth Center Consulting?
L. McCullough: “Birth Center Consulting grew out of both urgency and love for this work. While I was helping run a birth center, I discovered how much I enjoyed — and how well I understood — the administrative and systems side of things. At the same time, I kept hearing about birth centers closing across the country.
That combination was hard to ignore. Birth centers don’t close because families don’t want them — they close because the systems around them are complex, under-resourced, and often stacked against them. I realized that if I could help birth centers navigate those systems more effectively, I could help protect access to this model of care on a much larger scale.
Starting Birth Center Consulting allowed me to take the skills I was using for one center and offer them to many. Today, I have the privilege of working with birth centers across the country to help them become sustainable, compliant, and strong — so they can continue serving families not just now, but for generations to come.”
Logo courtesy of Birth Center Consulting
For those who may not be familiar, what are freestanding birth centers, and how do they compare to other birth settings?
L. McCullough: “Freestanding birth centers offer a middle ground between hospital birth and home birth. They are healthcare facilities where people with healthy, low-risk pregnancies can give birth safely outside of a hospital, without being at home.
Hospitals are absolutely the right setting for higher-risk pregnancies or when significant medical complications are expected. But for many families, home birth may not feel like the right fit, whether because of personal preference, space, or home may not be a safe environment. Birth centers exist to meet that need.
Freestanding birth centers are led by midwives and designed to feel calm, home-like and supportive, while intentionally equipped to support safe birth. They follow the midwifery model of care, which prioritizes physiologic birth, shared decision-making and individualized support. Midwives are highly trained providers who can manage normal pregnancy and birth, recognize when something isn’t progressing as expected and respond to emergencies. Birth centers carry the medications and life-saving equipment needed to keep parents and babies safe, and they have clear transfer plans in place when higher-level care is needed.
It’s also important to note that while many hospitals now use the term “birth center” to describe their labor units, a freestanding birth center is a separate facility — not located within a hospital — with a fundamentally different model of care.
At a time when labor and delivery units are closing and maternal care deserts are expanding, freestanding birth centers play a critical role. They expand access to safe, respectful, and cost-effective care, helping ensure that families have real choices about where and how they give birth.”
Who does Birth Center Consulting primarily serve?
L. McCullough: “Birth Center Consulting primarily serves freestanding birth centers across the United States — at every stage of their journey. I work with centers that are just getting started, those navigating licensure and accreditation, and established centers that want to strengthen their systems or expand sustainably.
At its core, this work is about helping birth centers thrive. The operational, regulatory, and financial realities of running a birth center are complex, and many midwives and founders are carrying far more than they should on their own. I come in as a partner — offering an experienced, outside perspective to help identify what’s working well and where small but meaningful changes can make a big difference.
The centers that benefit most are those led by people who are open to collaboration and curious about improvement. When leadership is willing to take a thoughtful look at their operations, systems, and workflows, we can build structures that support the care they’re already providing — making it more sustainable for providers and more accessible for families.”
What services does Birth Center Consulting offer?
L. McCullough: “I often describe Birth Center Consulting’s work in three words: consulting, community and capital.
On the consulting side, I work closely with birth centers to help them start, grow and thrive. This includes everything from startup roadmaps and systems audits to financial planning, team development, and, for centers in New York, guidance through the Certificate of Need process. The goal is always the same: to build strong, sustainable operations that allow providers to focus on caring for families.
Community is another core pillar. Every client has access to our National Birth Center Directory, which connects more than 80 birth centers across the country, as well as monthly peer learning workshops. Birth center work can be isolating, and having a trusted network of peers creates shared learning, support, and collective problem-solving.
Finally, there’s capital. Through the newly formed Birth Center Collective Equity & Excellence Fund, centers can apply for grant support when cost would otherwise be a barrier to getting help. If a birth center is struggling or trying to get back on its feet, I don’t want lack of funding to stand in the way of sustainability — because when birth centers stay open, families keep their options.”
Do you have a memorable moment or success story that illustrates the impact of your work?
L. McCullough: “One of the most meaningful success stories for me is a recent systems audit I completed for a birth center that, on the surface, seemed to be doing well. Families were being served and the center was busy — but behind the scenes, their bank balance kept shrinking, and leadership could sense that something wasn’t sustainable.
After a deep review of their systems, staffing and revenue streams, we identified clear opportunities to turn things around. Some of the changes required tough decisions, but the leadership team was thoughtful, engaged and committed to the long-term health of the center. With those adjustments in place, the center is now on a path toward increased monthly revenue, a lower burn rate, and a much stronger cash position.
What mattered most, though, went beyond the financials. The team is moving toward being out of constant crisis mode and into a place of clarity and confidence. The center became more resilient, less dependent on a single payer source, and more systematized overall.
The birth center can now continue serving families without burnout or fear of closure. Leadership has breathing room, providers can focus on care and the center is positioned to be sustainable — not just this year, but well into the future.”
What do you envision for the future of Birth Center Consulting?
L. McCullough: “In the near term, my focus is on continuing to strengthen and prove this model: growing our national birth center directory, expanding peer learning and grant support, and showing that a consulting, community and capital approach truly makes a difference for centers on the ground.
Longer term, my hope is to look back and see that this work helped prevent unnecessary birth center closures and supported the opening of new centers in communities that desperately need access to care. Birth centers already demonstrate excellent clinical outcomes — the future of this model depends on making them just as strong financially and operationally.
Ultimately, I’m building this not only for the providers I work with, but for families and for the next generation. I want my own children, and all children, to grow up in a world where safe, respectful, relationship-based birth care is accessible, sustainable and protected.”
How can individuals stay up to date with Birth Center Consulting?
L. McCullough: “For those interested in all that Birth Center Consulting is up to, you can sign up for our newsletter on our website at www.birthcenterconsulting.com.
And for those interested in finding birth centers near them, they can visit the National Birth Center Directory, which features a map of birth centers across the country and provides information about local centers and resources for learning more about birth center care.”
Disclaimer: The content on this blog is for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, prescription, or treatment, or public health guidance. Mazarine Wellness LLC is not responsible or liable for any actions you take, or for any resulting injuries, damages, or losses, based on the information provided here. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional for any questions regarding birth care.