If you are reading this, it's because you are a fellow mom who lives in Iowa. I am writing to ask for you to send a letter to your state representative and senator. You can find out who your state legislators and get their email addresses here. (Be sure to scroll all the way down at this link to be sure to find your STATE reps)
The issue I'm asking for your help on is licensing Certified Professional Midwives. As you may know, this is an issue near and dear to my heart. I had a Cesarean with my first baby, followed by a hospital VBAC with my second, and then my third was a wonderful at home birth. Now that we are expecting again, we are planning another home birth. Someday, I want to pursue becoming a midwife myself to be able to give the gift of home birth to other women.
Right now in Iowa, the only legal home birth is one attended by Certified Nurse Midwife. Licensing Certified Professional Midwives would go a long way in giving birthing choices to Iowa women. You don't have to be a midwife or a home birth parent to support this legislation; you just have to agree that families who have home births should have access to trained and qualified midwives to assist them.
I've written a sample letter you can just copy and paste (after adding your legislators name, and your name and address) to email off to your State Senator and State Representative. It would only take a few minutes of your time. Feel free to write a letter of your own if you'd rather. If you do choose to support me and other homebirth parents in this issue, would you please be so kind as to write back and let me know?
You can find out more about this issue at http://www.friendsofiowamidwives.org/
Thank you for your help.
Dear Senator (or Representative) last name ,
I am writing to ask you to support midwifery and vote yes for HS 2070 (HF781 for Representative) to license certified professional midwives. CPMs are recognized in 26 other states, including our neighbors Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri. CPMs undergo rigorous education and testing, and are the only care providers specifically trained in out-of-hospital birth. Research shows that planned out-of-hospital birth with CPMs results in outcomes equal to or better than those for low-risk women giving birth in hospitals.
Statistics aside, I am writing simply as a mother. Because the birth experience is so personal to a woman, it is vital to Iowa families to offer the freedom of choice. Allow Iowa women a choice: safe, responsible birth at home by certified professional midwives or in the hospital with the practitioner of their choice. Please vote YES to support HS 2070 (HF781 for Representative).
Sincerely, (full name and address)
The issue I'm asking for your help on is licensing Certified Professional Midwives. As you may know, this is an issue near and dear to my heart. I had a Cesarean with my first baby, followed by a hospital VBAC with my second, and then my third was a wonderful at home birth. Now that we are expecting again, we are planning another home birth. Someday, I want to pursue becoming a midwife myself to be able to give the gift of home birth to other women.
Right now in Iowa, the only legal home birth is one attended by Certified Nurse Midwife. Licensing Certified Professional Midwives would go a long way in giving birthing choices to Iowa women. You don't have to be a midwife or a home birth parent to support this legislation; you just have to agree that families who have home births should have access to trained and qualified midwives to assist them.
I've written a sample letter you can just copy and paste (after adding your legislators name, and your name and address) to email off to your State Senator and State Representative. It would only take a few minutes of your time. Feel free to write a letter of your own if you'd rather. If you do choose to support me and other homebirth parents in this issue, would you please be so kind as to write back and let me know?
You can find out more about this issue at http://www.friendsofiowamidwives.org/
Thank you for your help.
Dear Senator (or Representative) last name ,
I am writing to ask you to support midwifery and vote yes for HS 2070 (HF781 for Representative) to license certified professional midwives. CPMs are recognized in 26 other states, including our neighbors Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri. CPMs undergo rigorous education and testing, and are the only care providers specifically trained in out-of-hospital birth. Research shows that planned out-of-hospital birth with CPMs results in outcomes equal to or better than those for low-risk women giving birth in hospitals.
Statistics aside, I am writing simply as a mother. Because the birth experience is so personal to a woman, it is vital to Iowa families to offer the freedom of choice. Allow Iowa women a choice: safe, responsible birth at home by certified professional midwives or in the hospital with the practitioner of their choice. Please vote YES to support HS 2070 (HF781 for Representative).
Sincerely, (full name and address)
