I shouldn't be surprised that the Missouri State Medical Association is fighting midwifery legislation tooth and nail. I really shouldn't. I just find it hard to believe that a bunch of doctors can tell me that I don't have the right to choose who will attend me at the birth of my babies.
Oh, I have the right to a home birth, I just don't have the right to choose a midwife who has trained to know how to handle a normal birth and when to transfer the situation to a doctor. I can have the mechanic who lives down the street from me deliver my babies at home. I can decide to "go it alone" and hope for the best. As long as I don't find a person who represents herself as a trained professional, or (and I think this is the real crux of the matter) PAY HER.
That's right MSMA. I think for all your pandering to people's fears about birth gone wrong and the safety of mothers and babies, you are really worried about one thing: PROFIT. Explain to me how the USA is twenty-something in the rankings for birth outcomes when all the world's developed nations are compared? Don't we have the best obstetrical technology in the world? What does that say about our current system?
This is a matter of personal freedom. A powerful group is protecting their own interests at the cost of my freedom to choose. I don't feel I have the right to decide what is acceptable for others, but who is more qualified to choose what is right for me--myself or a lobby group? Other states have passed laws legalizing midwifery which allow pregnant moms a range of options. Missouri women want this freedom, and they have been denied for too long.
Look at my last post. Do you see these four happy, healthy kids? They were all born outside a hospital with the expert and attentive care of a midwife. We had a couple of minor mishaps like a cord wrapped around the baby's neck and a stuck set of shoulders. In both instances, these ladies knew exactly what to do. These occurrences are normal, and a midwife is trained to deal with normal birth. It's what midwives do. Doctors provide excellent care for at high-risk birth. I believe high-risk birth is what doctors should do. I want a choice.
Please, if anyone is reading this, think about it. I don't want to make you have babies with a midwife. I just want to be able to choose it for myself I want my three daughters free to choose when that time comes. There are many other women out there who feel the way I do. If you think we should have this right in our state, call your representatives in Jefferson City. Call the Governor. Write to your local newspaper editor. Missouri families are grateful.
Thank You, Jill
