The Birth Cottage Project

Birth Cottage Tiny House

What is the mission of your company and project?

Pax & Lux Midwifery exists to provide self-empowering, relationship-based, and evidence-informed care for families throughout the reproductive cycle. Rooted in Madison, Wisconsin, we serve people who seek personalized, affirming, and out-of-hospital options for birth. The mission of the birth cottage project is to create a dedicated, welcoming space for families to safely give birth with midwifery care—especially those who cannot or prefer not to birth in their own homes.

Describe the problem you are solving.

The United States is in a maternal and infant health crisis—one of the worst among high-income nations. Mortality and morbidity rates are especially devastating for Black, Indigenous, and other birthing people of color, as well as for those navigating poverty, discrimination, or geographic isolation. At the same time, midwifery practices are being forced to close due to regulatory, insurance, and economic pressures, and rural labor and delivery units are shutting down at alarming rates—leaving families with fewer safe options for birth.

Many people want the safety, connection, and autonomy of midwifery-led care but can’t birth at home due to housing insecurity, landlord restrictions, unsafe environments, or personal preference. This project addresses all of that by creating a stable, midwife-owned birth space designed to meet this need with dignity.

What is the market size/opportunity?

Out-of-hospital birth has grown by over 50% in the last decade, and demand continues to rise as families seek alternatives to hospital birth. Midwifery care is the evidence-based gold standard for healthy pregnancies, reducing unnecessary interventions, cesarean births, and improving outcomes for both birthers and babies. 

This project offers a community-rooted model of care that fills a critical gap in birth access while maintaining the integrity of midwifery philosophy.

What is your company/product about and how does it solve the problem?

Pax & Lux Midwifery is a solo midwifery practice offering home birth, IUI, prenatal and postpartum care, childbirth education, and community classes. The addition of a tiny house birth cottage on-site creates a dedicated, secure, and fully equipped space where families can choose midwifery care in a prepared, home-like environment.

It meets the real-world needs of people who want a birth experience that is safe, affirming, and grounded in relationship—but may lack access to housing set up for a home birth, birth centers, or respectful hospital care. It also supports practice sustainability in a time when independent midwives and small midwifery practices are being pushed out of the system.

Why are you seeking funding and how will you spend the funding?

We’re seeking funding to purchase outfit, and maintain the tiny house birth cottage on our property, making it a fully functional, safe, and serene space for labor and birth. Your donation directly supports:
    •    Purchasing and converting a high-quality tiny home
    •    Installing birth-friendly features like a tub, bed, and clinical storage
    •    Emergency medical supplies and birth equipment
    •    Accessibility and landscaping to welcome all bodies and families
    •    Ongoing maintenance to keep the space safe and available to the community

This is about creating a permanent, community-rooted alternative to hospital birth—a space where families can receive high-quality care and midwives can continue practicing in a sustainable way.

Who is on your team?

This project is led by Connie Lambeth, a licensed midwife and founder of Pax & Lux Midwifery. Connie brings years of experience, along with a strong commitment to birth justice and trauma-informed care. As a solo provider, she holds the vision, provides the care, and is investing in this space as a long-term offering to the community.

Support also comes from a network of local birth workers, builders, and community advocates who believe in accessible, affirming, and safe birth for all!