ACOG Statement on Home Birth - Page 4

[EviesMom]

Um.... just sayin... but my apartment where I had a HBAC is closer to the hospital than the local freestanding birth center was before it closed.

That movie is definitely having an impact! It's such an awesome film! Another point in the growing movement... my midwife and another local midwife said they're no longer doing well-woman care, just prenatal care because their practices are so busy!

[crazy_eights]

Originally Posted by jengacnm

Hmmm. Well, I'm a CNM in Illinois and I am aware of no such legislation. We do have to have an annoying written collaborative agreement, but it's not "direct oversight". I also do home births and am independent.

I am well aware that most hospital based CNMs ARE at the mercy of the department of OB/GYN, that very few CNMs are independent, and fewer still do home births. That being said, let's not make big demons out of little ones. Cuz there are certainly enough big ones out there!!!

I didn't just pull this out of my nose. Come across the state line to MO where the laws were re-written in the late 90's just as I have written and yes, there are OB's, including one of the authors of the ACOG statements against homebirths who are advancing this agenda. They believe that all CNM's should require direct supervision and are pushing for such limitations.

[rixafreeze]

jengacnm,

But it's true in IL that your collaboring OB (which you're required to have) can decide what you can/cannot do, right? I'm thinking things like primary VBACs, breeches, & twins, for example. Not saying this to rag on you or CNMs in general, but in IL the requirement for a backup OB does limit somewhat what home birth CNMs can do. Correct me if I'm wrong, though!

[jengacnm]

mom2seven-
All the states vary with the degree of independence of CNMs, and about ten of them still have supervisory language. If there is a movement to make CNMs supervised by OBs as a national policy or law, I don't think I'm being naive when I say that ACNM would not allow it to happen.

So those ACOG UA violations can "believe" that they will someday supervise all CNMs with the same "belief" that their will alone will make home birth disappear.

rixafreeze-
Yes, any collaborating MD can pull their support at any time-and that's a reality I live with, and have felt the consquences of. Our current backup is pretty hands off. As to the specifics that you mentioned-I don't have the education or the experience to manage twins and breeches anyway, and I and my partners do VBACs at the hospital. This last is self imposed; our backup also consults with another group that DOES do VBACs at home, so I know we can if we want to.

Don't wanna hijack the thread. More commentary on ACOGs statement?

[dancingmidwife]

ACOGs Statement on Homebirth- A Violation of Anti-trust Laws

This is my first time posting.

I am a Homebirth CNM in San Diego.

I'm writing in response to ACOGs recent statement opposing homebirth. It is unfair and illegal and we should fight it!

ACOG's statement not only opposes homebirth, inspite of it's proven safety, but all the those that provide homebirth. This constitutes a boycott, is anti-competetive and a conspiracy- all of which are illegal according to anti-trust laws. This forms the basis for a Midwifery Anti-Trust suit against ACOG.

There is a precedent for a lawsuit against ACOG. The chiropractors fiiled and won against the AMA in the 1980s. (Chiropractic Antitrust Suit Wilk, et al., v. AMA, et al.) The AMA and it's members were found to be guilty of conspiracy and an unreasonable restraint of trade in violation of Section I of the Sherman Act. AMA had made statements restricting their physician members from collaborating with the unscientific chiropractors. These statements came straight our the their own "quackery committee".

We need to unite to file an anti-trust suit against ACOG. If the chiropractors can do it, so can we!

Women and midwives have been persecuted for centuries by patriarchal institutions and this is more of the same. It's up to us to stop them, protect birth, and protect ourselves!

Thank you for reading.

[saimeiyu]

Originally Posted by dancingmidwife

This is my first time posting.

I am a Homebirth CNM in San Diego.

I'm writing in response to ACOGs recent statement opposing homebirth. It is unfair and illegal and we should fight it!

ACOG's statement not only opposes homebirth, inspite of it's proven safety, but all the those that provide homebirth. This constitutes a boycott, is anti-competetive and a conspiracy- all of which are illegal according to anti-trust laws. This forms the basis for a Midwifery Anti-Trust suit against ACOG.

There is a precedent for a lawsuit against ACOG. The chiropractors fiiled and won against the AMA in the 1980s. (Chiropractic Antitrust Suit Wilk, et al., v. AMA, et al.) The AMA and it's members were found to be guilty of conspiracy and an unreasonable restraint of trade in violation of Section I of the Sherman Act. AMA had made statements restricting their physician members from collaborating with the unscientific chiropractors. These statements came straight our the their own "quackery committee".

We need to unite to file an anti-trust suit against ACOG. If the chiropractors can do it, so can we!

Women and midwives have been persecuted for centuries by patriarchal institutions and this is more of the same. It's up to us to stop them, protect birth, and protect ourselves!

Thank you for reading.

