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Natural Birth
Thinking of making the switch to a homebirth...
Read the post below about third pregnancy and over the medical stuff... because that sums up my feelings about my current route of care and feelings. After waiting an additional 45 minutes for the MW today, I've just about had it.
DH and I have a few concerns about HB, but I'm 90% of the way there to just making the switch - even though I'm 1/2 way through pregnancy.
My main concern is not just an emergency and needing a transfer - but moreso the fact that the CPMs that perform home births are not regulated by the state, nor do they carry malpractice insurance. Is this something anyone has discussed or addressed?
My first birth was unremarkable, even though I had unnecessary interventions (pitocin & an epidural), so I know my body is capable of carrying and birthing a healthy child. Thanks for any advice and encouraging words to help me make the jump!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Thinking of making the switch to a homebirth...
Being regulated by the state does not always mean better care. Right now MWs in MA are not regulated, but there has been a push for a while and it looks like it might happen soon. The problem with it? The people who are doing the regulating are usually not MWs, don't know anything about homebirths and typically have no business making any rules in regards to this issue. For example, I was talking to my MW about someone on here who's HBMW didn't want to know the estimated weight of the baby from a late u/s because if it was over a certain number, she would be required to transfer her patient. That is ABSURD, but it is what happens when bureaucrats get involved. So, in the end this particular regulation in my state would mean that my MW would either need to comply with this absurdity or lie.
And in my case this would have come up...I I had a late u/s to confirm that my baby was no longer breech...and the tech predicated my baby to be 10 lbs. He was actually right, but that didn't mean anything. I had my 10 lb 10 oz baby at home in a quick and uneventful labor...I didn't even tear! Also, with my first I went past 42 weeks. With the regulations this might have been a major hurdle, but without them I gave birth to a perfectly healthy pink baby at home at 43 weeks.
I am not against regulations, but I am against regulations that are not supported by evidence based medicine or made by people who are not really in the know.
Anyway, I digress...to answer your other question. My MW does not carry malpractice insurance and we did have to sign a waver saying that we realized this and that we know what we were getting into with a homebirth, that she was not liable, etc...all that legal stuff that she has to do to protect herself. Our view is that it is what it is and was not something I was going to give up my homebirth for. I trusted my MW and I also trusted myself. ::shrugs::
I think the rest of your questions and fears will be quelled when you meet with the HBMW...I know ours were.
GL
I agree with everything PP had to say. When interviewing midwives I asked about whether they were licensed by the state and if not why. I was satisfied with my midwife's answer to this question (no, she chose not to be licensed) -- it was along the lines that the PP said. The body that regulates the midwife licensure in MN is not made up of midwives which in principle she opposed, and the regulations impose certain things on licensed midwives that are not evidence-based and unnecessarily limiting.
I also didn't have a problem with the lack of malpractice ins.