Susan Jenkins

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  Susan commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Back Alley Births

  Dear Ms. Lyons,
  You blog comment about "back alley births" is absolutely correct. I am a member of the Steering Committee of the Big Push for Midwives Campaign, which is working for licensure for certified professional midwives in states throughout the U.S. where the practice of midwifery is actually illegal. In some states, it is a felony and midwives have actually been arrested for attending births.  Talk about "back alley" -- in these states, a woman may really have to go underground to find a midwife to attend her home birth.  The Big Push is also working to bring the problems you describe to the attention of the transition team and recently submitted a 12-point document on needed reforms in maternal-child health care in the U.S. -- including reining in the skyrocketing cesarean section rate, ending vbac bans, increasing access to midwives and birth centers under the federal Medicaid and Federal Employees programs, and including midwives and birth centers in health care reform proposals.I would like to follow up with you on these issues.  I am in the process of forming a National Birth Law Center, which would include a Birth Lawyers Network, so that those of us who are practicing attorneys can use our legal skills to help women facing VBAC bans, denial of informed refusal, etc.
  Warm regards to you,
  Susan Jenkins
  The Big Push for Midwives Campaign
  www.thebigpushformidwives.org