Comments on: Missouri Supreme Court Ruling Makes Midwifery Legal

By: Joy

Joy — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:38:53 +0000

The fact that Lauren Plante had a home birth that required her to go to the hospital only further helps the home birth clause- when hospitals work WITH midwives in the event that a rare emergency occurs there is a much better outcome for both mother and baby. The fact that she still encourages home birth even though she had an emergency is applauded in my book.

Her entire point is that the woman should choose where she gives birth and needs to weigh the risks for herself. Did you not read the letter?! Read it again!

It still stands that home birth is as safe or safer than hospital delivery for low-risk women.

By: Fern

Fern — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:17:24 +0000

I lived in Texas, where midwifery is legal, and had a midwife to provide prenatal as well as labor and delivery, if possible, as I was pregnant with twins. I had my first son in the hospital and I ended up having to have a ceserean section. Doctors seem to want to do cesereans instead of letting the patient have the child naturally. Doctors are aware that Dimerol will slow down labor, but still use it as their first choice for pain medication.

In addition, I have never heard of nor have I experienced any Obstetrician who will call you weekly to make sure you are eating nutritious meals/snacks. She had me keep track of everything I had eaten per week and insisted I keep myself as healthy as possible with diet and exercise.

My appointments were much more thorough and actually lasted more than 10 minutes. And the cost was considerably less, $900 for a singlet and $1400 for multiples. I am sure these rates have increased in the last 20 years. But it beats the hell out of the $285,000 the hospital charged.

To be fair, I went into labor early and did deliver my twins in the hospital, at my midwife’s request. Her reasoning was even if I had the twins at home they would have to be taken to the hospital due to their prematurity. She was a very responsible midwife and wanted to keep both babies as well as myself as safe as possible.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:38:20 +0000

What the good doctor, Lauren Plante, has left out of her piece is that she elected to deliver her own pre-term son by home birth and that he required admission to an intensive care nursery after that experience. It is inappropriate to make public only half of this story and her letter should be removed before others are misled.

By: Tabbi

Tabbi — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:01:27 +0000

I’m glad that Midwifery is legal in MO. I plan on having another child very soon and don’t want to be stuck in a hospital bed with an IV. I’ve birthed 2 children without problems, so I don’t see the problem with a home birth for me. I have tested positive for Group B Strep and need antibiotics so my child doesn’t get sick but I’ve found out that I can have a home birth and the antibiotics so that’s the route I’m taking. Even if midwifery were still illegal, I would choose a home birth over a hospital.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:04:04 +0000

Oh, I love that letter from the doctor at the end!

I am so worried about becoming a practitioner and being ostracized for wanting to work cooperatively with midwives. I am so happy she said she has attended a homebirth and implies that many other members of ACOG also support home birth and midwifery.

I think she made excellent points very concisely in her letter, also, about maternal autonomy and how homebirth is safely integrated in other countries with lower maternal and infant mortality rates.