“Tom Salow, ADHS’s acting Assistant Director of Licensing testified that ADHS has been aware of this potential conflict in its rules for years but has taken no action to rectify it, nor has it offered midwives a course of action that would satisfy both the duty to transfer care and the duty not to abandon a patient.”

Excerpt from Administrative Law Judge Decision, written by her Honor, Judge D.M. Lang http://goo.gl/7x3TVS

 

“It is hard to understand how a violation…warrants a year suspension when ADHS knows its own rules and lack of guidance have put the midwife in this position…Considering that ADHS has known about the potential problem posed by the rules for years and yet has failed to arrive a t a solution itself, it is unrealistic to expect midwives to hit on the perfect balance of safety and duty when suddenly placed in an awkward position…”

 

“…an internal inconsistency in the laws and rules, combined with ADHS’ failure to provide guidance that ensures no mother and child will be abandoned without professional care, makes it impossible for midwives to follow the rule….if ADHS cannot think of an answer to the dilemma, it hardly seems appropriate to discipline others for having the same number of answers: none."

The material included in this video is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This blog and video contain information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.

There are two types of midwife in the United States:

**Nurse-midwives are educated and licensed as nurses first, and then complete additional education in midwifery. They are known as Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs). CNMs are licensed to practice in all 50 states. They are usually licensed in individual states as Nurse Practitioners (NPs).

**Direct-entry midwives are educated or trained as midwives without having to become nurses first. They may be Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) or Certified Midwives (CMs). The legal status and requirements for direct-entry (non-nurse) midwives vary from state. They are usually licensed in individual states as Licensed Midwives (LMs) or Registered Midwives (RMs). The Midwives Alliance of North America tracks the laws and regulations in each state for direct-entry midwives.

"A midwife is…a health care provider and a doula is more of a childbirth coach. You might choose to have a midwife instead of an OB for prenatal care and to deliver your baby — midwives can deliver babies in hospitals, birthing centers or even in your home. A doula, on the other hand, doesn’t replace your healthcare practitioner but rather can add extra services, such as helping you with techniques to manage pain during labor and even providing support and help during baby’s early days." 

A midwife's main scope of practice is the health and well-being of the Mother and the Baby.  She is doing "watchful waiting" through the pregnancy and birth, ensuring that everything is proceeding and staying healthy and low-risk.  If things start to vary or complications develop, depending on the midwife and whether they are home- or hospital-based, they may encourage the family to seek co-care or transfer care to an obstetrician who is trained to manage pregnancy that is moving away from low-risk.  

The first study to compare birth outcomes between midwifery and obstetrical care was published in 1998.  Here are the conclusions:

"Among 16,924 women who planned home births at the onset of labor, 89.1% gave birth at home. The majority of intrapartum transfers were for failure to progress, and only 4.5% of the total sample required oxytocin augmentation and/or epidural analgesia. The rates of spontaneous vaginal birth, assisted vaginal birth, and cesarean were 93.6%, 1.2%, and 5.2%, respectively. Of the 1054 women who attempted a vaginal birth after cesarean, 87% were successful. Low Apgar scores (< 7) occurred in 1.5% of newborns. Postpartum maternal (1.5%) and neonatal (0.9%) transfers were infrequent. The majority (86%) of newborns were exclusively breastfeeding at 6 weeks of age. Excluding lethal anomalies, the intrapartum, early neonatal, and late neonatal mortality rates were 1.30, 0.41, and 0.35 per 1000, respectively."

~Excerpt from THIS article

Disclaimer: 

Excerpt:

“In the draft rules, there are a handful of tests that women need to take if she wants to have Licensed Midwifery services.  These tests (HIV, Hepatitis B, blood glucose, and blood Rh factor) are the only way for the midwife to establish that the birth will be low risk and safe for the health of the newborn and mom.  The mom-to-be can still refuse the tests, but that means she wouldn’t be able to have a Licensed Midwife present during the home-birth because it wouldn’t be possible to determine if the birth is low-risk and suitable for a home delivery.”

       ~Will Humble, Arizona Department of Health Services Director

"The ADHS is approaching birth as something that needs to be established as “low-risk” in order to proceed at home. Those of us who have had a homebirth, and the care providers who support us, have a belief that pregnancy and birth are low-risk from the outset.

The medical model wants birth to be proven safe; the midwifery model believes birth is safe until it is proven otherwise. We will continue to go around and around about what is best for mothers and babies until some sort of resolution is found between those two disconnected approaches to pregnancy and birth."

Maria Manriquez, MD, FACOG, President of ACOG Arizona: “In your explanation, that’s then inferring that you continue care of the neonate.  Does that imply that you are not providing the infant with a pediatrician or a doctor of it’s own at the appropriate time?  Correct me; I am assuming you are not implying that you then become the provider for the newborn?  You are practicing out of scope of practice! You’re not pediatricians or lay pediatricians!” 

Wendi Cleckner, CPM, points out that on page 24 of the May 24, 2013 version of the rules, the parameters of a midwife’s care for the newborn are clearly stated.  (There are 16 different clinical observations a midwife must make about the newborn, and if necessary, protocols for referrals that she will follow that are in the best interest of the baby, before she can say her role in that infant’s care is complete.)

Janice Bovee, CNM, MSN, “Midwifery, including Certified Professional Midwives and Certified Nurse Midwives, in our programs, and in our training; we include mother’s pregnancy, intrapartum care, birth, postpartum care and care of the newborn.  We are trained in that.  That is part of the midwifery model.”

Maria Manriquez, MD, FACOG, President of ACOG Arizona: “Is there any room for demonstrating actual; I know that you’re at least, that’s what Wendi has communicated, that you have to demonstrate physical competency?  So, all of the physician providers have to demonstrate competency.  So what physical competency is demonstrated by licensed midwives?  So there’s an exam, there’s NARM certification, but it doesn’t spell out specifically what and who signs off on that particular practitioner.”

Wendi Cleckner, CPM: “That’s what we’re adopting as the CPM process, is NARM.  The national organization does all of that and there is a clinical aspect; that you are in front of a qualified examiner who takes you through scenarios, you have to work on models, you have to demonstrate your clinical skills in front of them, and then they pass or fail you.”

Maria Manriquez: “We break it down even more specific.  So you can be knowledge, medical knowledge approved but not clinical, and vice versa.  So, is there an opportunity to have that information?”

Wendi Cleckner: “It’s on the website of NARM.”

Maria Manriquez: “So on the website, I could go and look you up and see that you had passed both the medical knowledge portion and the (unintelligible)?”

Wendi Cleckner: “If I did not pass all the sections, I would not be a CPM.  You would not be certified, you would not get your license, if you didn’t pass all the sections.”

Mary Langlois, CPM: “You also have to pass an apprenticeship.  So, you have a preceptor who is designated to oversee your competency.  So you’re taught by the preceptor, and the preceptor also does skills check offs and oversees you and helps you manage the deliveries.  So not only do you have to complete the clinical side, and then you would have to complete all your documentation, you take it to NARM, you take the practical examination, you pass that, then you take the written.”

Disclaimer: 
The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.

• Consumers want choice.  Licensed midwives have a choice.  Both have the right to choose.       
• Consumers want access to compassionate care at home that honors their ability to give birth.

• Midwifery Scope of Practice Advisory Committee Meeting, February 11, 2013 - View the entire meeting HERE

Disclaimer: 
The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.