Why License Midwives in Mississippi?
We live in a time and place where health care professionals are licensed. When consumers hire health care providers, they assume they have met standards for their profession, through state issued licenses. A few of the professions that require a license in Mississippi are Physicians, Speech Pathologist, Respiratory Therapists, Dieticians, EMTs and even Tanning Booth Operators. It is clear that MS operates under the assumption that licensing is a public protection policy that Mississippians expect.
Under current laws, any one can claim to be a midwife and practice midwifery. Because of this, midwives who have lost their right to practice midwifery in other states for one reason or another come to our state to set up shop. These are the same midwives that prompted a bill (supported by the Nursing Boar that essentially would have limited midwifery to Certified Nurse Midwives only (effectively making the home birth illegal in MS). Licensing Midwives will instill confidence in the consumer in their health care provider.
Benefits of Licensure:
1. Providing a mechanism for families choosing out-of-hospital birth to verify their midwife’s training, skills and educational credentials
2. Ensuring adherence to evidence based-practices and providing for transparency and accountability
3. Ensuring continuity of care and offering liability protection to physicians who collaborate with midwives
4. Providing access to:
– A family-centered model of maternity care that offers individualized education, counseling, prenatal care
– Continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery
– Minimal use of costly technological interventions
– Support of the physical, psychological and social well-being of mothers and families throughout the childbearing cycle
5. Ensuring that every family can choose their birth provider and setting based on their religious, cultural and philosophical beliefs
Under current laws, any one can claim to be a midwife and practice midwifery. Because of this, midwives who have lost their right to practice midwifery in other states for one reason or another come to our state to set up shop. These are the same midwives that prompted a bill (supported by the Nursing Boar that essentially would have limited midwifery to Certified Nurse Midwives only (effectively making the home birth illegal in MS). Licensing Midwives will instill confidence in the consumer in their health care provider.
Benefits of Licensure:
1. Providing a mechanism for families choosing out-of-hospital birth to verify their midwife’s training, skills and educational credentials
2. Ensuring adherence to evidence based-practices and providing for transparency and accountability
3. Ensuring continuity of care and offering liability protection to physicians who collaborate with midwives
4. Providing access to:
– A family-centered model of maternity care that offers individualized education, counseling, prenatal care
– Continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery
– Minimal use of costly technological interventions
– Support of the physical, psychological and social well-being of mothers and families throughout the childbearing cycle
5. Ensuring that every family can choose their birth provider and setting based on their religious, cultural and philosophical beliefs
NARM is the agency that sets standards for the nationally accredited Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential. NARM has issued a thorough position statement on licensing of midwives which can be downloaded here.
What can I do to help protect midwifery in Mississippi?
1. Become a member of Mississippi Friends of Midwives.
2. Call your legislators and tell them you support licensing midwives in Mississippi.
3. Write a letter to your legislator explaining why you support licensure as a public policy issue.
4. Plan on visiting the capitol during the legislative session (January-April) to show your support for midwives.
5. Donate money to Mississippi Friends of Midwives.
6. Sign up for our newsletter.
7. "Like" us on Facebook.
2. Call your legislators and tell them you support licensing midwives in Mississippi.
3. Write a letter to your legislator explaining why you support licensure as a public policy issue.
4. Plan on visiting the capitol during the legislative session (January-April) to show your support for midwives.
5. Donate money to Mississippi Friends of Midwives.
6. Sign up for our newsletter.
7. "Like" us on Facebook.
I just donated money to Mississippi Friends of Midwives. How will my money be used?
Our grassroots, consumer-driven organization is completely run by volunteers and dependent on donation from families in support of our mission to make midwives a safe and legal option for Mississippi women. Your generous donations and membership fees are used to print materials, kickstart fundraisers, purchase supplies needed for trips to the capitol during legislative session, pay for gas and hotels in Jackson during session, etc.
I would like to have my baby at home. How can I find a midwife?
You can find information on every midwife serving Mississippi families in our directory.
Does Mississippi have free-standing birth centers?
At this time, Mississippi does not have any free-standing birth centers.
Is home birth safe?
Research has shown that planned home birth with a qualified birth attendant is as safe as hospital birth, with fewer interventions.
British Medical Journal: Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America.
Conclusions Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States. Read the study here
Neonatal Mortality Risks Similar in Careful Comparison of the CPM2000 and the 2004 U.S. Neonatal Mortality among Term Births to non-Hispanic White Women
A FOLLOW-UP ON: Johnson, K.C., Daviss, B.A., 2005. Outcomes of planned home births with
certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America. British Medical
Read the publication here
The Cochrane Liberary
Observational studies of increasingly better quality and in different settings suggest that planned home birth in many places can be as safe as planned hospital birth and with less intervention and fewer complications.
