Homebirth in Indiana?

[devon]

We are moving to Terre Haute, IN soon, from Madison, WI. WI legalizes midwives through licensure, and Madison has a great assortment of midwives to choose from. We had a CNM at our last homebirth.

We're not planning on having more kids for a few more years but I want to figure out my choices before I find out I am pregnant.

Does anyone know what the homebirth scene is like in Indiana in terms of legality? Where can I find more information? We'll have CIGNA if that matters. Looking at the hospital in Terre Haute, I do NOT want to have to go there if pregnant and would more than likely try to plan a pregnancy where I could move back here for a few months rather then deliver there.

Cross posting this in Finding your Tribe.

Thanks!
Devon

[jdg]

It's not legal here. Technically, it's legal for the mother to birth anywhere, but not legal for a midwife to accept money for her services, as it is considered practicing medicine without a license. There are many people who have been trying to get this changed for years.

That said, midwife-assisted homebirth certainly DOES still happen here, and the midwives aren't "in hiding". I was easily able to obtain names and contact information from a local birth services center, there's an Indiana Midwives Association, and luckily for me there's even a local OB who is HB-supportive and willing to offer backup care to midwives' clients (I do not live in Terre Haute and have no idea if there is such an OB there).

[jdg]

I looked up my midwife's disclosure statements, just to make sure that my information was correct. It is a Class D felony to practice midwifery without a license in Indiana. However, only CNMs are allowed to get licenses, and my understanding is there is no CNM in the state who does home births. (There are CNMs who are part of OBGYN practices who do hospital births.) My midwife, who is a CPM, states that she sees her practice as a form of civil disobedience.

The Indiana Midwives Association provides self-regulation, including peer review.