Protect a woman's right to choose to give birth at home-Amend S.2863/H.1948
- Target:
- Massachusetts Senators & Representatives
- Region:
- United States of America
Planned home birth with a midwife is not only safe for babies and mothers with low-risk pregnancies, but results in health and cost benefits that reach far beyond one pregnancy. We must protect a woman's right to choose where she births and who she births with. These bills have the potential to restrict women's birth choices as has happened in 22 of the 35 states that license home birth midwives. There is also no consumer protection value other than to let the state decide who can and cannot have a home birth.
S.2863/H.1948 'An Act relative to out-of hospital birth access and safety,' is missing two amendment clauses in order to protect the rights of birthing women and the midwives that care for them. We, the undersigned, are calling for the legislation to be redrafted with the following amendments:
Amendment #1. A clause that protects every Massachusetts woman's right to choose home birth. "Do not limit, with documented informed consent from the client, the licensee from accepting and providing care to any such client who seeks it."
Other states that have licensed midwives have put restrictions on women's rights including age restrictions, mandatory vaginal exams in labor, VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) restrictions and bans, forced transfer to hospital care at 42 weeks pregnancy. These are just some of the restrictions in place for states that have licensed midwives. This clause would protect any woman's ability to choose a home birth and a midwife's ability to provide such care.
Amendment #2. A clause that protects the educational path to Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) through the Portfolio (PEP) and Midwifery Bridge Program (MBP). "Beginning January 1, 2021, obtain Certified Professional Midwife certification by completing a program or pathway accredited by MEAC OR obtain the Midwifery Bridge Program Certificate (MBP).
Without this clause, S.2863/H.1948 creates a significant barrier to entry into the midwifery profession in the Commonwealth, especially in the presence of growing interest and need as it relates to the racial disparities in maternal health. Without this clause, there is a lack of educational programs for the prospective midwife, there is no program in Massachusetts. Without this clause, the actively anti-racist, consensus-focused, financially affordable traditional midwifery training program would be disallowed despite a community goal to increase the number of midwives of color that are underrepresented in the midwifery profession.
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The Protect a woman's right to choose to give birth at home-Amend S.2863/H.1948 petition to Massachusetts Senators & Representatives was written by Cherstin Williams and is in the category Health at GoPetition.