NOTE: This essay has become far too long for its previous title as a “Short” History of Midwifery. Since it covers more than 165 years of sociology, the politics of organized medicine, and legislative history of both non-nurse and nurse-midwifery, I still think its ‘short’ but many of my readers didn’t agree. I’m currently editing… Continue reading The Social and Political History of Midwifery in California: 1850 to 2014
Category: AB1308, new regs & new legislative efforts
self-evident but anything to do with Senate B&P hearings in spring of 2013
Part 4: How the obstetrical profession can eliminate the “midwife problem” forever but will never do it
A possible win-win for mothers and midwives vs. business-as-usual Since the 1980s, most L&D units have ‘permitted’ unmedicated women to get out of bed, and fathers and family members are now ‘allowed’ to present for the birth, but this only returns us to the central theme for many contemporary women – the absence of an… Continue reading Part 4: How the obstetrical profession can eliminate the “midwife problem” forever but will never do it
Part 3: How the obstetrical profession can eliminate the “midwife problem” but will never do it
Part 3 ~ Turning a backlash into forward action ~ women’s groups plan to acknowledge and protect the human dignity of childbearing women As judged by worldwide standards, the historically poor performance of interventive obstetrics in the US represented an uncritical acceptance of an unscientific premise — a ‘one-size-fits-all’ obstetrical model that repeated and continually fails to distinguish between healthy… Continue reading Part 3: How the obstetrical profession can eliminate the “midwife problem” but will never do it
Part 2 ~ Historical Overview: How the obstetrical profession can eliminate the “midwife problem” forever but will never do it
Historical overview For centuries obstetrics was simply a general part of medicine. Since it did not include any advanced training in reproductive surgery, the skills of the average family practice doctor were not all that different from the typical practice of midwifery. In colonial American, childbirth services were split 50-50 between midwives and MDs. Before… Continue reading Part 2 ~ Historical Overview: How the obstetrical profession can eliminate the “midwife problem” forever but will never do it
Part 1: How the American obstetrical profession can easily eliminate the “midwife problem” but would never consider it
By faith Gibson, LM, CPM ~ former L&D nurse, mother, grandmother, childbirth educator, birth activist, professional community midwife, and a person who is never afraid to hope for a better future Healthy women with normal pregnancies living in developed countries generally have no reason to worry about the basic safety of normal childbirth. Since pregnancy is… Continue reading Part 1: How the American obstetrical profession can easily eliminate the “midwife problem” but would never consider it
Comparison btw Standard (March 2006) vs. MBC’s edited “Guidelines” (May 2014)
This is a word-for-word comparison between the 2006 legal Standard of Care and the 2014 informal “guidelines” as edited by the MBC by strike-throughs to conform with AB 1308’s requirements. This included deleting all mention of a childbearing woman’s autonomy or her ethical right of self-determination, and a midwife’s ethical duty to inform, advocate for… Continue reading Comparison btw Standard (March 2006) vs. MBC’s edited “Guidelines” (May 2014)
Information for CaLMs ~ MBC’s Oct 15th “Interested Parties” meeting
Like most Ca LMs, I received a notice from the Medical Board for the Interested Parties meeting at the MBC’s state offices in Sacramento on Oct 15th (1-4pm) This event will set the tone for implementation of AB 1308 relative to: (i) Any preexisting maternal disease or condition likely to affect the pregnancy. (ii) Significant… Continue reading Information for CaLMs ~ MBC’s Oct 15th “Interested Parties” meeting
Comparing national vs. Ca LM neonatal mortality stats + Mother-baby risk status defined by Childbirth Connection
Background info to support re-adoption of the Criteria for Client Selection from our previous Standard of Care/current MBC Practice Guidelines for Ca LMs: Recent and definitive info on national birth certificate reporting of NNM in the Linked Birth/Death Data set AND the NNM rate averaged for the last 4 years of LMAR data (over 10,000… Continue reading Comparing national vs. Ca LM neonatal mortality stats + Mother-baby risk status defined by Childbirth Connection
21st Century Healthcare ~ Community Midwives join as “up-streamists” in the new approach to preventative healthcare
This link takes you to a new and dynamic organization called HealthBegins.org. This topic is crucially important to Ca LMs in many ways, including our ability to ‘fix’ the ‘unintended consequences’ (i.e. problems) created by the AB 1308 amendment to the LMPA. The HealthBegings movement was started by a general practice physician from South LA… Continue reading 21st Century Healthcare ~ Community Midwives join as “up-streamists” in the new approach to preventative healthcare
Aug 7th Interested Parties Mtg Excerpt ~ email to Curt Worden ~ information and requests
Below is a very lengthy excerpt of my letter to MBC staff Curt Worden, providing crucial background information for the August 7th “Interested Parties” meeting. @@@ Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the scheduled Interested Parties meeting scheduled later this week. I expect someday professionals and members of the public will be able to provide… Continue reading Aug 7th Interested Parties Mtg Excerpt ~ email to Curt Worden ~ information and requests