Underground/illegal midwifery

[aliss]

I understand this may be a controversial subject But thoughts?

I live somewhere that home births will not be attended to outside of a 35KM radius of a particular hospital/birthing centre (I don't live in the UK/US).

There is no legally assisted home birth option here. You have the choice of unassisted child birth or ... illegal midwives. They are hidden from your doctor, not spoken about, but they exist here, purely because of government regulations that don't allow them to work legally. They are paid privately.

Your thoughts? I don't dare post this anywhere else.

 

[v2007]

GC, but i never knew there was such as thing as illegal MW

But they are trained??

If it was me i would use one.

They know their job and i think its madness they are not used as standard practice.

V xxx

 

[aliss]

They are the same women at the birth centres, only they do it privately on the side for women who are outside of the radius... or so I've heard. It's all speculation/rumour as it's quite hush hush!

 

[Mervs Mum]

I'd use them. It's really very like inde mws here really. They aren't illegal but they operate privately, have the same training and no indemnity.

 

[pester]

As long as the person had the training and medical competence I would have no problem with it. Women have been helping women give birth forever. They have the training the "rules" just don't "let" them practice.

 

[special_kala]

Id use them but only if i could check out their qualifications first

 

[NaturalMomma]

In some states it's illegal to have a Midwife assisted homebirth. You can have a homebirth anywhere in the states, but not always a Midwife assisted one. The Midwife faces jail time if she attends a homebirth in an illegal state, and a mom/dad faces have their kids taken away from them.

It is really sad that it's like that in some states, and I personally think that is unacceptable. I know some Midwives who work in states where it's illegal. They are trained and educated, they have a license but only valid in another state. They are not incompetent or anything like that. If a woman transfers they go with as their "Doula" instead of their Midwife. The women understand this and agree to not "out" the Midwife.

I personally would not live in a state where my profession was illegal, but for some Midwives they have no choice (their DH may be in the Military for instance, so they don't get to pick where they live).

 

[Nikki_d72]

Wow, that's mental - sorry I thought you were in the UK, I've just realised I posted on your other thread as though you were, pays to read the avatar, dunnit?! Sorry.

Personally as long as they were genuinely qualified (and if they work in the birthcentres then they must be) then I wouldn't hesitate. If your choices are taken away then you have to work outside the square a bit.

Otherwise, could you rent a house or flat within the 35KM radius for a couple of weeks around your due-date and get them to attend you there? What generally happens for prenatal care where you are?

 

[lozzy21]

If they were qualifed then i probably would.