Midwives

[Jan Stover]

Have you sought the services of a midwife during your pregnancy?  Did you find having a midwife to assist you made the whole event more comfortable/enjoyable? Do your state laws make the traditional practice of midwifery difficult or relatively accessible to and acceptable for women? 

Jan

[MamaLiberty]

I've had two homebirths with midwives (baby #3 & #4).  My first homebirth was with in a state where the laws are ambiguous, but state authorities do go after the midwives.  They've never had a successful prosecution, but the threat of legal action has scared most of the midwives out of practice nonetheless.  The midwife who caught my first home born baby was from another state where she had actually served some time in jail for practicing her profession.  My second home born baby was born in a state where midwifery is legal and an accepted part of the culture.  Both births were wonderful and so much better than my first two hospital births.

I am dismayed that so many traditional midwives are embracing our move toward socialized medicine.  Instead of fighting the system as they have always done, they are largely seeking to become a part of it.  I guess they have adopted the attitude that "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

[Jan Stover]

I am dismayed that so many traditional midwives are embracing our move toward socialized medicine.  Instead of fighting the system as they have always done, they are largely seeking to become a part of it.  I guess they have adopted the attitude that "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".

This is disheartening news ... wondering if there are any midwives' groups out there that are actively opposing national heath care/socialized medicine? That would be worth looking into/discovering, eh?

Jan

[itisstarry]

I used a midwife with my last birth, and she was amazing. She was the only person I could find willing to attend to me for a natural, normal birth, after two previous c-sections. In fact she put her license on the line for me because she knew I was not really that much more risky than any birth, and that current laws are based on economics, not safety. She is up there on my list of heroes. She insipired another midwife in town to take on a vba2c as well due to my success.  This reassures me that not all midwifes are towing the regulation line, and that there are many willing to folow their gut rather than the rules. Those are the midwifes that (hopefully) won't be duped by socialized medicine.