Midwives now!

Health Care Reform Must Include Access to Certified Professional Midwives

Print this out, mail it to your congress beasties and the white house. Spread this link around. Now is the time to beat DC over the head with this.

This is the letter I'm including with mine:

Dear (congressbeastie),

Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association have come out in opposition of Certified Professional Midwives and home birth (1), insisting that midwives are unreliable, and the only safe place to birth is in a hospital. This is despite the fact that multiple scientifically sound studies have shown no risk in planned home births with a trained midwife (2). Flat out, the ACOG and AMA are wrong.

There is no scientifically sound reason that women should be denied access in any way (legally or though limitations from a for-profit insurance system) to Certified Professional Midwives, and choice of birth location as deemed appropriate by the woman and her maternity care provider.

I urge you to reject the questionable, non-evidence-based stance of the AMA and ACOG, and support inclusion of Certified Professional Midwives in the future of US health care.

Thank you for your attention,
(Me)

(1) ACOG Statement on Home Births 2/6/08: "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reiterates its long-standing
opposition to home births."
AMA Resolution #205 "Home Deliveries" 4/28/08
(2) Perinatal mortality and morbidity in a nationwide cohort of 529,688 low-risk planned home and hospital births; BJOG: An International Journal
of Obstetrics & Gynaecology; April 2009
Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America; BJM 18 June 2005