BirthNet members gather support at recent Greenstar tabling event
When Jeanette McCulloch was planning the birth of her second child, she knew she would choose a midwife. "With our first baby, we loved the care we got with our midwife in Chicago," McCulloch says. "She spent the time to get to know us, and we felt really confident that she'd help us have a safe birth."
When it was time for her to choose her caregiver after a move to Ithaca, McCulloch ultimately chose Monica Daniel, a local midwife who provides care to about 35 families a year. Now, families like the McCullochs are banding together to ensure that midwifery remains a choice for Ithaca families, with the hope that care will be available to other areas of New York State as well.
McCulloch is part of a local group, BirthNet of the Finger Lakes, which is dedicated to maintaining and improving options for birthing women and their families in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. BirthNet is a consumer-based and volunteer-run working group that advocates for women and their families.
According to BirthNet member Erin Kerr, "BirthNet grew out of a need to support women and their families having choices in childbirth and to reach out to the community with that information." Through lectures, presentations, discussions, community events and resource lists, BirthNet of the Finger Lakes provides information about all aspects of prenatal, birth and postpartum health.
Kerr describes the deep community connections that reach far beyond the mothers who come to BirthNet for support. "Their activities and resources are designed to reach all members of the community with many collaborations that reach even children and grandparents."
One of many photos submitted as part of BirthNet's ongoing photography project at www.freeourmidwives.org
Birthnet is leading a statewide, consumer-driven movement to pass the Midwifery Modernization Act (MMA) in order to remove the Written Practice Agreement (WPA) requirement from the law creating better access to midwifery care across the state.
The WPA requirement mandates that midwives in New York State have an annually reviewed written agreement with a physician. While the spirit of the WPA requirement may seem like it inspires collaboration between midwives and physicians, this is not the case.
New York State identifies midwives as "independent practitioners with expertise in the care of essentially healthy women," but the requirement of a WPA contradicts this premise. While the collaborating physician does not supervise the midwife, according the State, "The judgment of the collaborating physician will prevail as to whether the pregnancy, childbirth or post-partum care is normal and whether the woman is essentially healthy, unless otherwise provided in the practice protocol."
Although many doctors are willing to collaborate with midwives, they are unwilling or unable to sign these agreements. Therefore, although midwives are trained as independent health care professionals, this requirement in the law prohibits them from being able to practice independently. The WPA represents an enormous barrier to practice for midwives all over New York.
Another photo from BirthNet's photography project
Kate Finn, a local midwife, receives calls from all over the state. “Women are willing to drive two or more hours for prenatal care because there are no options for them in their local area,” says Finn. “If the written practice agreement was removed, midwives could set up practice in rural areas providing safe care for pregnant women.”
In the last 15 years many midwives have packed their bags and moved their practices to other states as a result of the prohibitive regulations. At a time of statewide and national health care reform, this is a particularly challenging for New York State, which struggles with rising health care costs. Research shows that midwifery care provides equivalent or better outcomes for low-risk mothers and babies at a lower cost than obstetrical-only care. Removing the WAP would increase access to midwifery for women across the state while reducing costs.
Ithaca’s centralized location has made it the perfect organizational headquarters for the statewide movement. "Families from the Ithaca area care about safe birth options," says Lauren Korfine, a lead organizer for BirthNet. "They love their midwives and the care they provide, and are willing to work hard to make sure other families have access to the benefits of midwifery care." BirthNet of the Fingerlakes is a part of a larger network of consumer-based birth organizations across the state and the nation.
With the help of modern social media, BirthNet is reaching out to the rest of the state to create a movement of consumers to persuade legislators in Albany to support the legislation.
“In the last few years we’ve seen the tremendous power social media has for consumer based movements,” says Hillary Boucher, a local BirthNet member. “We realized we had the power of collecting our resources and community using modern technology.”
BirthNet created the website FreeOurMidwives.org to act as the online home base for the movement. Visitors can learn more about the legislation, find sample letters to legislators and learn about upcoming events. BirthNet is also hosting a photography project, with an aim to collect one thousand photos of families, children and women who have received safe and quality care from midwives.
By subscribing to the site, community members will be able to stay informed as the movement progresses. BirthNet is also reaching out through Facebook and Twitter.
“We’ve been getting such a great response through these online venues,” says Boucher, “and we have been able to link up with concerned citizens across the state.”
"Their supportive and extensive knowlege of the local pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum scene makes them more than just helpful," says Kerr, "They're downright necessary."
BirthNet of the Fingerlakes' past projects have included a comprehensive guide to birth resources in the Fingerlakes region and a Birth Fair that educated area families on their birth options and introduced them to local providers.
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