How much worse can they make themselves look?

The AMA is really making themselves look pretty bad here. Open mouth and insert foot. They've joined ACOG's movement with recent resolutions (Resolutions 204 and 205) both to completely BAN all homebirths AND births in freestanding birth centers and criminalize mothers who choose to continue doing this, plus they are going after the entire midwifery model of maternity care by suggesting all non-nurse midwives be OUTLAWED, and nurse midwives come under even greater levels of OB control. Um, what? And, to make it even better, these resolutions are made with absolutely no medical basis. They don't mention a single study, a single statistic, or even a promise that this would be good for mothers and babies. Nope. Their resolutions read more like, "I'm scared for my job and Ricki Lake has made this powerful movie that makes us look really bad so now we better just throw everyone in jail and make it a law that all pregnant women must pay us directly...no other options."

Reaction in the normal birth world is mixed. Some are scared, just because it does suggest there will be a fight ahead and the AMA is waaaaay more powerful than any midwife group (the AMA controls the entire insurance industry, for example). Others think this is good publicity for midwifery and for homebirths. Because their statements are sooo outrageous and have no medical basis, they do seem rather ridiculous. Kinda like shooting guns with no bullets. I have a difficult time seeing how this could ever become a real law...given there is NO medical research supporting the AMA and ACOG's statements (quite the opposite actually).

Well, I'll tell you how much this has changed my mind. I had a very nice talk with my HOMEBIRTH-ONLY, NON-NURSE MIDWIFE yesterday. I'll be seeing her apprentice as my primary midwife, so not only is she NOT a nurse, she isn't even certified OR licensed. HA! And thankfully, my right to do this is completely protected by the fabulous state of Oregon.

Birthing centers

Today I toured Sacred Waters Birthing Center in Eugene. I am back-up doula for a client due in October, so I wanted to make sure I could find the place and that I was at least minimally familiar with the facilities. It was really a pleasant place. If I didn't love birthing babies in my own home so much, I might consider driving all the way down there. It has two beautiful birthing rooms and a separate waterbirth room. It was warmly furnished yet had all the safety equipment necessary for most complications. Yep, I could really see how it would feel like home to a laboring mom. But I don't think I could ever get myself in a car during labor.

Oh, and I saw pictures of my doula on the wall there - I guess she used to assist there. It was great to see old pictures of her, like it was a former life or something.