“Why can't I have my postpartum care in the same room as my baby?” questioned Hilary, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) “alumni” parent, during a design event for the new British Columbia's Women's Hospital 70 single family room NICU. This simple yet provocative question was nearly dismissed and the idea of a combined care model lost, since most members of the team thought it was simply “not possible.” Hilary did not give up and continued to raise this idea throughout every design event. It was Hilary's fortitude and sharing of her NICU experience that was the inspiration for the MotherBaby Care unit. The voice of one woman has improved the birth experiences of potentially thousands of mothers and their at‐risk newborns. By honoring women's voices and values in health care, positive changes that matter to women, infants, and families can be made. Mothers also shared: “I knew what was best for me was to be with my baby,” “If I could stand up after my C‐section, I would drag my IV pole to be with my baby!”, “Teach me how to take care of my premature baby before I am ready to go home!” MotherBaby Care is a combined care or “couplet” care where one NICU nurse provides care for a postpartum mother and her at‐risk newborn in the Level 2 NICU. This review describes the journey from innovation and design to the implementation of the MotherBaby Care model.

Practicing midwifery is illegal in four states and the District of Columbia. However, midwives still practice as they and much of the public do not see their behavior as criminal. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty-six midwives, our findings demonstrate that midwives employed both public and professional accounts. They collectively justified midwifery in prohibition states by condemning their condemners, appealing to higher loyalties, denying injury, and justifying by comparison. We also found a new account, denial of illegality. This research uniquely applies the concept of collective accounts to an illegal but socially acceptable career.

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