Caitlin Hainley of the Des Moines Midwife Collective sought to open a standalone birthing center in Des Moines, essentially a single-family home repurposed with birthing tubs and other equipment needed to give birth in a comfortable, home-like environment. To do so, midwifedesmoines alleged in its 2023 lawsuit, would have required going through a lengthy, expensive regulatory process that would give already established maternity facilities, such as local hospitals, the chance to argue against granting what is known as a certificate of need for the new facility, essentially vetoing competition. A federal district judge ruled in November that Iowa's certificate-of-need law is constitutional, finding that legislators had a rational interest in protecting existing hospitals and health care providers. But while losing the first round in court, the collective's cause was winning support in a more important venue: the Iowa Capitol. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #Iowa #...