Midwifery

[misspotsitt.livejournal.com]

This follow on from a discussion I was having yesterday on the differences between the American and UK health care systems.

I remember about a year or so ago I was told that Midwifery was illegal or at least not a generally accepted practice in America. I have also noticed that midwifery is listed as an interest on a lot of the alternative or holistic medicine communities.

It this true? It seems a bit weird if it is. We've always had midwives in the UK, my mother's a trained midwife (though she doesn't work as one, she's a renal specialist medical nurse), how do babies get delivered if it's illegal?

X posted-sorry!

Comments

[aboxofeyes.livejournal.com]

I know there is a midwife's office just down the street from my apartment, so it's not illegal per se, at least not in Illinois. I do remember one lawsuit since I've lived here were a midwife was sued by the state because a child died just after birth. If I'm remembering correctly, the family was on the midwife's side, said she'd done everything that could have been done, but the state still went after her. That was a number of years back. I can't remember the details, but I could dig them up if you like.

Unfortunately just because midwifery isn't illegal, states can still make it really difficult to practice. In Indiana, unless the situation has changed since I lived there, it's effectively illegal since there are a lot of restrictions on who can be a midwife, where and how they can practice, etc. That's one of the reasons my mom skipped the midwife thing when she became a nurse. Quite a drag, since I was hoping she'd be the one to deliver my babies when they happen.

nyx*