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
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3 comments:
Hi there, I am a midwife and midwifery lecturer in New Zealand. Have really enjoyed reading your blog and have recommended it to my students. You have some great material for our discussions about body image and the effect of the media on childbirth. cheers Sarah
PS: I am hoping the Ricki Lake film comes over the ditch to us here in NZ.
There are cons to homebirthing? :-O
I came by way of Sarah, Thanks Sarah.
Im from NZ too. Anyway, this is just what I was looking for! I've become interested in the American Politics of Birth. Thanks :)
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