In New Mexico, there is a long-standing tradition of midwives attending births at home. In many parts of the state, there was only one generation of women who gave birth in the hospital so that midwifery is not a foreign concept to the general population as it is in many other parts of the country. In 1978, a group of midwives led by Elizabeth Gilmore decided that it was time to bring the tradition back to life in Taos and the Midwifery Center was born.

In 1997, the Midwifery Center expanded to become the Women’ Health and Birth Center, a collaborative practice, which included care provided by OB/GYNs.   Between 1997 and 2003, the C-section rate in Taos County was reduced from approximately 30% to 15% as a direct result of this model, the first of its kind in the country.   A woman who has a C-section is twice as likely to die from complications than a woman who gives birth normally, so this change meant a drastic reduction in risk for Taos moms.   The Safe Motherhood Initiative-USA, a project of the World Health Organization presented the Center with a National Model Award in 2001 for “innovative and excellence in service to mothers and babies in Taos County,” one of only five such awards presented nationally that year.   In 2002, the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services named our Center the first Mother Friendly Birth Service in the nation, recognizing "stellar achievement and commitment to excellence… in creating a wellness model of maternity services."

In October of 2003, the OB/GYNs left the practice for financial reasons and the Women’s Health and Birth Center once again became the Midwifery Center. The midwives continue to offer the same gentle, loving, client-directed care that was first intended to reach a full spectrum of Northern New Mexico & Southern Colorado families, in Taos, Española, Santa Fe & Los Alamos. Northern New Mexico & Southern Colorado, continues to be one of the only places in the country where midwifery is considered to be a mainstream and accessible option for women.