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Please Help Me--homebirth in an unfriendly state!!

post #1 of 30
Thread Starter 
~*evening all*~

i am sorry to sound so incredibly desperate, but i am-- i just found out midwives are ILLEGAL in the state i live in-- b/c of my job, i have no choice but to birth here (surrounding states are bad as well, i checked!!).......to make a long story short, i am TERRIFIED of hospital births for so many reasons PLUS the idea of birth without a midwife is really unbearable to me-- i do sound desperate don't i??!!

basically i am very much against the medicalization of birth, and b/c of feminist politics i hold i do not want to birth in a hospital. on top of that i am disabled, and while my disability will not affect my birth, i have had only negative experiences with hospitals-- i get horrible panic attacks whenever i have to do to a doctor--and with doctors....i am also a survivor and the idea of a man having anything to do with my birth (well, barring giving birth to a beautiful boy-child of course!!) is unsettling to me as well.......

can anyone think of any ideas to help me?? feel free to email me priavtely if the illegaility thing is a problem, but i'd love to start a thread to help others like me!!

i am just so terrified-- i have always been radical in my politics and actions and i never thought this would happen (the statei grew up in legally allows midwives)......i have my firends and family's support, but i am at a loss right now.......


post #2 of 30
You might be surprised at the ammount of "illegal" birth that is going on all the time. Relax. It would probably help if you can say approximately where you live and how far along you are. Who knows, there might be a Mothering mom right near you with a great home midwife she can put you in touch with.

Something that might comfort you a little is that homebirth is not actually illegal in any states according to this months Mothering. I think that it is sort of 'alegal'. There are no actual laws against it but most states refuse to license anyone to assist at homebirths, so we have to 'go underground'.

There are a number of places you should start asking about homebirth in your area. Try a LLL meeting. Ask pregnant women and women with babies at your local food co-op or health food store. Get in touch with your local Bradley instructor. The classes are great and they often have referals. Good luck. And don't worry so much.
post #3 of 30
i second asking at a lll meeting. are you in ohio maybe?
post #4 of 30
Thread Starter 


(((((~*~*THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH *~*~)))))

i live in iowa, in iowa city. there is large university hospital here with two CNMs, but they will not birth outside the hospital setting.....i am definitely not worried about any legal issues that might ensue from a birth (lol!), just simply finding a midwife
i'll definitely check for LLL meetings!! the feminist health clinic here, while generally wonderful, couldn't refer me to anyone, and my two friends who've recently had kiddos had no luck finding midwives.......there is a womyn who does Bradley classes though, so i will ask her as well......my only ohter idea was to speak to ppl in the larger Amish/Mennonite community here about what they do for homebirths.........

feeling so much more hopeful!!

~*much love*~
and happy pesach!
post #5 of 30
I would think you'd find the jackpot in the Amish community. They would never go to a hospital, would they?

My midwife was a lay midwife practicing illegally in that she had no license. Sorry, I'm in CA.

Don't give up on your desire to birth at home and pursuing whatever avenues it takes. I don't know your resources but I'd think you could fly someone in if you absolutely had to.

I wish you the best, let us know when you find her!!
post #6 of 30
I found this site which looks promising, though it might be a distance for you...maybe they could refer you to someone closer? http://www.gentlebirth.com/

Or maybe contact:

Mid-America Midwives Alliance
28 Forest Hill Pl. NE
Iowa City, IA 52240

good luck in your search!
post #7 of 30
Surf the web for midwife/midwives and midwife directories. I found my midwife that way and she turned out to be someone I had known in college. I'm sorry that I didn't keep my links, but there were three or four sites with directories, and since they all get their data from different sources, they all had different listings.

Good luck,
post #8 of 30
I moved from Israel where I had my choice of a number of homebirth midwives to MO, where they are all deeply undergroud. But I found someone. Esp. if you have an Amish community nearby, there is bound to be a midwife within the area. She might be farther away than your "down the block in town OB", but I bet she's out there.

