About Tampa Bay Birth Network…
The Tampa Bay Birth Network's mission is to educate, support, and connect a community of professionals, families, and individuals dedicated to holistic and informed care from conception and pregnancy through birth, postpartum, and parenting for all.
Where we started…
Formed in 2008, the Tampa Bay Birth Network was started by a small group of dedicated birth professionals. The network was the first of its kind in the Tampa Bay area. Focused on serving both birth professionals and families, we have proudly provided education, support, and a community for those who are passionate about holistic pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Hundreds of new and expectant parents have attended our meetings and special events. Along the way, many birth professionals have joined our network so they can provide more resources for their clients and patients. In 2009, we became a Florida not-for-profit corporation. In 2011, we were approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In 2018, we rebranded to refocus our mission, serve more of the community, and reach even more families across the bay.
Over the years, we have hosted guest speakers, film screenings, childbirth options seminars, birth story circles, networking events, educational panels, rallies, birth fairs, and more. The annual Tampa Birth and Baby Expo is our biggest event of the year. Formerly the Natural Birth and Baby Expo, we first held this family-friendly event in 2011. We have proudly supported other local groups making a difference in our area, including the Brown Baby Brigade and the Foundation for Florida Midwives.
Who We Are
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We envision a Tampa Bay where a thriving, connected community of families, professionals, and advocates grows together united by a shared belief that every pregnancy, birth, and parenting journey deserves compassionate support, trusted resources, and a village to lean on. Together, we are building that community in Tampa Bay.
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We believe that no one should navigate pregnancy, birth, or parenthood without a village. So we built one. From our directory of vetted local professionals to our community events, educational gatherings, and peer relationships, everything we do is designed to make sure that village is accessible, inclusive, and rooted in care.
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1. Informed Decision-Making & Bodily Autonomy
We empower pregnant and birthing people, their partners, and their families with evidence-based, up-to-date information so they can make confident, personal decisions about their pregnancy, birth experience, and postpartum care free from coercion and grounded in their own values and circumstances.
2. Whole-Person, Holistic Care
We recognize that the perinatal experience from trying to conceive through early parenting encompasses physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. We support integrative approaches to care that honor the whole person, including complementary and alternative modalities alongside conventional prenatal and postnatal medicine, and that prioritize reducing unnecessary medical interventions.
3. Continuity of Support Through the Birth Team We believe that access to a knowledgeable, compassionate birth team including midwives, doulas, pelvic floor therapists, and other support professionals leads to better outcomes for birthing people and babies. We uphold the Midwives Model of Care and the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative as frameworks for respectful, evidence-based maternity support.
4. Postpartum & Early Parenting Wellness
We recognize the postpartum period as a critical phase deserving robust support. We provide resources and community connection around postpartum mental and physical health, infant feeding choices (including all methods that nourish and bond families), safe sleep guidance, and the evolving needs of new parents while honoring each family's unique path.
5. Equity, Inclusion & Reproductive Justice We are committed to serving all families without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, culture, creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or disability. We acknowledge the systemic disparities that affect maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly in Black and Brown communities, and we actively work to support equitable access to holistic, informed care for every family in the Tampa Bay area.
What we believe…
Families should be able to access holistic-minded care in pregnancy, birth, and parenting every family has a right to be informed about their options in pregnancy, birth, and parenting. And that these options should extend to all.
Who we serve…
We are proud to continue to cultivate a holistic-minded birth community for individuals, families, and professionals in the Tampa area.
The Tampa Bay Birth Network is a 501(c)3 organization committed to raising awareness in the area of holistic and informed pregnancy and birth for all families. We serve both the community at large as well as birth professionals. We provide a directory of local providers that align with our principles, resources that forward our aims, and organize and host educational events.