Laws on Home birth MWs in the Caribbean?

[fairyandgnome]

We are looking at moving to the Caribbean in about a year or so. Idealy St. Lucia. I have been searching for info on the legality of CPMs there, but am having a hard time finding any info. Help would be great!

[fairyandgnome]

Anyone? Are ANY of the islands in support of MWs/ Home birth?

[rocky]

Try the Dutch islands.

BES islands are Bonaire, St. Eustacius (sp?), and Saba

Curacao

Aruba

Dutch St. Maarten (not the French side).

All of these islands were formerly the Netherlands Antilles.  Aruba broke off first and now the BES islands are considered municipalities of Holland.   They don't have all the same rules but I'm pretty sure homebirth is normal as in Holland. 

[Nicole Stovell]

Folks, in many Caribbean islands the  midwifery systems no longer exist although a few midwives may. Sigh. That's not by accident. I don't know about midwifery in St. Lucia. I've asked and never come across a younger Lucian who has had a homebirth. The fact is that most islands stepped away from midwifery/home births around 40 yrs ago. Most Caribbean folks are proud of this fact. Sigh. There is a movement to restore midwifery throughout the Caribbean. In many islands it's not illegal. It's just no encouraged. Not by a long shot! 

Check out www.consciousbirthbermuda.com and www.meetup.com/Bermuda-Home-Water-Birth-Meetup/ for eg. If you're on Fb check out "Mothers & Midwives for Protection of Birthing Rights in the Bahamas & TCI." Feel free to join the group. I am connected to women all over the Caribbean who are trying to restore midwifery on our islands. We could use all the help we can get. Hospital births are the order of the day in most of our countries. Most women aren't familiar with doulas either.

Peace.

[Nicole Stovell]

Jamaica, Barbados & Trinidad are the main islands (English-speaking ones that is) that have midwifery systems in place. Barbados & Trini stand out. Check out www.familybirthingcentre.net and www.mamatoto.net. They have midwives and doulas on staff and offer birth centre births and home births. Those are the places I'd touch base with if I were you. Visit them if you can.

With St. Lucia last time I knew midwifery studies was offered at their college, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. I don't know if it's traditional midwifery though (ie homebirthing). You'd have to check that out.  You may find this interesting:

http://stluciastudentmidwife.blogspot.com. I don't know what kind of midwife this woman is mind you. Again she may just work in/be trained for hospitals. Shoot the term "midwife" is used for all sorts of things now. Sigh.

Check this out too. She worked in St. Lucia as a midwife or at least did some midwifery training there. Again she could've only been in  hospitals. Who knows.

www.firstlightmidwifery.com/index.php/the_midwives

I'd reach out to these two women if I were you (along with the SL college).

I couldn't tell you about the Dutch, Spanish or French-speaking islands. Midwifery may be alive there. Not sure. If you want to move to an island have you considered Dominica. A midwife is needed there! It's a beautiful island!!!!! Phenomenal culture.

Whatever you find out please shre it with us. There are a core group of Caribbean women who want access to homebirth midwives. We often struggle to find them on our islands because the few that exist no longer practice (they're up in age now) or there are none on our islands. Most women have been told that homebirthing is illegal. There are plenty of scare tactics thrown at us and it often works. However, there are always a few women who have unassisted homebirths or find a midwife who will help them quietly. It really shouldn't work this way though.