And a "pesach sameach" to you too!
post #9 of 30
LLL is probably the best place to begin looking for a midwife if you don't already know someone who can hook you up with one.
post #10 of 30
you seem to be so well-versed in how bad routine intervention & control of birth is... i'm curious as to why "the idea of birth without a midwife is really unbearable"?

(unassisted birther)
post #11 of 30


hello i live in des moines and actually had my birth with a midwife in iowa city who, unfortunely is moving this very month! to russia how ironic. luckly her assistant helped with by birth (dawn) and she has joined with dana. midwifery is in fact alegal in the state of iowa unless you are a certified nurse midwife which these women are not. check it out i found her name at the new pioneer coop. blessings to you mama
post #12 of 30
Definitely contact MANA (Midwives Alliance of North America.) They will furnish you with the name of all registered midwives in your area, even if they are not licensed by the state of Iowa. One of my midwives was a CNM, but her associates were all DEM's. Good luck and don't give up!
post #13 of 30

PLEASE E-Mail ME! Homebirth in IOWA

Please e-mail me, I am from Iowa too! Near the Quad Cities, but my midwife does homebirths in the Iowa City area as well, she is great, she is a CPM. I don't want to give out any info on the boards, but please e-mail me! She is great! And as far as homebirth being illegal here in Iowa, it is not true, the law reguarding homebirth is that of who can attend homebirths, which here in Iowa basically only CNM, M.D., higher ups, etc...
I know only one CNM here in the QCA that attends homebirths, and I wouldn't recommend her, but the midwife I go to now is AWESOME! Please e-mail me for her info!

post #14 of 30
Try BirthPartners.com they can help you find a midwife that does homebirths.
post #15 of 30
Thread Starter 

THANK YOU ALL-- and unassisted birth

wow, i truly cannot thank you alle nough!! i feel SO MUCH BETTER and quite empowered!!

jeanniebeannie--i am TOTALLY in favor of unassisted birth, i didn't mena that a midwife should always ben present for everyone-- personally it makes me feel a little bettter (for myself).....i will be a single parent, and having lost a baby in utero in Novemember, I really like the various things that a (good, feminist) midwife could help me with......i think mamas who rely on their own bodies and their own knowledge are AMAZING!!!!! (ALL MAMAS ARE AMAZING!!).....i guess personally i am not sure about an unassisted birth for me for #1....although i do believe very much in my body and what it says to me, growing up with a disability i was often taught not to trust my feelings-- but i'm working on that!!

again, thank you all so much!! i now have a few people to get in touch with, some GREAT links and recommendations, and hopefully some new friends!!

if you wrote me personally i will totally reply (or already have)

much love, much love!!!!
post #16 of 30
oh, i can understand that. i didn't know you were alone (i'm new here). i was glad to have dh and dd here, and definitely wouldn't have wanted to plan on doing it alone either. thanks for clarifying!
post #17 of 30
I am currently living in a "alegal" state and was surprised to learn that there is quite and underground population of midwives praticing here. I was first made aware of this from a homeopathic practitioner. And then from some homeschooling friends. My point is check all the alternative healers that you can find--acupuncure, herbalists, chiropractors, etc.

Good luck to you and welcome to motherhood, a fantastic adventure.
post #18 of 30
Strange...I thought it was legal everywhere in the US. Maybe you could find an illegal midwife and have the homebirth, then wait until she leaves, call 911 and say you just suddenly started having rapid contractions and crowning, then they will think you at least tried to go to the hospital.
post #19 of 30
I can attest that it is a problem in some states, Alabama for example. I just found out that a midwife (lay) in North Alabama is in trouble with the law. Alabama stinks law-wise. They have bad homeschooling regs, they have no laws protecting bfing women (which means that you can be kicked off private property for feeding your baby). Stinky, huh?
post #20 of 30
Unassisted homebirth is illegal in Alabama? How can that be? What would they do, throw the parents in jail for choosing to have their child at home? GEEZ, I can't believe that - talk about an infringement on basic rights! I wonder what bafoons passed that sort of law. Sorry for rambling, but I just can't believe it!
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