FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nebraska Sees First Legally Authorized Home Birth Attended by Nurse-Midwife

Legally Authorized CNM-Attended Birth Highlights Nebraska’s Unique Restrictions on Home Birth Care

HASTINGS, Nebraska, April 26, 2026 — The Nebraska Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives today announced that Hope Lindstrom has given birth at home in what is believed to be the first legally authorized home birth attended by a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) in Nebraska history. The family reports that mother and baby are doing well. 

Nebraska is widely recognized as the only state with explicit statutory language making it a felony for a Certified Nurse-Midwife to attend a planned home birth. Other forms of home birth midwifery practice are also unlawful under current state law, making this home birth a significant milestone in the state’s maternity care history. Ms. Lindstrom received authorization for a home birth with a CNM through a legal settlement with the State of Nebraska.

“This is a historic moment for Nebraska families and for maternity care in our state,” said Elizabeth Mollard, President of the Nebraska Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. “Women deserve access to evidence-based maternity care options and the ability to make informed decisions about where they give birth. Across the United States, planned home birth attended by appropriately trained and regulated Certified Nurse-Midwives is an accepted option. Nebraska families should not be denied choices available everywhere else in the nation.”

Hope Lindstrom’s birth team was led by Heather Swanson, a Certified Nurse-Midwife whose prior legal challenge to Nebraska’s restrictions on home birth practice advanced for consideration by the Supreme Court of the United States. 

The Nebraska Affiliate noted that the event highlights broader questions about access to maternity care, patient autonomy, and the need to modernize state laws governing midwifery practice so families can access this care without having to sue the state.

Certified Nurse-Midwives are licensed advanced practice nurses educated in graduate-level midwifery programs and nationally board certified to provide care across pregnancy, birth, postpartum, newborn care and gynecologic services.

About the Nebraska Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives

The Nebraska Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives represents Certified Nurse-Midwives across Nebraska and advocates for safe, evidence-based, patient-centered maternity and women’s health care.

Media Contact

Nebraska Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives
NEACNM@gmail.com