News

Licensing: the colonization and criminalization of MA home birth midwives

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Published Date

6/19/2024

There is a bill filed in the MA legislature (H.4566) that would license the 30 MA home birth midwives. The licensure bill was filed not because there is anything wrong with MA home birth midwifery. The bill was filed, I think, because our society thinks that getting licensed by the state is a good thing.

There is no benefit to being licensed. Licensing MA home birth midwives will restrict access to MA home birth midwives, create rules and regulations about which birthing people can hire a MA licensed home birth midwife and does not compel Mass Health or any insurance company to cover the cost of home birth midwifery.

Here's how it is being spun:

“We owe huge thanks to champions and advocates from ACNM, Bay State Birth Coalition, Repro Equity Now, the Massachusetts Hospital Association and the Department of Public Health for fighting for language that supports independent, autonomous midwifery. “ Notice the home birth midwives of Massachusetts, the trade organization for MA home birth midwives - Massachusetts Midwives Alliance - are not on the list of champions and advocates.

“The language reported out of the review committee protects US MERA and Bridge qualified CPMs” – the language of the bill bans apprentice “PEP” qualified CPMs.

“it mandates a CPM majority in the Board that will create regulations and review complaints” – there will be ob/gyns on a home birth midwifery board; a midwifery board that is charged with creating rules and regulations about women's bodies.

“The language is also free from any restrictions against VBAC, twins, etc.” – because the new midwifery board is charged with rules and regulations around VBAC, twins, etc.

“includes the proposed (MA) Licensed Midwife cadre as core providers” – birthing folks will be restricted to only hire state-approved MA licensed midwife to attend their MA home birth. Birthing folks who hire “other” midwives will set “other” midwives up for prosecution: https://longreads.com/2020/03/10/criminalization-of-the-american-midwife/

Aaannnddd, of course, once we start colonizing and criminalizing “other” midwives through licensing, a MA state house Rep has added another component that continues to make licensure of home birth midwifery a colonization and criminalization exercise: “we have also learned that opponents are pushing hard to include a malpractice insurance requirement in the Bill”.

Stop colonizing and criminalizing home birth midwifery.

Stop legislating birthing people’s bodies.