Practice Growth · For clinicians
Marketing a Midwifery Practice in New York: A Practical Guide
Marketing a midwifery practice comes down to explaining your care model clearly, removing uncertainty about birth settings, safety and insurance, and making sure patients can find you where they search. Most people who choose midwifery care are actively looking for it, so accurate listings, a website that answers their real questions, and strong referral relationships usually matter more than broad advertising.
Put differently: your future patients are already searching. The question is whether, when they land on your profile at 10 p.m. at seven weeks pregnant, they can tell in 30 seconds where you deliver, whether you take their plan, and what happens if something goes wrong. If they can't, they'll move on to the next listing.
Know which patients you're for
Midwifery practices in New York vary a lot: hospital-based CNM groups, midwives within OB/GYN practices, birth center practices and home birth midwives. Common audiences include:
- People early in pregnancy researching care options
- People who want a lower-intervention birth in a hospital
- People planning a birth center or home birth
- People seeking gynecologic, contraception or well-person care from a midwife
- People transferring mid-pregnancy because they want a different experience
Each group searches differently. Someone planning a home birth types "home birth midwife Queens." Someone comparing hospitals types "midwife at [hospital name]." Someone in Sunset Park or Flushing may search in Spanish or Chinese first. Write pages for the searches your patients actually make.
What your marketing has to explain
Your care model
Many patients don't know what a midwife does, and some confuse midwives with doulas. Explain plainly:
- Your credential: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Certified Midwife (CM) or New York licensed midwife, and what that means
- What prenatal visits are like (length, continuity, who they'll see)
- What labor support looks like
- Postpartum care and lactation support
- Gynecologic and family planning services, if you offer them
Keep claims accurate and non-comparative. "We offer longer prenatal visits" is better than outcome claims you can't substantiate.
Birth settings
This is often the deciding factor, so put it above the fold:
- Which hospital(s) or birth center(s) you attend births at
- Whether you attend home births, and in which areas
- What pain relief is available in each setting, including whether epidurals are an option
Safety and collaboration
Patients and their families want to know what happens if plans change. Describe:
- Your collaborating physicians or practice relationships
- How consultation, co-management and transfer of care work
- Your hospital transfer plan for out-of-hospital births
New York's Midwifery Modernization Act removed the written practice agreement requirement, but midwives must maintain collaborative relationships with physicians or hospitals for consultation and referral. Describing those relationships openly builds trust. ACOG and ACNM have issued joint statements supporting collaborative practice.
Insurance and cost
- List accepted plans, including NY Medicaid and the Essential Plan if you participate.
- For out-of-network or home birth services, explain typical payment arrangements and provide good faith estimates where required.
- Spell out what is and isn't included in global fees.
Insurance is the most common reason a prospective patient calls and doesn't book. A clear page saves your front desk hours a week.
Where to show up online
Google Business Profile
Use an accurate category such as Midwife and keep hours, services and booking links current. See Google Business Profile for OB/GYN practices; the same principles apply.
Directories
Patients often search directories by specialty and location. Make sure each midwife is listed with the correct specialty, such as Certified Nurse Midwife, and the right borough or county. Patients browse pages like Brooklyn midwives and certified nurse midwives in Manhattan, so a complete profile puts you in front of people already looking.
Your website
- A clear "What is midwifery care?" page
- A page for each birth setting you offer
- Midwife bios with photos, languages spoken and philosophy of care
- An FAQ covering safety, collaboration, pain relief and insurance
- A simple way to book a consultation or meet-and-greet
Health plan directories
Midwives are sometimes mislabeled in plan directories. Confirm your listing type and accepting-new-patients status with each plan, ideally twice a year.
Referrals
Referrals drive many midwifery practices. Sources include:
- OB/GYN practices that don't offer midwifery care or want to refer low-risk patients
- Primary care, family medicine and pediatric practices
- Doulas, childbirth educators and lactation consultants
- Pelvic floor physical therapists
- Community organizations serving pregnant people
- Past patients, often the strongest source of all
Make it easy: a one-page summary of services, birth settings, insurance and how to refer. Close the loop with the referring clinician when appropriate and with patient consent. See building referral relationships with specialists for a broader framework.
Community and education
Many practices grow through teaching:
- Free virtual or in-person info sessions for expecting parents
- Childbirth education classes
- Postpartum support groups
- Partnerships with community organizations and libraries
Evening virtual sessions tend to suit commuting parents. Promote them on your website, Google Business Profile and social media, keep content accurate, and don't promise outcomes.
Social media, carefully
- Don't post patient photos, birth stories or testimonials without written HIPAA authorization.
- Don't answer individual clinical questions publicly.
- Be careful with comparative claims about hospitals or physicians.
Measure what matters
- Consultation requests and new prenatal intakes per month
- Source of each new patient
- Info session attendance and conversion to care
- Gestational age at intake (are patients finding you early enough?)
- Review count and themes
Common mistakes
- Assuming patients know what a midwife does. A short explainer on midwife vs. doula, and how they work together, prevents mismatched inquiries.
- Hiding the birth setting. If someone has to call to learn where you deliver, many won't call.
- Overstating outcomes. Don't compare your intervention or cesarean rates with hospitals or physicians unless the data are rigorous, current and in context.
- Inconsistent credentials across listings. Each midwife's credential (CNM, CM or licensed midwife) and specialty label should match in NPPES, plan directories and public directories.
- Burying gynecologic services. If you offer annual exams and contraception, say so; it builds relationships long before pregnancy.
Claim your free listing
Many patients search for midwives by borough or county, and our directory makes that easy. Claim your free listing to confirm your credentials, birth settings and insurance. Practices that want to stand out to expecting parents in their area can explore featured placement at /advertise/.
Frequently asked questions
What do patients most want to know about a midwifery practice?
Where they can give birth, whether their insurance is accepted, what happens if complications arise, and how midwifery care differs from physician-led care. Answering these clearly is the core of midwifery marketing.
Do midwives in New York need a collaborating physician?
New York's Midwifery Modernization Act removed the written practice agreement requirement for licensed midwives, but midwives must maintain collaborative relationships for consultation and referral. Confirm current requirements with the NY State Education Department.
Can midwifery practices market gynecologic and primary care services?
Licensed midwives in New York may provide care within their scope, which can include well-person gynecologic care and family planning. Marketing should describe services that fall within your licensed scope.
Sources
- New York State Education Department — Office of the Professions: Midwifery
- American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) — Definition of Midwifery and Scope of Practice
- ACOG and ACNM — Joint statement of practice relations
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician who knows your history. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.