CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville has its first natural childbirth center – one of only three in the state – offering families a midwifery-led alternative to hospital birth. Clarksville Midwifery and Birth Center is built around longer appointments, shared decision-making and a focus on helping families feel heard throughout pregnancy and birth.
Co-owners Jenny Fardink, certified professional midwife, and Christy Peterson, certified nurse midwife, began their midwifery and birth center work in Texas before relocating to Clarksville. “We really enjoyed serving the community there, and we could see that there was a need here,” Fardink said. “We actually moved here with the intention of opening a birth center.”
This self-funded project has been in development since 2019, and it began as a home birth practice while the women were nurturing a local client base.
Fardink said the center is one of only three licensed childbirth centers in Tennessee, with the others located in Nashville and Memphis. The midwives are also licensed in Kentucky, and with western Kentucky being a “maternity care desert,” Fardink said they also offer home birth services within 30 minutes of Exit 1 and on post at Fort Campbell. Families living outside of that radius can still use their birth center.
‘So many women who don’t feel heard’
She said many families seek out midwifery care because they want more time, more communication and more involvement in their care. “There’s so many women who don’t feel heard,” she said. “What we’re hoping to do is to be able to allow people to ask questions and get the answers they need.”
Fardink said concerns about safety and trust often shape where families choose to give birth. “There’s many people that don’t feel safe in the maternity care system, particularly our people of color,” she said. National data reflects those concerns: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.
How their birth center care model differs
Fardink said their prenatal care looks similar to a standard OB or midwife integrated into an OB practice, with standard labs and screenings. The difference, she said, is the amount of time they spend with patients.
“The big difference is the time component,” she said. “We want to make sure that people have enough time to understand what we’re recommending and so that they can have informed consent, which is incredibly important.”
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She said that in a standard practice, when a provider pops in quickly, patients often do not have enough time to ask all of their questions. “It makes a big difference for people to feel confident and safe in their pregnancy,” Fardink said. “It also prepares them to go into labor.”
She added that birth is about “your mental ability to cope,” although she noted that natural birth is not for everybody. They only accept low-risk patients.
She said the facility is family-centered, and they allow children to attend the birth if that is what the patient wants. Patients are typically at the facility only a couple of hours before going home after labor.
How birth center fits into healthcare system
According to the American Association of Birth Centers, birth centers are freestanding facilities that use the midwifery and wellness model, emphasizing prevention, informed choice and appropriate medical intervention when needed.
Birth centers serve low-risk patients, maintain relationships with hospitals and have clear transfer protocols. They are designed to feel home-like rather than clinical, and midwives remain continuously present during active labor. Fardink said they have a collaborating relationship with Centennial Women’s Hospital in Nashville, and in a more urgent situation the patient would be transferred to the Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital.
They take care of both moms and babies during and after labor. “We are giving you emotional support, but our main focus is making sure that everything is normal and low-risk,” she said.
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Fardink said they have medications available, mostly for the postpartum period, along with newborn medications. “We encourage parents to get their baby in with a newborn provider within two weeks of life,” she said.
They have three midwives at the facility and work closely with medical director Dr. Dexter Reneer, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, when higher-level care is needed.
Insurance and how to become a patient
Fardink said they are a “mixed-model midwife group,” which impacts what insurance they can accept. They currently accept Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna. She noted that the center does not accept ACA Marketplace insurance plans.
For new patients, she said people need to fill out a risk assessment questionnaire that goes through their health history to see if they are a good fit. The center offers weekly tours so patients can see the space, and from there they set up the first appointment, which is typically an hour long.
The center also holds free weekly group consultations and tours on Thursdays at 5 p.m., which cover general questions but do not address individual medical or financial concerns. Those interested must sign up before noon on tour days. Families who want a private conversation with a midwife can request a 30-minute Zoom consultation for a fee.
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Fardink said people assume they would not be a good candidate for natural birth when in fact most people are low-risk. “We need to look at your individual risk, history, results of labs and ultrasounds,” she said. “We want to see if you’re low-risk or not, but also, you need to know that you can do this.”
She said fear is often what leads people to want medications. “We want people to have the understanding that this is pain with a purpose,” Fardink said. “It’s only for a season, and then you’re holding your baby.”
Open house and accreditation
The center received its Tennessee license on Feb. 22 and has already welcomed its first baby. They are currently working toward national accreditation with the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC), though accreditation is not required.
On Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, the center will host an open house. People will be able to tour the facility and ask staff general questions, but not personalized medical questions. Clarksville Midwifery and Birth Center is located at 225 Dunbar Cave Road, Suite B. They can be reached through email at clarksvillemidwifery@gmail.com and by phone at 931-820-2646.
“We’re happy to be in Clarksville and we can’t wait to serve the community,” Fardink said, encouraging people to reach out with any questions.
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