I was stunned to read today in the Chicago Tribune that midwifery is outlawed in 10 states in America. Missouri is the only state where midwifery is considered a felony, but the other nine states have actually banned the practice (including Illinois from where I hail). However, there is still a thriving network (or black market) of practicing midwives in Missouri who operate through word of mouth. At least 1,000 women in Missouri give birth at home each year which is a clear sign that women are resisting and taking control of their own births. Similarly, in Illinois at least 800 babies are born each year at home (that's 2-3 babies every day!)
As most of you may already know, childbirth is still considred a medical emergency in most American states. Ricki Lake's doco, The Business of Being Born, and the forthcoming full-length feature film, Pregnant in America, could not have come at a more opportune time. Whilst 40 states do permit midwives to practice (mostly under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital), it is homebirth that has sparked the most intense debate. Missouri is now on the brink of deciding whether to overturn its ban on midwifery after a state lawmaker's wife was aided by a midwife in her pregnancy and has pushed (no pun intended!) to make midwifery legal.
I won't go into the pros and cons of homebirth here. However, this is an interesting irony:
A good samaritan who helps a woman deliver a baby in a taxi cab or in a lift is not subject to prosecution. A trained midwife, on the other hand, who helps a woman give birth at home is.
Even more surprising, there is a fantastic homebirth story in a very unlikely place: Vogue
Titled 'Mother Knows Best' (pp.304-17, 406) the author recounts her experience of homebirth in New York in the November issue with the same midwife featured in Ricki Lake's documentary, Cara Muhlhahn. Great to see a positive representation of homebirth in a mainstream fashion magazine (of all places!)
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/chi-midwives_bdnov25,0,1653801.story
Check out the Midwives Alliance of North America for more info on safe homebirth and to find a certified midwife in your area: www.mana.org
