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Choosing the Right Midwife

KStarfishKStarfish
in Natural Birth

I recently read an article about how not all midwives receive medical training and that was a little frightening to me.

Here is the article https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/law-blog/the-terrifying-side-of-trendy-are-home-births-safe

How do you find out the qualifications of your midwife? The idea of having a child at home is enticing, but not if it can be deadly...

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Re: Choosing the Right Midwife

  • Haley.BethHaley.Beth member

    Your midwife should provide you with her qualifications, just like any doctor. My first meeting with my midwife included discussing her education and licenses, and she is legally obligated to provide me with proof of her being currently licensed and legal to practice in my state. Due to a paperwork error when I first started seeing her, she had to refer me out temporarily because there was a gap in her renewal. She even provided me with the qualifications of her backup. She also explicitly provided me with her protocol for transfer to the hospital, and made sure that I understood 100% that if she even had a hint of something was wrong during my pregnancy she would refer me out. I would not agree to a home birth with a midwife who did anything different. 

    As for that article, the story in it is ridiculous. That midwife was obviously irresponsible and reckless, and if she even had a license it would have been taken away. You have to meet and ask detailed questions of any care provider, a midwife is certainly no different.  

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  • JJ_13JJ_13 member
    That whole article is ridiculous. It makes all sorts of stupid jumps in logic - really annoying. Home births which are planned and attended by trained midwives are NOT more dangerous (and I delivered in a hospital so have no personal axe to grind). I hate how the authors just lump the crazy people who pretend to be midwives in with the REAL midwives (CNMs) and call them all "midwives." Home birth advocates that I know would never support a home birth that is not attended by a trained, certified midwife with a very cautious hospital back up plan.
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  • barnwifebarnwife member
    How do you find out the qualifications of your midwife? Same as with any care provider. You ask.

    My MW discussed this during our "get to know each other" meeting when I was pregnant with J. Not only that, but like many providers, she has various degrees/certifications hanging on the wall. We also discussed her plans for transfer, among other things.

    As for whether HB can be deadly, the answer is yes. But, the same is true for hospital birth. You must decide what risks are worth it to you.

    Research shows that planned, assisted (by licensed MW or dr.) HB is just as safe for low-risk moms and babies (and perhaps even safer) than hospital birth.

    Your article is ridiculous. 
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  • pearlsncurlspearlsncurls member

    I find it appalling and insulting that they're considering midwifery a "trend" considering how long midwives have assisted in births. If anything, having an obstetrician oversee your birth is an even newer concept.
    Your midwife will always go over her qualifications with you. 

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