While it is not the expressed intent of Utah Senate Bill 93 essentially restricts the options of most low-risk, healthy women to choosing between a hospital birth they do not want or need or a homebirth with no birth careprovider. Many of us find these “options” to be unacceptable. This bill is one exmaple of the many ways medical associations across the country are attempting to eradicate home birth as a legal option.Please do what you can to protect the rights of women to choose the health careprovider they prefer by contacting action groups in your area. Start here to read about the battle in Utah. If you’re not sure how to locate such groups, you can try an internet search for “[your state] friends of midwives” or “[your state] midwives association.” You may also look at The Big Push for Midwives.If we sit by and do nothing while the medical associations do what they can to restrict our birthing options, we will be left with the only option of being “attended” by them. There will be no room for “care.”Read about my battle in Utah for healthy, safe, respectful care for my upcoming birth.Laura Lund – Independent Childbirth member, Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor, Founder – UCAN Birth Support Group
February 19, 2008
Utah Senate Bill 93
Posted by independentchildbirth under birth, childbirth education, homebirth, midwifery, pregnancy | Tags: ACOG Statement on Home Births, eradication of midwives, SB93, The Big Push |[4] Comments
February 21, 2008 at 3:16 am
Hi! THis is Melody Pendleton, a Midwife in Mapleton, UT. I am a little frustrated over this bill and the way Senator Dayton passed this bill over as “All the Drs, Pediatricians, Hospitals and the utah Department of Utah is behind it. When asked whom it might affect she reported it would only affect the 16 LDEM’s in Utah.How wrong she is!!!
February 21, 2008 at 2:21 pm
God has given woman the ability to act and choose for themselves weather they want to have a baby at home or not! That is lour right not only as a woman, but if you reread the constituion you might be able to figure out, it is also our law under God. Let woman have babys at home if that is what they want to do!!!!
February 21, 2008 at 2:32 pm
You’re absolutely right, Melody! It also affects all of the women and babies those midwives serve and the new version of the bill restricts unlicensed midwives as well.
February 23, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Starr, your perspective on our legal rights to privacy in our home is important to me too and I also feel that is a view that is being pushed aside by the arguments over the fear of the safety of homebirth vs. hospital birth. I also believe that licensure of midwives will hinder our rights as it will solidify obstetricians overseeing midwives and continue to limit women’s rights again under cover of fear regarding the safety of homebirth.