The Big Push to License Midwives in Ohio

This week, hundreds of advocates for at-home births rallied in Ohio to push for a law that would license certified professional midwives (CPMs). It is all part of a bigger nationwide advocacy movement called The Big Push for Midwives whose goal is to expand access to CPMs and to lobby for states to pass laws certifying and regulating the midwife industry. Make no mistake about it, this is important to all women because it speaks to the vital issues of choice and bodily autonomy.

Over 1000 babies every year are delivered at home births attended by midwives in Ohio. In fact, the CDC reports a 37% increase in home birth in Ohio. Yet, because these midwives are not licensed, their services are not covered by Medicaid, so families must pay out-of-pocket for their choice of maternity care on top of what they may already be paying in insurance premiums. Furthermore, without an official licensing process, it is hard to regulate the quality and education of individual midwives, raising a potential safety concern.

Even in states with CPMs, it can be an uphill battle for women who want to exercise their right to choose a home birth. In New York, midwives must have a written practice agreement with a local obstetrician or hospital. That has become increasingly difficult since the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made a statement against home births in 2008, saying that women were being taken in by "what’s fashionable, trendy or the latest cause célèbre." Forgive me, but calling home birth "trendy" seems a tad ludicrous to me, given that women have been doing it for thousands of years and the hospital births are a modern invention.

Study after study shows the safety of planned home births. While they have the same infant and maternal mortality rates, the rate of medical intervention (such as caesarean section, episiotomy, and vacuum extraction) is significantly lower. So why is the government so determined to interfere with a woman's right to choose her own birthing experience?

It is time that all women had access to safe, affordable home birthing options. Tell Ohio lawmakers that they must pass legislation that would license certified professional midwives. A woman's right to choose what's best for herself and her baby does not end when she goes into labor.

Photo credit: Nico Nelson