Letters to the Editor
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Not just for the privileged
Many readers here are missing the point behind the documentary. It’s not about telling anyone they should have a home birth. The purpose of the film is to let women know that it’s an option and to educate the general public about the benefits of midwifery care, which is a subject, as the letters here indicate, many people continue to have misconceptions about.
For starters, home birth is not something reserved for the privileged. In fact, the exact opposite is the case. In most states, a significant number of women who give birth outside of the hospital do so for religious, cultural or financial reasons, and midwives deliver babies for a large percentage of Amish, Mennonite and Christian conservatives, migrant and undocumented workers, as well as immigrants from countries with strong cultural traditions favoring home birth, in addition to low-income, rural and uninsured women.
In over half the states in the US, midwives with the education, risk-assessment skills, training and national certification that qualifies them as professional midwives with a specialization in out-of-hospital maternity care cannot practice legally. As a result, midwifery in more than a few states has been driven underground, and many women are unaware that home birth is an option, while others prefer not to work with unlicensed providers.
Activists in dozens of states have recently succeeded in passing legislation to license and regulate certified professional midwives to ensure that underserved populations, as well as privileged women with other options to choose from, have access to safe and affordable maternity care. I hope the film will raise awareness about the value of enacting these reforms.