So, here’s what’s going on…
A while back the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement against homebirths, I wrote and comic-ed about it here: A Mile Away and here: Anti-Homebirth Press Release and Response! and here: Your choice! and here: ACOG Anti-Homebirth Statement! And then deciding that obviously that kind of idiocy would not continue to gain momentum, I stopped talking about it in the hopes that it would go away. As most idiotic things do.
Unfortunately, we live in an age of idiotic things gaining influence so here it is again, Anti-Homebirth Redux with a Twist. The American Medical Association jumps on the ACOG bandwagon and not only says “Deal Me IN!” but also “I’ll Raise you” legislation. Legislation. You heard me.
Here’s their statement from here AMA reference committee B legislation this is #205, (but heck, for fun read #204 as well!):
Whereas, Twenty-one states currently license midwives to attend home births, all using the certified professional midwife (CPM) credential (CPM or “lay” midwives), not the certified midwives (CM) credential which both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) recognize ; and
Whereas, There has been much attention in the media by celebrities having home deliveries, with recent Today Show headings such as “Ricki Lake takes on baby birthing industry: Actress and former talk show host shares her at-home delivery in new film” ; and
Whereas, An apparently uncomplicated pregnancy or delivery can quickly become very complicated in the setting of maternal hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia or other obstetric emergencies, necessitating the need for rigorous standards, appropriate oversight of obstetric providers, and the availability of emergency care, for the health of both the mother and the baby during a delivery; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association support the recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) statement that “the safest setting for labor, delivery, and the immediate post-partum period is in the hospital, or a birthing center within a hospital complex, that meets standards jointly outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and ACOG, or in a freestanding birthing center that meets the standards of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, The Joint Commission, or the American Association of Birth Centers” (New HOD Policy); and be it further
RESOLVED, That our AMA develop model legislation in support of the concept that the safest setting for labor, delivery, and the immediate post-partum period is in the hospital, or a birthing center within a hospital complex, that meets standards jointly outlined by the AAP and ACOG, or in a freestanding birthing center that meets the standards of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, The Joint Commission, or the American Association of Birth Centers.” (Directive to Take Action)
Fiscal Note: Implement accordingly at estimated staff cost of $1,929.
I’m sure you can imagine that Ricki Lake had a response:
Docs to Women: Pay No Attention to Ricki Lake’s Home Birth by RICKI LAKE, JENNIFER BLOCK, AND ABBY EPSTEIN
and
Here’s a press release from the group Big Push for Midwives:
Father Knows Best Meets Big Brother Is Watching
Physician Group Seeks to Outlaw Home Birth—Is Jail for Moms Next?
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2008)—Just in time for Father’s Day, at its annual meeting last
weekend, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a resolution to introduce legislation
outlawing home birth, and potentially making criminals of the mothers who choose home birth with the
help of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) for their families.
“It’s unclear what penalties the AMA will seek to impose on women who choose to give birth at home,
either for religious, cultural or financial reasons—or just because they didn’t make it to the hospital in
time,” said Susan Jenkins, Legal Counsel for The Big Push for Midwives 2008 campaign. “What we do
know, however, is that any state that enacts such a law will immediately find itself in court, since a law
dictating where a woman must give birth would be a clear violation of fundamental rights to privacy and
other freedoms currently protected by the U.S. Constitution.”
Until the AMA proposed ‘Resolution 205 on Home Deliveries,’ no state had considered legislation
forcing women to deliver their babies in the hospital or limiting the choice of birth setting. Instead, states
have regulated the types of midwives that may legally provide care. Currently, 22 states already license
and regulate CPMs, who specialize in out-of-hospital maternity care and have received extensive training
to qualify as experts in the types of risk assessment and preventive care necessary for safe and high-
quality care for women who choose give birth at home. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), who are
trained primarily as hospital-based providers, are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The resolution did not offer any science-based information for the AMA’s anti-midwife or anti-home
birth position.
“Maternity care is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States,” said Steff Hedenkamp,
Communications Coordinator for The Big Push for Midwives. “So it’s no surprise to see the AMA join the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in its ongoing fight to corner the market and ensure
that the only midwives able to practice legally are hospital-based midwives forced to practice under
physician control. I will say, though, that I’m shocked to learn that the AMA is taking this turf battle to the
next level by setting the stage for outlawing home birth itself—a direct attack on those families who choose
home birth, who could be subject to criminal prosecution if the AMA has its way.”
The Big Push for Midwives (http://www.TheBigPushforMidwives.org) is a nationally coordinated
campaign organized to advocate for regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs)
in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and to push back against the attempts of the
American Medical Association to deny American families access to safe and legal midwifery care.
© 2008 The Big Push for Midwives Campaign. All rights reserved. The Big Push for Midwives is fiscally sponsored by Sustainable Markets Foundation,
a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our mission is to build winning, state-of-the-art
advocacy campaigns towards successful regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs).
The Big Push for Midwives Campaign | www.TheBigPushforMidwives.org
80 Broad Street, Suite 1600, New York, NY 10004-2248 | 2300 M Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20037-1434
I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a major issue and one that we ALL need to throw our weight behind, the idea that my daughters might be forced to go to the hospital to birth is terrifying to me. All women should have the right to stay home. I’ll leave you with a quote from Amy P. who cracked me up with “the day they pass this idea into law is the day I get intentionally pregnant so I can sue.” Amen, Amy!
Love,
Heather
ps. there are of course comics a-coming!
