In June, Babymoon Inn abruptly shut down birth centers in both Phoenix and Tucson, which left families without midwives after considerable financial investment, and employees without jobs.
Babymoon Inn has been around for more than a decade offering birth classes and doula services which provide emotional and physical support for expecting families, and an alternative to giving birth in a hospital.
For Jessica Locke, who was a patient at Babymoon Inn’s Tucson center in 2022 when she was pregnant with her first child, the decision to once again undergo treatment at the center was an natural one.
“I had a good experience the first time and I loved all the staff,” Locke said. “So, back in January, I gave them a call and told them that I was pregnant again and how far along I thought I was.”
After five in-person appointments with the center, she received a call in June from her midwife that the birth center would be closing in the coming weeks.
When Locke arrived for her scheduled appointment one week later, her midwife told her she was terminated and was unsure if she was allowed inside the building.