MANA editorial regarding “AMA Seeks to Deny Women Choices in Childbirth”
July 13, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Women's Health
In mid-June, I posted on how Ricki Lake was being taken to task by the American Medical Association (AMA) about her stance on home birth (Tsk, tsk Ricki Lake).
Meredith, our resident doula (Womb Within has its very own doula) sent me this “President’s editorial” fro the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA). I am publishing it with permission. It’s a very interesting answer to the AMA’s close-minded point of view.
AMA Seeks to Deny Women Choices in Childbirth
*President’s Editorial *
July 11, 2008
Geradine Simkins
president@mana.org
888-923-MANA (6262)
info@mana.org
http://www.mana.org
One wonders what process the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates used to determine that *”Resolution 205 on Home Deliveries”* was a prudent and reasonable proposal to adopt. AMA Resolution 205 attempts to outlaw a woman’s choice to birth at home or in a freestanding birth center by calling for legislation to establish hospitals and hospital-based birth centers as the safest place for labor, delivery and postpartum recovery. Further, Resolution 205 seeks to establish that hospital-based midwives who work under the control of physicians are the only safe midwifery practitioners.
The Midwives Alliance of North America, which has represented the profession of midwifery since 1982 and whose members are specialists in homebirth, finds AMA’s Resolution 205 to be arrogant, patronizing and self-serving. We have three major objections to Resolution 2005. First, Resolution 205 patently ignores the vast body of scientific evidence that has documented homebirth to be a safe, cost-effective and satisfying option for women who prefer this alternative to hospital birth.
Click here to read the rest: MANA editorial regarding “AMA Seeks to Deny Women Choices in Childbirth”
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That’s pathetic. How can the AMA *be* that way! I mean, the stress level drop from being at home should be reason enough to make that not happen.
I’ve always wanted to give birth at home, but haven’t found a doctor that would do it. Next pregnancy I’m going to try to get a midwife to do it…the hospital is AWFUL. The nurses actually laughed at me last time for not wanting pain meds. Sickening.
I agree Jennifer. Although I personally did not wish home births, I believe that women should choose what she feels is right for her and her family.
As the editorial says, we are all being encouraged to be more proactive in our health care and yet for something as fundamental as giving birth, that is not an area where this is encouraged.
Being pregnant and giving birth is not an illness.
I’m not a rabid “anti hospital” person. I believe that hospital births have their place, but so do birthing centers and home births.