Loudon proposes midwife compromise
An updated proposal to legalize midwifery was brought to the Senate today, and the bill’s sponsor says it is a compromise that satisfies many complaints from doctors’ groups.
The changes include requiring midwives to carry malpractice insurance and restricting their ability to administer medication.
Two issues, according to bill sponsor Sen. John Loudon, that could not be worked out are requiring midwives to collaborate with doctors and licensing them by the board that also licenses doctors.
“There are two sticking points that it’s clear we’re not going to get agreement on,” said Loudon, R-Chesterfield.
Loudon’s bill would allow midwives to practice if they’re licensed by a group called the North American Registry of Midwives. Missouri only allows nurse midwives who must partner with a doctor. All other midwives could be charged with a felony.
Sen. Chuck Graham, one of the bill’s chief critics, has argued that not requiring more rigorous medical training for midwives is a threat to public health.
Loudon is a strident supporter of midwives and last year employed a creative technique to allow them to practice. A challenge to that law is pending before the state Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, Graham, D-Columbia, offered an amendment to place midwives under the doctor registration board, known as the state board of registration for the healing arts. Graham said it only makes sense for the doctors’ board to license midwives.
On the contrary, argued Loudon, who said doing so would gut the bill.
“We don’t have the architects looking over the shoulders of the acupuncturists,” he said. “If the doctors don’t want that group (midwives) practicing, they just don’t issue the licenses.”
Graham’s amendment has not yet been voted on. After about an hour of debate, senators laid the bill over to discuss other issues.
(For a more thorough reading of the midwife issue, check out part 1 and part 2 of a series by our own Michele Munz)
Well at least he isn’t hiding the legalization of a mid-wife in a kickboxing bill this time. Though I do have one question, did your wife put you up to this so she can finally legally practice, not that the law has ever stopped her, she has her husband to protect her. You know you could become a real doctor who is trained and knows what they’re doing, that is one solution to this. Thinking of solutions, isn’t there more important things that we should be trying to do, I didn’t know the legalization of a mid-wife was important to the people of the St. Louis County. Oh, yea, I forgot, it only important to the Loudon’s who insist on breaking that law…
Just don’t make it legal for everyone to perform abortions again (while trying to make mid-wifing legal) John it’s all I ask.
Though if you do, I know a nice coat hanger trick I have been dieing to try out, because you did make that legal last time, remember!
What is that ‘coat hanger trick’?
Somehow, promoting the practice of unlicensed, untrained and unqualified persons delivering babies outside of a medical facility doesn’t seem consistent with the anti-choice agenda. Who’s looking out for the babies in all of this? What about junior’s right to swift and effective intervention in the event of complications?
Hello ”Earthtojohn.” What are you smoking?! Wife legally practice? Breaking the law? Huh?
Which side are you on anyway? The left and right both support this. The guy is giving everyone more choices. Tell me what is wrong about that. You must be either a fascist, doctors shill, or plain old Loudon hater?
Thank you Senator Loudon for continuing to support options for mothers and babies! Midwives are trained professionals in the areas of prenatal, labor, delivery, and postnatal care. Missouri is behind the times in this matter. If the public would take a little more time to educate themselves in the matters of homebirth and the midwifery model for care, they would find that it is a truly safe option for bringing children into this world. Women deserve a choice in the matter of who attends their labor and delivery. In this state it is a FELONY to attend to births as a midwife. Why? Why isn’t it up to the parents? This bill would allow for proper certification so that mothers can pick the best attendants at their labor. There is no reason this bill should not pass and our senators and representatives shouldn’t do their best to support families in the state of Missouri.
Thank you for the informative article about the midwifery bill currently being debated in the Senate. It is time for Missouri to license midwives who attend births in homes or birth centers. Your neighboring states have been doing this for a long time, in addition to many other states that license midwives.
