Jenna Bowman wanted to welcome her sixth child at home.
She said she didn't know the owners of Treasured Midwifery, but she chose the company because one of the midwives had delivered her last baby.
“I knew Madeline from before, so I felt confident in her services,” Bowman said.
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According to Bowman, she paid more than $6,000 up-front for prenatal care, labor, delivery, and newborn follow-up appointments.
“Your contract takes you through your duration of your pregnancy,” Bowman said.
Treasured Midwifery’s website showed they offered appointments at Valley medical office locations, and the midwives also did home births. Bowman said she went to just two or three appointments when her midwife informed her that the company was about to shut down.
“I was shocked, I think,” Bowman said. “I don't know what to do.”
Bowman shared an email from the company’s owner announcing the closure, which said he “partnered with this home birth team in the hopes to provide [our] clients with an unmatched experience” in October 2024. Despite his personal investments, he wrote, there was a drop in revenue, backpay issues, and ongoing overhead costs.
Days later, Treasured Midwifery's attorney sent an offer for a partial refund.
“It doesn't fix it,” Bowman said.
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At seven months pregnant, Bowman needed a new birth plan. She said she reached out to the midwife she knew from Treasured Midwives, and that provider agreed to go ahead with her home birth. However, that came with an added expense.
“I'm sure there are probably regulations that need to change and get updated to ensure that there is protection for clients, and make sure that businesses can be successful,” Bowman said.
Daryl Manhart, an attorney for Treasured Midwifery, sent ABC15 the following statement about the company’s closure:
The departure of the midwife staff of Treasured Midwife LLC was an unforeseen event that left it unable to continue serving clients as intended. Although the company itself had no remaining funds and the owner personally was not legally obligated, at his personal expense, he found a third-party source of funds to arrange for refunds for a limited time, which now has passed. Refund amounts were calculated based on services provided and the nonrefundable amount stated in each contract and almost all clients accepted the offer while it was available. The owner sympathizes with the disappointment and any disruption this may have caused and hopes the refund effort reflects his good-faith commitment to treating people fairly in difficult circumstances.
You can reach ABC15 Senior Investigator Melissa Blasius by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.
