UPDATE: SF 484

Update to my previous post

http://thefamilyflock.blogspot.com/2011/03/update-sf-484-bill-to-license-certified.html

From what I've read on FOIM's facebook, the hospital lobby fought SF 484 hard. The Iowa Hospital Association sent an email to their subscribers (follow link provided to access actual email http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?aid=1257&issueid=24410&atid=18804&siteid=0&app=GAC&isvisited=false)

From the Iowa Hospital Association

"Alert-in-brief: Senate File 484 would allow for the licensure of lay-midwives. IHA opposes this legislation on the grounds that lay-midwives do not have any formal education in nursing and many times, due to inadequate care or inadequate resources, patients end up in the hospital ER or worse, lose their baby or their own lives.
Furthermore – the bill would not require lay-midwives to carry professional liability insurance.

Background – Lay-midwives are individuals who have received training in an informal setting. They do not have to have nursing degrees – nor a college degree of any type – and can oftentimes obtain “certification” through a course – and even online or through self-study.

IHA asks advocates to contact their Senators urging their opposition to this bill as it would put lives of the living and the unborn at risk."

If the IHA wishes to oppose the bill, then by all means, they have the right. However, I found this email to be misleading and vague. I doubt failure of this bill to pass will have much affect on home birth in Iowa. Most women who want a home birth and don't have access to a CNM will probably use a CPM or have an unassisted home birth anyway. What I don't understand is why some in the mainstream medical field feel threatened by home birth and CPM's. I don't think making CPM's legal would have much affect on hospitals. I don't think thousands more woman are going to chose care with a CPM just because they would be legal. The majority of women still desire a hospital birth with an OBGYN or CNM. I also don't think designer birth, as it's come to be called in the media, is a trend that will fade or slow down anytime soon.

On the flip side...

Many in the home birth community did not want the bill to pass because they felt it would bring more scrutiny to home birth. I understand this viewpoint. I think what's important to remember is that no matter what kind of care provider you chose, you have to do your best to make sure they are qualified and you feel comfortable with them. Illegal or not, there are good and bad CPM's, CNM's, and OBGYN's and they all have a chance of having a bad outcome.

Overall, I support a woman and a families right to chose whichever provider they feel comfortable with be it a CPM, CNM,or OBGYN.