Maternal health center and birthing facility under construction on same Trenton street

Hoping to fill a major void in New Jersey’s Capital city, the Murphy administration celebrated a major milestone this summer with the groundbreaking of a long-awaited maternal and infant health facility in Trenton.

The Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center (MIHIC) is part of First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative, which since 2019 has worked to make New Jersey the safest and most equitable place for Black and Brown moms to deliver and raise a baby.

“Shaped by the voices of families and rooted in Trenton, this center will deliver care and collaboration like never before,” said Murphy during a ceremony held earlier this summer. “It will save lives, raise standards, and show what’s possible when equity leads. And with the nation’s first strategic innovation center dedicated to maternal and infant health, we’re not waiting for change, we’re creating it right here.”

The Garden State has one of the nation’s widest racial disparities for both maternal and infant mortality and is ranked 28th in the U.S. for maternal deaths, according to the state’s Nurture NJ webpage.

In New Jersey, Black infants are three times more likely to die than white babies, while Black mothers are nearly seven times more likely to die from maternity-related complications than white mothers, according to the webpage.

The facility is being constructed on 2.6 acres of mostly vacant land at the southwest corner of Pennington Avenue and Warren Street, according to a statement from Gov. Phil Murphy’s office.

Although it will not serve as a birthing center, the facility will provide first-in-class, comprehensive pre and postpartum care, according to a statement.

To build the center, $86.7 million in federal and state funding has been invested. The center is projected to open in early 2027, according to the statement.

Today, there isn’t a primary maternal hospital in Trenton for expectant mothers.

While Capital Health operates an OB/GYN office in the city, pregnant women must travel to Capital Health Medical Center-Hopewell in Pennington for delivery services.

Despite the state’s capital not having a place for moms to give birth, organizations such as TruDoulas of New Jersey, a nonprofit based in Trenton that has been providing doula care and lactation support since 2020, helps to fill the gaps.

“We’re very excited for the (innovation center). We believe that is a significant step towards improving maternal and infant health care within the region, especially in Trenton,” said Jodi Sessoms, TruDoulas of New Jersey’s executive director. “We look forward to it opening and addressing the health care needs of mothers and babies, especially in underserved communities.”

Sessoms, a full spectrum doula and certified lactation consultant who grew up in Trenton, said the nonprofit also provides baby essentials (like diapers and wipes) through its Stork’s Closet mommy baby pantry and offers professional development workshops for doulas and birth workers.

Peter Bullock is founder of the Hey Black Dad initiative based in Trenton, an organization that focuses on improving the trajectory of maternal healthcare outcomes by way of paternal preparation and education. He said the innovation center has the potential to be a game-changer.

“My hope is that it becomes a true hub for collaboration between providers, families, the greater Trenton community, and advocates so every parent feels seen, supported, and empowered,” said Bullock, who became a certified doula in 2021 and has since worked with over 20 families.

While construction for the innovation center continues, directly across Pennington Street a birthing and wellness center is undergoing renovations.

Greater Mount Zion AME church, led by Rev. Charles F. Boyer and First Lady Rosalee Boyer, plans to open its Back in Our Hands Birth and Wellness Center in the spring or summer next year.

The 16,000 square foot former Catholic church building, owned by the church at 42 Pennington Ave., is being renovated to provide expectant mothers and babies with access to culturally tailored maternal health care in Trenton.

Complete with four levels, the building will house wellness and restorative justice activities, said Samantha Gordon, who is the director of strategic communications for Salvation and Social Justice, a non-partisan faith-based public policy organization founded by Boyer.

The third floor will have birthing suites, exam rooms, family waiting rooms, and staff offices. The second floor will be a restorative justice hub, Gordon confirmed.

The first floor will have various care services, including sister circles, yoga classes, lactation classes, prenatal and postnatal fitness classes and art therapy.

Gordon said the lower level will have a commercial kitchen to provide meal prep services for expecting families, maternal nutrition classes for new moms, community education classes, memberships and rental space for food entrepreneurs.

The Greater Mount Zion Community Development Corporation (CDC) has secured $7 million, which is mostly comprised of state funding, to build the birthing center.

“In the state of New Jersey, we’ve put a lot of money into the issue of maternal health, but the death rate for Black women remains the same,” said Charles Boyer. “I think it’s super critical that there be initiatives that put birthing back in the hands of Black women.”