Dude. DO you have any refernces for that? I'd like to send that info to my mom-- she was complaining about th ACOG to my sister and I. I'll bet she doesn't know about it and I *Totally* approve of the idea of an anti-trust suit against ACOG. *_*

[barefootpoetry]

Originally Posted by dancingmidwife

This is my first time posting.

I am a Homebirth CNM in San Diego.

I'm writing in response to ACOGs recent statement opposing homebirth. It is unfair and illegal and we should fight it!

ACOG's statement not only opposes homebirth, inspite of it's proven safety, but all the those that provide homebirth. This constitutes a boycott, is anti-competetive and a conspiracy- all of which are illegal according to anti-trust laws. This forms the basis for a Midwifery Anti-Trust suit against ACOG.

There is a precedent for a lawsuit against ACOG. The chiropractors fiiled and won against the AMA in the 1980s. (Chiropractic Antitrust Suit Wilk, et al., v. AMA, et al.) The AMA and it's members were found to be guilty of conspiracy and an unreasonable restraint of trade in violation of Section I of the Sherman Act. AMA had made statements restricting their physician members from collaborating with the unscientific chiropractors. These statements came straight our the their own "quackery committee".

We need to unite to file an anti-trust suit against ACOG. If the chiropractors can do it, so can we!

Women and midwives have been persecuted for centuries by patriarchal institutions and this is more of the same. It's up to us to stop them, protect birth, and protect ourselves!

Thank you for reading.

How can we help??

[langdonslady]

They are feeling the pressure of the increasing awareness of homebirth as a safe and desirable alternative to "feedlot" style birth. Hit dogs howl!

[DoulaJulian]

Anti-Trust

This anti-trust thing sounds like something that could really happen. I am going to look into it some more via online resources to see what could come of it.

It is clearly an attack aimed towards a competing industry on the part of ACOG...and they are trying to use their pseudo authority to make it appear that they are policy makers in the childbirth industry. This would be like the Teamsters sending out press releases which stated that shipping goods via Sea Vessel was too risky since boats sink all the time and semi trucks have a safer track record and that they do not, under any circumstances condone shipping goods by boat. Well, duh. Of course they don't. Or like Pepsi sending out statements that they feel Coke products are a "fad" and that they hope no one is jeopardizing their long term health by indulging in such reckless behaviors. These sorts of comments would surely get tons of attention for being completely illegal in a free market society. Especially if the offended parties can show that it has harmed their livelihood.

I think that it might be time for mw's to hit them from a business standpoint (economic laws? business laws? i'm not sure what would cover something like this) instead of beating the philosophical (hb is better, safer, etc...) dead horse which has seemed to fail thus far. Clearly ACOG doesn't care about the long term health and emotional well being of the family unit, so trying to convince them to is still going to be fruitless...but perhaps they have dug themselves a nice shallow legal grave with their little statement and it is up to HB advocates to dig the final few feet for them.

Who are the lawyers out there, momma's? I have got a BIL who is in law school...i'll have DH pick his brain!

[dancingmidwife]

anti trust suit

I also have a close friend who's been an anti trust lawyer for 28 years. He really thinks we have a case but one that should be initiated by one of the midwives associations. I've written to ACNM and CNMA and neither have any plans. But the landmark case of the chiropractors is exactly like out situation. We just need someone to file the suit!

[saimeiyu]

Do they not have any plans about it because they don't know if they have grounds, or do they not have any plans about it because they think it's unnecessary/unethical or do they not have any plans about it because they are largley unaware of how an anti-trust suit could actually work in thier favor? Did they respond? Were they specific?

[applejuice]

I talked with midwives about this in 1990, just after the case was settled. No one seemed interested. The problem is, we are all busy with our own lives. One would need the help and experience of a retired midwife who had political connections.

[barefootpoetry]

Originally Posted by applejuice

I talked with midwives about this in 1990, just after the case was settled. No one seemed interested. The problem is, we are all busy with our own lives. One would need the help and experience of a retired midwife who had political connections.

Well, that's frustrating. Maybe they are ready to fight for their livelihood now, 18 years later?

[sofiamommy]

SofiaBugMom - Would like to connect??

Originally Posted by sofiabugmom

Um, haven't we as a society only been using hospitals and/or doctors for birth for not much longer than a century?

So, then, wouldn't going to birth at a hospital, once upon a time in the not-so-distant past, have been considered "what's fashionable, trendy, or the latest cause célèbre"?

Just a thought ...

Hi Sofiabugmom,

Here's another sofiamom to be. I'm a mom of a 3 year old moving from the states to Sofia, BG. I'm curious about birthing over there because we might have a baby there. Would love some insight from someone who's there...

Thanks,
Sofiamommy

[Jaysfamily]

What about contacting Ricky Lake about an anti-trust law suit? She's already brought so much publicity to the issue, that she might be able to unite the midwives associations together to get thing going.