Midwifery & changing American birth..
Awareness about choices in childbirth in America and the popularity and number of so-called out-of-hospital birth in this country received a huge boost with the inception of the Internet. Easy access to information and independent films and documentaries such as "The Business of Being Born" (2008) provided eye-openers and positively impacted families' birth decisions. When COVID (2020) turned everyone's world upside-down, we experienced yet another surge of awareness..
The number of Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) is growing in response to the demand for better birth, but can hardly keep up. The majority of CPMs are independent practitioners specifically trained in- and offering home and birth center birth (2608 actively practicing in 2022). CNMs are medically trained and primarily work in hospital group and birth center settings (13,000 active licenses in 2020); few CNMs are cross-trained and do home births.
Did you know that in developed nations with the best birth outcomes midwives greatly outnumber obstetricians ? In the USA the opposite is true, yet we spend more than any other on maternity care.
And so we still have a long way to go before all US families that desire a midwife can secure one, and before all hospitals achieve Baby-Friendly status and demand safe, evidence based care in their birthing suites, but at the very least we can say that the current state of birth in most areas of the USA is a far cry from the ways of the late forties through seventies when all US births took place in hospitals. There, babies were born to doped-up mothers who had no support or say at all while enduring high-intervention (barbaric) deliveries that either left them traumatized or without any recollection at all.
The notion that the birth experience actually belongs to the mother and her baby and that it should be protected from unnecessary interventions and possible harm is finally gaining ground. Pregnant women are asserting themselves by researching, interviewing midwives, touring birthing centers, and realizing that they need to actively participate and take responsibility for their prenatal care and birth choices if they want to achieve the best possible outcome for themselves and their offspring.
Another forward trend we've seen are childbirth preparation classes developed by women. These courses are often comprehensive, teaching relaxation and immersion methods, explaining anatomy and physiology, what constitutes healthy pregnancy, the stages of labor and coping skills, breastfeeding and early post partum - all through insight and respect for processes of normal childbirth - an excellent fit for any birth setting.
The state of South Carolina grants a license to Certified Professional Midwives to practice midwifery independently. Licenses are renewable every two years provided all required re-certifications, and continued education hours are procured. The CPM credential is renewable every three years. SC Licensed midwives work within the guidelines of SC Regulations for Licensed Midwives (SCDHEC 61-24) and must carefully screen prospective clients on certain health criteria. A good candidate for midwifery care and a planned home birth is in good health without a complicating medical history, and is willing to take responsibility for their pregnancy and birth in collaboration with their chosen midwife.
Having one's baby out of hospital with a Licensed Midwife is a viable option for SC families, and we are doing our very best to respond to the growing demand for our services.
Web Links
Palmetto Association of Licensed Midwives
Midwives Alliance of North America
The North American Registry of Midwives
South Carolina Dept of Health & Environmental Control - Midwives Regulation 61-24
Good Reads
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin
Heart and Hands - Elizabeth Davis
Mama Natural - Genevieve Howland
Jessica Mitford - The American Way of Birth
Active Birth - Janet Balaskas
Videos
the business of being born statistics
The number of Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) is growing in response to the demand for better birth, but can hardly keep up. The majority of CPMs are independent practitioners specifically trained in- and offering home and birth center birth (2608 actively practicing in 2022). CNMs are medically trained and primarily work in hospital group and birth center settings (13,000 active licenses in 2020); few CNMs are cross-trained and do home births.
Did you know that in developed nations with the best birth outcomes midwives greatly outnumber obstetricians ? In the USA the opposite is true, yet we spend more than any other on maternity care.
And so we still have a long way to go before all US families that desire a midwife can secure one, and before all hospitals achieve Baby-Friendly status and demand safe, evidence based care in their birthing suites, but at the very least we can say that the current state of birth in most areas of the USA is a far cry from the ways of the late forties through seventies when all US births took place in hospitals. There, babies were born to doped-up mothers who had no support or say at all while enduring high-intervention (barbaric) deliveries that either left them traumatized or without any recollection at all.
The notion that the birth experience actually belongs to the mother and her baby and that it should be protected from unnecessary interventions and possible harm is finally gaining ground. Pregnant women are asserting themselves by researching, interviewing midwives, touring birthing centers, and realizing that they need to actively participate and take responsibility for their prenatal care and birth choices if they want to achieve the best possible outcome for themselves and their offspring.
Another forward trend we've seen are childbirth preparation classes developed by women. These courses are often comprehensive, teaching relaxation and immersion methods, explaining anatomy and physiology, what constitutes healthy pregnancy, the stages of labor and coping skills, breastfeeding and early post partum - all through insight and respect for processes of normal childbirth - an excellent fit for any birth setting.
The state of South Carolina grants a license to Certified Professional Midwives to practice midwifery independently. Licenses are renewable every two years provided all required re-certifications, and continued education hours are procured. The CPM credential is renewable every three years. SC Licensed midwives work within the guidelines of SC Regulations for Licensed Midwives (SCDHEC 61-24) and must carefully screen prospective clients on certain health criteria. A good candidate for midwifery care and a planned home birth is in good health without a complicating medical history, and is willing to take responsibility for their pregnancy and birth in collaboration with their chosen midwife.
Having one's baby out of hospital with a Licensed Midwife is a viable option for SC families, and we are doing our very best to respond to the growing demand for our services.
Web Links
Palmetto Association of Licensed Midwives
Midwives Alliance of North America
The North American Registry of Midwives
South Carolina Dept of Health & Environmental Control - Midwives Regulation 61-24
Good Reads
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin
Heart and Hands - Elizabeth Davis
Mama Natural - Genevieve Howland
Jessica Mitford - The American Way of Birth
Active Birth - Janet Balaskas
Videos
the business of being born statistics
