I am a midwife. I am "with women".
In 2006 I was arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license. A felony charge, I faced 5 years in prison and $7000 in fines. I am not a doctor. I do not practice
medicine. I am not a nurse. I do not practice nursing. I am a midwife. The state of Iowa is one of only a handful of states that considers midwifery a felony due to a 1978 Attorney General opinion. For more than a year, my family and I suffered under the burden of financial strain and well as untold emotional stress that I am sure will affect us for some time. The families that I serve have also lost a skilled and caring midwife.
My first child was born by cesarean 17 years ago. When I desired a vaginal birth after cesarean two years later, I sought homebirth midwives to help me. I went on to have a total of five homebirths, some in water, all incredible experiences. After an apprenticeship with senior midwives I was able to qualify to take my certification exam in 2002. I became a Certified Professional Midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives. I chose the CPM route because I knew the industrialized countries where birth is safest (has the least mortality) use midwives as the primary providers of maternal services. According to a survey by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. ranked 28th among 37 nations. NARM endorses the Midwifery Model of Care and, more specifically, supports home birth midwifery. I also chose it because 24 other states use the CPM standard for licensure, including Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The persecution of midwives in Iowa must stop.
Homebirth for the low risk woman is as safe as, if not safer than, hospital birth when attended by a trained midwife. The families that birthed with me knew I was not a doctor or a nurse, and in fact sought me out for this very reason. I did not advertise my services,
yet was rarely without clients. They wanted to birth in their homes, with their families present, without unnecessary intervention. The state of Iowa must offer midwives the opportunity to qualify for licensure using the CPM standard. Then birthing women will know that their midwife has the skills and knowledge to practice homebirth.
And Iowa's midwives will be safe from prosecution.
Melanie Moore CPM, NARM QE
***The most recent stats are: from a 1999 report from the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that NCHS
survey, the U.S. ranked 28th among 37 nations.
In 2006 I was arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license. A felony charge, I faced 5 years in prison and $7000 in fines. I am not a doctor. I do not practice
medicine. I am not a nurse. I do not practice nursing. I am a midwife. The state of Iowa is one of only a handful of states that considers midwifery a felony due to a 1978 Attorney General opinion. For more than a year, my family and I suffered under the burden of financial strain and well as untold emotional stress that I am sure will affect us for some time. The families that I serve have also lost a skilled and caring midwife.
My first child was born by cesarean 17 years ago. When I desired a vaginal birth after cesarean two years later, I sought homebirth midwives to help me. I went on to have a total of five homebirths, some in water, all incredible experiences. After an apprenticeship with senior midwives I was able to qualify to take my certification exam in 2002. I became a Certified Professional Midwife through the North American Registry of Midwives. I chose the CPM route because I knew the industrialized countries where birth is safest (has the least mortality) use midwives as the primary providers of maternal services. According to a survey by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. ranked 28th among 37 nations. NARM endorses the Midwifery Model of Care and, more specifically, supports home birth midwifery. I also chose it because 24 other states use the CPM standard for licensure, including Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The persecution of midwives in Iowa must stop.
Homebirth for the low risk woman is as safe as, if not safer than, hospital birth when attended by a trained midwife. The families that birthed with me knew I was not a doctor or a nurse, and in fact sought me out for this very reason. I did not advertise my services,
yet was rarely without clients. They wanted to birth in their homes, with their families present, without unnecessary intervention. The state of Iowa must offer midwives the opportunity to qualify for licensure using the CPM standard. Then birthing women will know that their midwife has the skills and knowledge to practice homebirth.
And Iowa's midwives will be safe from prosecution.
Melanie Moore CPM, NARM QE
***The most recent stats are: from a 1999 report from the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that NCHS
survey, the U.S. ranked 28th among 37 nations.
This page was last updated: January 26, 2009
