Appalachian Midwife
Laura Browning, LCPM

Laura Browning, owner and sole midwife of Sage Roots, graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Mercy in Action College of Midwifery in December 2024 and passed her NARM exam in January 2025, receiving her CPM certification and Kentucky license shortly thereafter. Since 2016, she has served southeastern Kentucky as a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, peer counselor, and sponsor of the area's only local breastfeeding support group. Now, as a Certified Professional Midwife, she continues to provide accessible midwifery care to families in her rural Appalachian community.
Laura is deeply aware of the high maternal and infant morbidity rates in the United States, particularly in Kentucky’s Appalachian region. According to the CDC, this area’s infant mortality rate is significantly higher than the national average, and the March of Dimes identifies 28 of the 54 Appalachian counties in Kentucky as "maternity care deserts," meaning there is a severe shortage of OB/GYNs and midwives. Laura is committed to addressing these disparities by offering compassionate, quality care that respects human rights, basic needs, and cultural traditions.
Specifically, Kentucky has a critical shortage of midwives, with less than five Certified Nurse Midwives per 1,000 births—far below the national average according to March of Dimes. Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), who are trained specifically in out-of-hospital birth, remain particularly scarce. Many counties have no midwifery presence at all, leaving families without access to care that aligns with their needs and values.
Laura is dedicated to increasing access to the Midwifery Model of Care, which prioritizes personalized, evidence-based, and family-centered support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This model has been shown to improve outcomes, lower intervention rates, and increase satisfaction among birthing families. However, Kentucky’s maternity care system remains largely centered on hospital-based providers, limiting options for those seeking physiological birth with minimal interventions.
As a lifelong resident of the area, Laura is committed to filling this gap by offering compassionate, individualized midwifery care, particularly for families with limited resources. She believes that pregnancy and birth are transformative experiences with lasting impacts and is dedicated to improving outcomes for mothers and babies in southeastern Kentucky.
Laura is deeply aware of the high maternal and infant morbidity rates in the United States, particularly in Kentucky’s Appalachian region. According to the CDC, this area’s infant mortality rate is significantly higher than the national average, and the March of Dimes identifies 28 of the 54 Appalachian counties in Kentucky as "maternity care deserts," meaning there is a severe shortage of OB/GYNs and midwives. Laura is committed to addressing these disparities by offering compassionate, quality care that respects human rights, basic needs, and cultural traditions.
Specifically, Kentucky has a critical shortage of midwives, with less than five Certified Nurse Midwives per 1,000 births—far below the national average according to March of Dimes. Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), who are trained specifically in out-of-hospital birth, remain particularly scarce. Many counties have no midwifery presence at all, leaving families without access to care that aligns with their needs and values.
Laura is dedicated to increasing access to the Midwifery Model of Care, which prioritizes personalized, evidence-based, and family-centered support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This model has been shown to improve outcomes, lower intervention rates, and increase satisfaction among birthing families. However, Kentucky’s maternity care system remains largely centered on hospital-based providers, limiting options for those seeking physiological birth with minimal interventions.
As a lifelong resident of the area, Laura is committed to filling this gap by offering compassionate, individualized midwifery care, particularly for families with limited resources. She believes that pregnancy and birth are transformative experiences with lasting impacts and is dedicated to improving outcomes for mothers and babies in southeastern Kentucky.