For those of you who think this land of ours is free. For those who think that obeying the law at all times is the right thing to do. For those who think that the health care system we have works...listen up!
A blow has been struck against reproductive freedom. A midwife of our acquaintance has been accused of practicing medicine without a license.
What has she done? Delivered babies. Which is considered practicing medicine.
What doe this mean?
It means that birth options are being limited by the state. For many women there is no choice but a hospital. Birth=Sickness.
Choice means, now, abortion or birth. However, choice of provider for the delivery of babies is limited to OBs and their minions. Or, you can do it yourself. In Illinois, the choice is stark. In Iowa, apparently it is becoming so too. The Nytimes a while back had an article about the decline in VBACs. This is something that women can turn to midwives for that most OBs won't offer. Women are, in some cases, waiting until the baby is in the birth canal before entering a hospital to deliver so that OBs don't have a repeat c-section as a choice.
Should women not have the choice to have a baby ANY WAY they want?
Isn't that what Roe V. Wade was supposed to give women?
Yet, when lay practitioners, actively sought by clients can be charged with felonies, than we have less choice.
Had a C-Section before? Good luck finding a VBAC. The state will then let you terminate a pregnancy, have your abdomen ripped open again or let you have the baby on your own.
Yes, it is legal for you to have a baby at home, with no attendant, but ask for a midwife at home and...well...you're asking someone to break the law for you.
Which, thank goodness, many heroic midwives will do.
Just so women can have a natural, non-medicalized, safe birth.
Having help, though, is impossible. No one can do it legally. Unless we allow lay-midwives freedom to practice.
It is imparative that we seek a federal law allowing freedom of choice for pregnant women. Freedom to choose when, where, with whom and how they give birth. Only through federal law can true choice be gained.
Here is a link:
http://www.nofelonyformelanie.org
where you can donate to the legal defense fund of a local midwife. Also, if you are in Iowa, please right to the attorney general and your state reps so that these providers are not driven from the state or thrown into our overpopulated jails.
SCHQC
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