Witch Hunt??

[Turquesa]

I'm not a birth pro, but I thought one of you might be able to explain this:
http://www.idahoperinatal.org/news/L...e%20Report.pdf

Is is the witch hunt that it appears to be? Have you ever seen anything similar to this? What do they do with this information?

It looks like an attempt to blame the "lay midwife" for any hospital transfer...

[GrrlyElizabeth]

What's the context for the form? The info seems pretty basic, though I don't like the whole "lay midwife" thing. Very "don't trust this untrained woman!" sounding. :

[nashvillemidwife]

I'm not sure what to make of that. Poking around the site they have also posted the text of the Idaho DEM legislation with certain parts highlighted, though there are no comments to indicate their purpose in posting it. They have posted the highly inflammatory AWOHNN anti-CPM alert. The most recent newsletter they have published on the site (Summer 2006) has an encouraging and friendly article from a CPM about the progress of the CPM legislation, although the contents box on the front page says it's a "Certified Nurse Midwife Legislative Update" which indicates they may not have been publishing what they thought they were.

[onlyboys]

I don't see anything wrong with the form, really. CPMs are ignorantly referred to as "lay midwives" all the time, so it's not surprising that the form would have this terminology. Also, when we transfer a client, we certainly have a form for it, so it would make sense that the hospital would have one too.

[Georgetown HB Mom]

I can't stand the term "lay" midwife. Lay means uneducated and I am very educated. I would refuse to fill out any form that says lay on it as this is not a true statement. And any hospital or OB that wants to refer to me as lay I will very politely educate them about the difference in a lay midwife and a CPM.

Lisa
Homebirth mom, BS degree, student midwife

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by GrrlyElizabeth

What's the context for the form?

The limited background that I know is that IPP is composed mainly of OBs and other physicians who offered to "help" the "lay midwives" draft legislation for licensure. One of IPP's goals, at least on paper, is to gather statewide perinatal stats. The concern is that A) this simply hasn't been happening for out-of-hospital births and B) their bias may cloud the process.

They recently did a two-face and are working to stop the licensure bill from passing.

I guess that's why I was suspicious of this form and wondering if physicians were doing this in other states.

I guess with this form, they're gathering their "stats," aren't they? :