Midwives and Health Care Reform

Undoubtably there are many issues that need to be addressed with the health care system in this country.  One of the biggest problems is that there are too many hands in the pot so to speak.  Making money off the health and well being of people is just plain wrong.

Birth as an industry is wrong too.  Overtesting, too many interventions, and tragically high cesarean rates are just a few of the many problems with the medicalization of birth.  Birth is a natural process.  We do not need to be rescued from it. What we need is more women willing to trust their bodies to do what we are built for, and for birth to be taken out of the hospital and brought back home where it belongs.  Every woman needs a midwife.   Below is an excerpt from an artical by the Midwifery Education Accredidation Council (MECA).

The United States faces a deepening crisis in the quality, cost and availability of health care. Maternity care in particular reflects the basic inefficiencies of the current model – on the one hand too many women receive unnec- essarily expensive care due to the overuse of technology, while others cannot access even the most basic services. Midwives are poised to address this problematic distribution of care by providing essential health services that result in excellent outcomes at lower cost than typical care. Any plan for health reform should include support for and expansion of midwifery services.

Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are a fast-growing segment of the midwifery profession in the United States today. Certified Professional Midwives are trained and credentialed to offer expert care, education, counsel- ing and support to women for pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. They have particular expertise in out-of- hospital settings. CPMs practice as autonomous health professionals working within a network of relationships with other maternity care professionals who can provide consultation and collaboration when needed.-CPM Breif-Certified Professional Midwives: An Asset to Health Care Reform

And there we have it, another reason to choose homebirth.  You will be helping save the health care system. Keep on the lookout for my series of posts featuring midwives, doulas, and midwifery schools.