I am getting really discouraged about the place of midwifery in the North American culture. The events described in this newspaper article are things that I have known were coming for weeks. And yet, like an oncoming freight train, it seems that we are helpless to stop it.
Lord Have Mercy.
The great idol of the USA - the everpowerful profit motive.
Addendum (2/2/06)
If you want to read the article and are not registered, you might try the bug me not service (link in the blogroll).
Here is the URL for this practice.
The postal address is:
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Nashua East
21 E Hollis St, Nashua, 03060
Phone is: (603) 577-4000
Chair of the Dept of Ob/Gyn is Dr. Cecilia Stuopis
The clinic’s medical director is Dr. Sanders Burstein.
I'm still working on a more global posting about what is being done to midwifery in the USA - but I can say that I personally know of legal midwives doing home births who are being harassed in WA, CA, and KS. Competent but unlicensed midwives who have fought for years to establish licensing for non CNM midwives are being forced underground in many states. Victories for midwifery that have been won in WI and in VA are being eclipsed by losses in other jurisdictions. And the voices that cry the loudest for 'reproductive choice' in the name of abortion 'rights' are peculiarly silent when asked to support the rights of women to make personal choices about where and with whom to birth their term babies!
Thanks for the comments. Keep them coming.
