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on Battling Over Birth?
i understand where you are coming from. However, i disagree that there should be mandates limiting what kinds of births midwives are allowed to attend (breech, multiple, vbac etc.). Women who are considering birthing at home with a higher risk pregnancy do so with an understanding that they are, in the end, responsible for their choices and their birth outcomes. These women also understand that their chance to birth vaginally within an institution will be greatly reduced b/c of a practitioners lack of knowledge or an insurance companies rules. Instead of aquiescing to the system - these women ,in many cases, are choosing to give birth without any kind of practitioner in attendance. While i fully support a woman's right to choose an unassisted birth, she should also retain the right to have a knowledgable birth attendant present to help if necessary. While no one likes a bad outcome in birth, least of all midwives, it should not be up to governmennt to say what choices a woman can and cannot make in regards to her body. As well, a midwife should not have to go against these mandates thereby risking her status and livelihood to do the job that she has been well-trained to do. Mandatory licensure or regulation of midwifery in oregon will, in my opinion, lead to worse outcomes for mamas and babies.
Midwives are highly trained professionals, as i am sure you know, who do not take their responsibility lightly and work alongside thier clients to make the best choices for everyone involved, especially in regard to safety of mama and baby.
Instead of taking rights away from women, why not train doctors in the art of breech, multiple and vbac birth. Why not make birth as safe as possible by taking the decisions out of insurers hands and giving responsibility back to the individual.
posted 3 years ago
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on Battling Over Birth?
in my great grandmothers journal, she recorded the cost of the birth of her first of 12 children at home (late 1800's early 1900's). $12.00 for the doctor to come and have a smoke in the front room with dad... pretty amazing how far we have come
posted 3 years ago
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on Battling Over Birth?
if you dig a little deeper into the reason why the US has such a high infant mortality rate you may be surprised to find that the most agreed upon cause of infant death is prematurity caused by lack of prenatal care. Additionally it may be shocking to know that the highest rates of infant mortality are found among the poor and non-white women among us.
If insurance companies and care providers were truly worried about the rate of death among infants, prenatal care would be available to all women at low or no cost.
As for the danger of childbirth, you may as well go to the hospital every time you need to poop as it is a similar physiological process during which people sometimes die.
posted 3 years ago
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on Battling Over Birth?
you make excellent points. my hope is that there will be more physicians like you to make out of hospital birth even safer and an option for more women and their families.
informed consent is such a slippery slope - definatly a matter of training and perspective
posted 3 years ago
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on Battling Over Birth?
Angela you really touched on what this is all about FREEDOM OF CHOICE. It is interesting that in every instance but pregnancy and birth, individuals are encouraged and even expected to make autonomous decisions based on what is best for THAT individual. Why is it when it comes to womens reproductive rights and choices that expectation all of a sudden changes? Its as if it is believed that womens minds contract as their bellies expand. We need to protect our right as women to choose where and with whom we birth.
posted 3 years ago
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on Battling Over Birth?
good point. especially since babies and mamas NEVER die or have long lasting harm (physical or mental) when birth happens in a hospital.
with this argument you are effectively saying that we should never ride a bike or drive in a car because accidents do happen. its going to take a little more to convince me.
posted 3 years ago
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on Battling Over Birth?
licensure does NOT guarantee quality of practice with midwives anymore than it does any practioner or professional, a point i believe Karen Adams made herself. Peer review amongst OBGYN's has not lowered the incidence of cesarean or increased the occurence of evidence based practices.
A better relationship between medical personel and independant midwives will happen when OB's number one priority becomes the pregnant/birthing mama in front of them. Karen Adams comments left no doubt as to the superiority of the Obstetrician's thinking mind compared to the ignorant mamas out there who "don't know the difference" when it comes to midwifery credentials. This "god-complex" among medical professionals is a giant barrier to constructive communication between the medical and midwifery community.
When mamas and babies become the center of birthing practices in America and insurance companies and golf schedules are pushed to the background, then we will see a merging of caregivers and a new normal for childbirth. It can't happen soon enough.
posted 3 years ago
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