They're At It Again

...trying to burn witches, that is.

As a midwife I always get emails about some other midwife being persecuted for catching babies in a state where there is no legislation written for "lay midwifery" or births attended by a CPM.
Yesterday I received one about an Ohio midwife, a CPM (it is illegal in Ohio, but not so bad that midwives are underground yet) who just received 2 years probation and a $500 fine and an order to never practice midwifery in Ohio again. She used Pitocin to help stop bleeding at a birth. Her client and the baby were fine. In fact, her client and many others were there to support her and many sent letters of support, yet she was still taken out. She's quoted as saying she's just put in applications at Starbucks and Costco. WTF?

Midwifery is legal and recognized in 24 states (it's not illegal in Michigan, but there's no legislation written to protect us either), yet this crap is still happening.

Homebirth midwifery was once very accepted in Pennsylvania, until a few years ago. Midwives have been forced to move to other states where it is legal, or to work underground. Obviously, it's Amish Country and the Amish will not go to a hospital to have a baby. So there are many midwives who have been serving Amish communities for years, attending literally hundreds if not thousands of births with good, safe results.
The following is yet another story I received this morning. But this one is a little bit better.

MARTHA RAFFAELE
The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A Pennsylvania court has overturned an $11,000 fine
against an unlicensed midwife who serves Amish and Mennonite families
and says she can resume practicing.

Diane Goslin of Lancaster County says she's pleased with Friday's 5-2
Commonwealth Court ruling.

The state Board of Medicine fined Goslin in September for attending an
Amish home birth and ordered her to stop practicing immediately. The
board argued that Goslin was putting women and their babies at risk by
practicing without a license.

The court ruled that the medical board erred partly because it
incorrectly concluded that Goslin was practicing medicine and surgery
as part of her midwife duties.

An attorney for the medical board won't say whether the board will
appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Midwife for Amish wins appeal
by DAVID WENNER, Of The Patriot-News
Friday May 23, 2008, 3:41 PM

A Pennsylvania court has reversed state-imposed fines and penalties
against a Lancaster-area midwife who has delivered thousands of babies
for the Amish.

A panel of Commonwealth Court judges ruled the state medical board was
wrong to fine and order Diane Goslin to stop delivering babies.

But rather than state that Goslin is free to deliver babies, the
written decision concludes Goslin hadn't been given adequate
opportunity to defend herself against charges of practicing midwifery
without a license.

Goslin, 50, said today her interpretation of the ruling is that it
allows her to resume deliveries. The state board of medicine couldn't
immediately be reached for comment.

The board took action against Goslin in early 2007, eventually fining
her $11,000. The situation resulted in several occasions where
hundreds of Amish men, women and children came to Harrisburg to rally
in support of Goslin.

The Amish argue deliveries performed by so-called "lay midwives" are
more natural, safer and in keeping with their culture.

Pennsylvania requires nurse midwives to have a state license. Goslin
is certified by the North American Registry of Midwives, which isn't
recognized in Pennsylvania.

Sometimes being a barrista sounds like so much less stress.

Unfortunately, I firmly believe that every woman should have a choice about where she gives birth, with the care provider (or none at all) of her choice. And so I carry on, catching babies with a certification that's respected and recognized in 24 other states, praying that it won't be me in jail someday.