Can Midwives Save More Moms?
By Danielle Kidwell
We all know the importance of midwifery and the vital role it plays in the holistic care of the birthing mother and her family. The team at Seven Cities Midwifery Care are deeply troubled by the recent CDC report that 1,205 people died of maternal causes in the US, a 40% increase over the previous year. Data from state committees that review these deaths found 84% were preventable. While the disastrous handling of the pandemic and its effect on maternal healthcare access was certainly a factor, other social and cultural factors cannot be ignored, like the lethargic, grudging acceptance of our critical role in the maternal healthcare model. Until recently, Virginia was one of two states that license CPMs yet restrict them from accessing and administering medications like Pitocin, Cytotec, Rhogam, IV Fluids, lidocaine, epinephrine, Methergine, Oxygen, antibiotics, Vitamin K (for infants), and erythromycin ophthalmic ointment (infant).
The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births
The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births
Some good news on that front - we are gaining momentum. Here at Seven Cities Midwifery Center, we have been actively advocating for the passing of HB1151 and SB1275, which would allow midwives to carry emergency medicine for birth. We’ve spoken to our delegate and senator and reached out to the general public to inform our fellow constituents and ask for your support. We are happy to report that the measure (which was a crossover, with the House Bill language conforming to the Senate Bill language) recently passed unanimously in both the House and Senate, and on March 26, 2023, it was signed into law.
What does this mean for us? According to Karen Kelly, President of the Virginia Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, it “will contribute to lower healthcare costs and reduced number of unnecessary medical interventions while improving reproductive freedom and justice to determine how a pregnancy is managed and the professional care available”. We are now able to carry previously restricted medications within our scope of practice to assist both mother and baby, potentially avoiding unnecessary, frustrating, and disruptive transfers of care for issues we are easily able to manage ourselves. We are celebrating this big win, but we still have a long way to go
While our country has been traditionally slow to accept healthcare options outside of the profit-driven, big insurance model of care, we are gratified to know the tide appears to be turning. Midwifery has served a place in the birthing process for centuries, continuously evolving and growing in scope while respecting the individual rights of mothers and their families. In fact, the World Health Organization claims, “Midwives are uniquely able to provide essential services to women and newborns in even the most difficult humanitarian, fragile, and conflict-affected settings.” The US has a long way to go, but we will celebrate that Virginia just took a small step in the right direction.
Find more about Maternal Mortality and the US.
World Health Organization The Century Foundation Every Mother Counts
Danielle Kidwell, guest writer, is a mom to three children born naturally with midwives. She owns Coastal Writing Services and loves mixing her passion for words, research and women’s issues.