Home Birth Safety Act

The legislative season has started in SD again, so much of my computer time is taken up with following and promoting and defending the Home Birth Safety Act. Last year, the state passed a bill that allows Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) to attend homebirths, which was a strong step in the right direction. (Though very disappointing at the time.)

The problem? Roughly 1% of CNMs nationwide work in a homebirth setting. The rest of CNMs practice in the hospital setting. There is one CNM in the state of SD that attends homebirths. She had been fighting for years to make it legal, and finally - in June 2008 - was able to move her practice from WY back to SD, where she lives. Bless her.

So this year, the legislature is being lobbied to take the next step: certifying Certified Professional Midwives (CPM), who specialize in homebirths. This is their realm of expertise. That is what they do: attend homebirths. You may remember last winter, when I was all whooped up about this issue. Yes?

Currently, in the state of SD, CPMs are prosecuted and jailed for attending a homebirth. SD is one of nine states who follow that path. Can you believe it? It seems outrageous, but it is true. My very own midwife, whom we worked with this last pregnancy, is from SD and has served jail-time for assisting births in a home-setting. She was arrested for "practicing medicine without a license". She now works exclusively over the MN border until the laws change. In MN, CPMs are protected through state law.

The medical lobby is very strong in SD. But the fact remains: women and their families deserve the right to choose the care provider of their choice.