This bill expands the options for birthing families in Missouri. There are families who are choosing home birth, and they need a qualified midwife to assist them. The bill will allow Certified Professional Midwives, who are exceptionally qualified to attend home births, to practice legally in Missouri as they do in most other states.
Your article illustrates that the midwifery proponents have been willing to compromise on the issues of major concern to the opponents. It is time now to stop the filibustering that is keeping the Senate from voting on the bill. The filibuster seems to be a highly undemocratic way of defeating a bill. Let them come forward and debate, rather than hiding behind the reading of the phone book type of maneuver. Senator Graham’s constituents should voice their outrage at his tactics. Let the bill be debated on its merits. To do less is to undermine the constitutional process. Sit down, Senator Graham. Let the Senators vote.
earthtojohn - you are sadly misinformed on this issue. Gina Loudon is a PhD, not a midwife, and has never had a homebirth. The Loudons are fighting for this issue because it is a matter of common sense and personal freedom, and they have the character to stand up for it despite the lack of special interest money behind it.
Also, I wanted to point out that I am from St. Louis County, the Loudon’s district, and this issue is of extreme importance to me and my family, and we are not alone.
whathappenedlasttime - when the word “abortion” appears in tocology literature, it is referring to the medical term of spontaneous abortion - aka miscarriage. But yes, you are right, anyone can have one…
Penelope - no one is talking about unlicensed, untrained, or unqualified persons. The bill specifically requires midwives to be certified by a nationally recognized board. And, if you had taken the time to read up on this issue, you would realize that home births with these midwives are as safe as, and depending on which statistics you’re examining, safer than, hospital births. 40 other states allow them, and with excellent results.
Please feel free to refer to the June 2005 British Medical Journal for a landmark study that compared hospital to homebirth results for the North American continent. If homebirths are so dangerous, why then is the World Health Organization pushing for more of them? This is the model of birth care widely used around the world in industrialized nations, which have much better birth statistics than the US.
Senator Loudon - thank you for your stand to give pregnant women a choice when it comes to how and when their babies are delivered. I hope Senator Graham will take an opportunity to educate himself on midwifery - he has absolutely no basis to claim this is a threat to public health. All evidence points to the contrary.
For Penelope,
I’d like to invite you to take just a moment to review the midwifery bill proposed….
What you would find if you did is that the midwives referenced would be licensed indeed by our state (not unlicensed) and would have demonstrated that they are in fact extremely qualified and well trained in out-of-hospital birth.
The midwives in question here are persons that have gone through rigorous training to meet all of the requirements necessary to earn the Certified Professional Midwife Credential after which becoming eligible to sit for the national exam set forth by the North American Registry of Midwives.
All steps must be completed successfully before any midwife can earn her internationally recognized credential.
Furthermore, a recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that for healthy women, a planned home birth with a Certified Professional Midwife is just as safe, and safer in many cases with a much less rate of unnecessary intervention, as a hospital birth with a physician. Yes, variables were controlled for.
And Penelope you ask, “Who is looking out for the babies…”
The babies’ parents are by choosing a birth provider and site that has been proven safe over and over again.
The midwives are by empowering families to be in charge of their healthcare.
The State of Missouri is by finally passing a law that allows midwives to help moms and babies when they need help. Without them, mothers travel to other states to give birth or stay at home alone when they might benefit from a midwife’s assistance.
Unlicensed? Clearly Not.
Untrained? Nope, wrong on that too.
Unqualified? Now, you are as far from the truth as it gets. Midwives are experts in out-of-hospital birth.
Senator Graham’s filibustering about midwifes again?!
This bill will make sure that they’re trained and licensed. I don’t see what Senator Graham’s beef with this whole issue is..
To say he’s standing up for public health is a joke.
Does he really think women aren’t intelligent decision makers?
Does he realize that mothers care far more about the safety of their babies than some bureaucrat in the state capitol?
Maybe not.
Apparently he thinks that his degree in journalism qualifies him to make healthcare decisions for the people of Missouri.
I don’t want him making any decisions for my wife.