The IL Home Birth Safety Act: Good for Moms, Good for Babies

Too often, when we think about issues of reproductive choice, we limit the discussion to birth control and abortion. This choice, however, does not end at the decision on whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term; indeed, it extends to the decision on how to carry that pregnancy, right up to and including delivery. Unfortunately, due to legal restrictions on midwifery, thousands of American women are denied that right to choose their own, safe birthing experience every year. That's why I am happy to hear about one state's effort to address that problem: the Home Birth Safety Act currently sits in the Illinois legislature awaiting vote.

This bill is incredibly important to women and babies. Right now, there is a huge gap between supply and demand for certified professional midwives (CPMs) to attend home births in Illinois. Actually, to imply there is a supply at all is misleading. Currently, Illinois has no certification for midwives at all. That means for the approximately 800 to 1,000 women each year who want to have a home birth, they have to rely on an unlicensed, unregulated midwife and hope that she is up to snuff.

I shouldn't need to tell you that the potential ramifications of the current situation can be quite frightening. Even with a skilled midwife, a pregnant woman can find herself in a situation without standardized care, difficulty in obtaining a birth certificate for her newborn, or, in the worst case scenario, trouble getting smoothly transferred to a hospital in the event of a medical emergency.

The Home Birth Safety Act would address these problems. It would create a Midwifery Board in Illinois that would oversee the licensing of  and certification standards for professional midwives. Should medical complications arise during pregnancy or birth, midwives would be required by law to consult with medical professionals.

There is simply no logical reason to oppose The Home Birth Safety Act. The facts speak for themselves. Compared to hospital births, planned home births have the same infant and maternal mortality rates. Moreover, the rate of medical intervention — such as caesarean section, episiotomy, and vacuum extraction — is significantly lower.

Illinois women deserve the right to have the option of a safe home birth attended by a certified professional midwife. Tell the Illinois legislature to pass The Home Birth Safety Act. Passing this law that ensures the safety and well-being of mothers and babies needs to be done sooner, rather than later.

Photo credit: takomabibelot