231535 Protecting self-directed birth

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 10:54 AM - 11:06 AM

Carla Hartley , Director, Ancient Art Midwifery Institute, Foyil, OK
Regulation of midwifery through licensure has no history of improving the care of mothers before, during or after birth. Licensure has been an effective tool to control and ultimately eliminate midwifery. The more significant issue is that licensure limits the choices of the birthing woman. Licensing limits parents choices not only by determining the members of the pool from which it chooses, but also by determining who "qualifies" as a midwife attending home birth. Licensure also diminishes ownership as midwives have to work according to the dictates of the licensing board rather than the desires of the mother. Midwifery would serve women better if it were legal by virtue of a mother having the right to choose anyone or no one to attend her birth.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the threats to the choices of women when they are made by a licensing entity 2. Explain a paradigm change that would return ownership of birth back to women 3. Identify the steps that can be taken in states where licensing exists or has been proposed, as well as steps to oppose the introduction of licensure in other states

Keywords: Maternal Care, Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Founder and Director of the Ancient Art Midwifery Institute having served over 28 years as a midwife and educator.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3096.0: Perinatal justice: Promoting the health and humanity of pregnant women