"Pregnant women are opting for home births as hospitals prepare for coronavirus," Washington Post, March 20, 2020
“More Babies Being Born At Home Due To Coronavirus Concerns,” WBZ 4 Boston, March 23, 2020
“Midwives in higher demand among expectant mothers during pandemic,” Boston25News, April 1, 2020
“‘Grateful that we have this option': Some pregnant women turn to home births amid coronavirus pandemic,” USA Today, April 4, 2020
Read MoreThe number of states who legally authorize and license Certified Professional Midwives to practice is growing. The CPM credential is nationally-accredited, meets international standards for midwifery education and training, and is recognized in 2/3 of the United States.
Read MoreMarking International Day of the Midwife and Mothers Day, the Cambridge City Council votes unanimously to support the Out-of-Hospital Birth Access and Safety Act to increase access to midwives in the Commonwealth.
Read MoreBlack Maternal Health in America
Midwives make a difference,
Featuring an interview with midwife Joelle Leacock
by Isabel Oalican, student at Boston Latin High School
April 17, 2019
A bipartisan group of over 90 Massachusetts lawmakers have sponsored the Out-of-Hospital Birth Access & Safety Act so far. The bill is starting the 191st session with unprecedented support and momentum.
Read MoreOn January 18, 2019 the Out-of-Hospital Birth Access and Safety Act was filed by Representative Kay Khan and Senator Becca Rausch. If passed, Massachusetts will join the 33 other states that recognize Certified Professional Midwives, experts in attending births at home and in birth centers. Licensed midwives will be eligible to accept Medicaid/MassHealth and permitted to carry life-saving medications.
The evidence is clear that integrating all midwives into a state’s health care system improves outcomes for moms & babies.
Read MoreDespite the current maternal health crisis nationwide and within MA, the MA legislature did not act to pass the bill HB4655 "An Act Relative to Out-of-Hospital Birth Access and Safety." The bill remained in the Committee on Health Care Financing through the end of the formal legislative session (after midnight on Aug 1). Your calls, e-mails, and State House visits over the past 18 months impressed upon many legislators the importance of this issue and we will build on this momentum moving forward. We look forward to working with the Massachusetts legislature to get the Out-of-Hospital Birth Access and Safety Act passed next session. Maternal and infant health can't wait.
Read MoreThe National Partnership for Women & Families released their “Blueprint for Advancing High-Value Maternity Care Through Physiologic Childbearing” in June 2018 including the priority recommendation to grow the midwifery workforce. Massachusetts HB4655 “An Act Relative to Out-of-Hospital Birth Access and Safety” meets the Blueprint’s recommendations for Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) regulation.
Read More"We see this bill as advancing both social and racial justice... Without this bill, many women will continue to be denied access to home birth midwives." - Judy Norsigian (founder, Our Bodies Ourselves) and Jo-Anna Rorie, CNM, MSN, MPH, FACNM, PhD, addressing misinformation about the bill for out-of-hospital birth access and safety.
Read MoreThe legislative session ends July 31, so please contact your Representative today. It is time to #PassTheBillAlready for maternity care integration in Massachusetts. We need midwives. It's a matter of life and death.
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