Sunday, May 15, 2011

NCFOM - Rally for Legalization of CPMs

I consider myself an advocate of choice.

I probably make choices some women wouldn't be interested in making, such as finding a midwife to provide my prenatal care and attend me when our baby is born. No, no doctor. I am not ill- if I were ill, I would need a doctor.
I am, though, pregnant- and that means I want a midwife. Someone trained in normal birth.

In the state of NC, Certified Professional Midwives are only able to practice illegally. If they are found to be attending women, they can be charged with all sorts of crimes- and many of us are hoping that this is the year that will change.

Here are some of my photos from the rally in support of midwives.
I took Keelin and Tequita, my doula's, teenage daughter Rachel with me since Tequita was attending a birth!
(I won't be posting pictures of Rachel, though, since I don't have Tequita's permission.)


A sign made by Tequita!


Baby Finn came, too!


Miss Keelin and her sign!


Teaching Keelin that you have to tell people what you want, sometimes.
And it was HOT out there!!


I want her to have access to ANY birth attendant she chooses when she delivers her own babies-
an OB-GYN or a CPM.
She deserves that right. The right of choice.


Laying in my lap in the shade from my sign!


Enjoying a Birth day cupcake.



My strawberry cake! mmm


Me and my girl- about to head home.
It was hot hot hot- but so glad we decided to go!


My little activist!


Just a few of the people rallying at the legislative building!


The women of NC deserve CPMs!

We heart midwives!


Make CPMs legal in our state!


And my favorite.
"Please, NC- Legalize my Mommy's MIDWIFE!"

Certified Professional Midwives, with all of their experience and talent, are forced to work underground in the conditions created by the state of North Carolina. One of our area's most beloved and famous midwives is facing a slew of criminal charges, none of them warranted. They are open to regulation, they just want to be able to attend their clients without fear of jail time. Women that hire CPMs to attend them during their births choose them because we are educated about what we want, not because we are uneducated about risk factors, legalities, and that sort of business.

We need to protect these treasures of women's health and women's rights.
We deserve the option of choosing our birth and birth attendants!
Every state surrounding NC has legalized midwives-
time to get out of the dark ages, NC.
Give us our midwives.

Even if you do not choose a homebirth, some of us dream of them.

12 comments:

Anna said...

I had no idea midwifes weren't legally allowed to practice here. I'm not a fan of the medical industry and am all for getting rid of the need for an expensive doctor.

Beatrice said...

I am soo proud of you for doing that!

Samantha said...

I think it is fantastic that you took along Keelin.
I hope that when it is time for her to have a baby she doesn't have the difficulty many of us face just trying to figure out what our options actually are, and that they aren't as limited!
In fact, I hope home births and the like are normalized to the point where one doesn't blink an eye at 'I had my baby at home' and instead just congratulations on the birth of a healthy baby. <3

Anonymous said...

I would definitely rather have someone tend me with the proper experience in midwifery if I were pregnant. Such an important part of ones life to get right.

Great photos. Well done for doing this.

Found you on Planet Weidknecht.
CJ xx

Amanda- The Nutritionist Reviews said...

Great pictures!

I just found your blog through the Swingin by Sunday blog hop! Can't wait to read more. Have a great week.

Amanda @ www.nutritionistreviews.com

Dianna said...

So that makes home birth basically illegal in NC? Or do some of the CNM attend home births? CPMs are legal here and none of the CNM do home births. You can only have a VBAC in a hospital with a CNM or OB.

pegasus_aprilof84 said...

Hi, I am visiting from the Sunday blog hop and I am now following you, I would love for you to stop by my blog anytime http://shandassweepsandfreebies.blogspot.com/

Dusti said...

Anna, a Nurse Midwife can practice legally, but only under supervision of an OB-GYN, which makes very few of them able to or willing to attend homebirths.

Bea, we do what we gotta, right?! :)

Samantha, I wouldn't have dreamed of leaving her at home! She needed to see women banding together in support of each other's rights<3 I had a hard hospital birth with Keelin (interventions out the wazoo), an unmedicated hospital birth with Jackson that I had to fight for, and this baby will be born at home if everything continues to go well. Women deserve options and to be educated on them... not forced into a hospital OB birth because that's all their insurance will cover :(

Crystal, I totally agree with you!

Amanda, thanks for stopping by!

Dianna, homebirths are legal. Certified Nurse Midwives are also legal, but they are really expensive and hard to come across, since most CNMs work in hospitals only. In NC, you can have a homebirth, but a Certified Professional Midwife risks jail time for attending you... although they are affordable, incredibly experienced, and specialize in homebirths! It's a sad state of affairs :(

The Remodeled Life said...

Just found you through the blog hop, I'm a fellow North Carolinian and had no idea about this. Thanks for sharing. Following you now!

Debbie Hewitt said...

I personally would want the drugs at the hospital, lol But I totally think that if a mother wants to give birth in their own home with a knowledgeable person by their side, it should be their right and choice! not matter what state or country, it's the MOTHER'S body, home, child and right for that choice! Great post!

Thanks for stopping by and following my blog! I’m now following yours too! Thrifty and Frugal by Debbie and Lavender Cove and on Twitter @thrftyandfrugal

SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime said...

Thanks for the sweet comment :) Btw, I'm admiring all your creative posts here so can you please share them with us at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop? Hope to see you there at the party :)

Deaira Dea said...

I have definitely decided homebirth is for me...My first baby was born at a hospital and it wasn't horrible but i felt like i was kind of being led towards things i knew i didn't want. I would be so sad not to have the choice to do something different! I hope NC does see the light and change things. Women fear birth and we should not we were created for that very purpose!