Change for the Better: Why License Midwives in Mississippi?
We live in a time and place where health care professionals are licensed. When consumers hire health care providers, they assume they have met standards for their profession, through state issued licenses. A few of the professions that require a license in Mississippi are Physicians, Speech Pathologists, Respiratory Therapists, Dieticians, EMTs, and even Tanning Booth Operators. It is clear that MS operates under the assumption that licensing is a public protection policy that Mississippians expect.
Under current laws, any one can claim to be a midwife and practice midwifery. Because of this, midwives who have lost their right to practice midwifery in other states for one reason or another come to our state to set up shop. These are the same midwives that prompted a bill (supported by the Nursing Board that essentially would have limited midwifery to Certified Nurse Midwives only (effectively making the home birth illegal in MS). Licensing Midwives will instill confidence in the consumer and other birth professional in the care provided by midwives in MS.
Benefits of advocating for Licensure:
1. Providing a mechanism for families choosing out-of-hospital birth to verify their midwife’s training, skills and educational credentials
2. Ensuring adherence to evidence based-practices and providing for transparency and accountability
3. Ensuring continuity of care and offering liability protection to physicians and birth providers who collaborate with midwives
4. Providing access in our community to:
– A family-centered model of maternity care that offers individualized education, counseling, prenatal care
– Continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery
– Minimal use of costly technological interventions
– Support of the physical, psychological, and social well-being of mothers and families throughout the childbearing cycle
5. Ensuring that every family can experience an enhanced birth experience and the ability to choose their birth provider and birth setting based on their religious, cultural and philosophical beliefs
