Prenatal care in the USA

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This was an email I got from a friend of mine. She has given me permission to post it.


Subject: PN care in America
Sounds like a documentary, doesn't it? Maybe someone should do one.
Though VBAC is about birth and not PN care, first, they took that away from women, in my area.
Next, those on Medicaid won't be able to see a doctor in the town they live in/near. They will be decreasing the amount of Medicaid recipients that they will take, leaving low-income women to having to travel further away, when they may not have a car or extra money for gas.
Then, 2 days ago, a woman called me thinking I did hospital births. She is 43 y.o., expecting their 2nd child, and no one [in this same area w/ the local hospital] will see her because she is over 40!
And today, a woman called me, near desperate to find a local PN care provider. She moved, misplaced her calendar (plenty of excuses for her irresponsibility) and missed a 2nd PN appointment. She has now been let-go from that office and no one else will see her. She has no extra money to travel anywhere for PN care. She's worried that if she walks in to deliver w/out PN care CPS will be called (someone told her they do this).
So many women falling through the cracks and everyone screams about infant mortality rates and no PN care and what can we all do about it?! Plenty is being done to create obstacles, that is what I am seeing.
I will do free births for those who call me, truly in need. I will meet w/ the 43 y.o. and her husband, if she can get him to come and even consider the idea of a homebirth. I will give free PN care to the irresponsible woman and give her all the records so that when she is a walk-in, she can show the care (complete w/ labs and an U/S and her GBS status), though I told her that my care may not = the care they want to see.
I don't know what else to do and God is having them call me for some reason, but its just so frustrating. These are not women who want homebirth and I don't want them to choose it for the wrong reasons. But when the people w/ the power, politics and money call the shots it leaves many people left to do the best they can. Many of them won't call a midwife in the yellow pages. Many will struggle, miss appointments, have to travel on snowy roads an hour away or just not get any care at all. And those w/ the power and the money will shake their heads and wonder what the problem is.....
signed
a local home birth midwife, anywhere USA

3 Comments

God bless this homebirth midwife from anywhere, USA, for doing what she can!! I'm glad you're out there and I am praying for you and for all women who are struggling to find care.

I have google alert me when someone mentions VBAC because I own a VBAC blog. Great post! The midwives in our town will basically do any birth a pregnant woman desires. However, they too are not allowed in the hospitals here. At least women have midwives for prenatal care even if the doctors turn them away.

Oh, I also linked to your post on my blog. I hope you don't mind :)

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This page contains a single entry by alicia published on June 16, 2007 7:19 PM.

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