Read the abstract here.
Here are some resources:
Home Birth Annotated Guide to the Literature
British Medical Journal: Outcomes of planned home births with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America.
Conclusions Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States. Read the study here
Neonatal Mortality Risks Similar in Careful Comparison of the CPM2000 and the 2004 U.S. Neonatal Mortality among Term Births to non-Hispanic White Women
A FOLLOW-UP ON: Johnson, K.C., Daviss, B.A., 2005. Outcomes of planned home births with
certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America. British Medical
Read the publication here
The Cochrane Liberary
Observational studies of increasingly better quality and in different settings suggest that planned home birth in many places can be as safe as planned hospital birth and with less intervention and fewer complications.
Read the abstract here.
Here are some resources:
Home Birth Annotated Guide to the Literature
| homebirth_annotatedguidetotheliterature_2013.pdf |
I would like a homebirth but I would like to know if the midwife I interviewed has had grievances filed against her. How can I check her background?
Currently, there is no way to file a grievance with a midwife practicing in Mississippi. If passed, the Midwife Safety Act will include a grievance process through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).
Questions to consider when interviewing a midwife:
How many births have you attended?
Why did you become a midwife?
What makes you a highly qualified midwife?
Are you certified in Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR?
Continuing education?
What can I expect at prenatal visits? Frequency? Location?
How many clients would you accept near my EDD?
Do you work with another highly trained midwife to provide back-up in case you can not attend my birth?
Will any else attend my birth as your assistant or apprentice? Will I be able to meet them before I go into labor?
Do I need a doula?
Are you experienced with water birth?
Do you provide a birthing tub if I am interested in water birth?
What percentage of your clients transfer to the hospital? What percentage are emergency transfers? Non-emergency transfers?
Why did those women transfer to the hospital?
Will you stay with me if I transfer?
Do you have a relationship with a local OB/GYN who will serve as my backup doctor?
What kind of equipment do you bring to births? Medications? Herbs?
Are you experienced with using herbs with laboring and postpartum women?
Tell me about different complications you have encountered and how you dealt with the problems.
How do you prevent a postpartum hemorrhage?
How do you stop a postpartum hemorrhage?
Do you have experience with shoulder dystocia?
What is your policy on meconium staining?
Do you routinely break women's bag of waters?
What do you do to help me prevent a tear as I push?
If I tear, are you experienced in suturing my repair? At what point do you recommend I see my OB/GYN or transfer to the hospital for repairs?
What do you do if I exceed your average length of time for placental delivery?
What happens if my placenta does not come out in one solid piece?
Do you delay cord clamping?
What routine baby care do you provide immediately after birth?
Do you have access to Rhogam if I am Rh-?
What do I need to do for my baby's birth certificate? Social Security card? Do you provide the newborn screening test?
How many postpartum visits do you do?
Do you accept insurance? Do you have a provider number so I can file my own claim?
Why did you become a midwife?
What makes you a highly qualified midwife?
Are you certified in Neonatal Resuscitation and CPR?
Continuing education?
What can I expect at prenatal visits? Frequency? Location?
How many clients would you accept near my EDD?
Do you work with another highly trained midwife to provide back-up in case you can not attend my birth?
Will any else attend my birth as your assistant or apprentice? Will I be able to meet them before I go into labor?
Do I need a doula?
Are you experienced with water birth?
Do you provide a birthing tub if I am interested in water birth?
What percentage of your clients transfer to the hospital? What percentage are emergency transfers? Non-emergency transfers?
Why did those women transfer to the hospital?
Will you stay with me if I transfer?
Do you have a relationship with a local OB/GYN who will serve as my backup doctor?
What kind of equipment do you bring to births? Medications? Herbs?
Are you experienced with using herbs with laboring and postpartum women?
Tell me about different complications you have encountered and how you dealt with the problems.
How do you prevent a postpartum hemorrhage?
How do you stop a postpartum hemorrhage?
Do you have experience with shoulder dystocia?
What is your policy on meconium staining?
Do you routinely break women's bag of waters?
What do you do to help me prevent a tear as I push?
If I tear, are you experienced in suturing my repair? At what point do you recommend I see my OB/GYN or transfer to the hospital for repairs?
What do you do if I exceed your average length of time for placental delivery?
What happens if my placenta does not come out in one solid piece?
Do you delay cord clamping?
What routine baby care do you provide immediately after birth?
Do you have access to Rhogam if I am Rh-?
What do I need to do for my baby's birth certificate? Social Security card? Do you provide the newborn screening test?
How many postpartum visits do you do?
Do you accept insurance? Do you have a provider number so I can file my own claim?