Prosecution of Midwife Casts Light on Home Births

The New York Times ^ | April 3, 2006 | ADAM LIPTAK

[bd476]

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., March 29 -- Angela Hendrix-Petry gave birth to her daughter Chloe by candlelight in her bedroom here in the early morning of March 12, with a thunderstorm raging outside and her family and midwife huddled around her.

"It was the most cozy, lovely, lush experience," Ms. Hendrix-Petry said.

According to Indiana law, though, the midwife who assisted Ms. Hendrix-Petry, Mary Helen Ayres, committed a felony punishable by up to eight years in prison. Ms. Ayres was, according to the state, practicing medicine and midwifery without a license.

Doctors, legislators and prosecutors in Indiana and in the nine other states with laws prohibiting midwifery by people other than doctors and nurses say home births supervised by midwives present grave and unacceptable medical risks. Nurse-midwives in Indiana are permitted to deliver babies at home, but most work in hospitals.

Midwives see it differently. They say the ability of women to choose to give birth at home is under assault from a medical establishment dominated by men who, for reasons of money and status, resent a centuries-old tradition that long ago anticipated the concerns of modern feminism.

Chloe Hendrix-Petry's birth has not given rise to criminal charges, but a prosecution against another midwife, Jennifer Williams, is pending in Shelbyville, Ind. It was prompted by the death of a baby named Oliver Meredith that Ms. Williams delivered in June. But she is not charged with causing or contributing to Oliver's death.

Instead, to hear the county prosecutor tell it, the case against Ms. Williams is not unlike one against a trucker caught driving without a license.

"He may be doing an awfully fine job of driving his truck," the prosecutor, R. Kent Apsley, a trim, intense and direct man, said ...

[bd476]

A. J. Mast for The New York Times

Angela Hendrix-Petry of Bloomington, Ind., with Chloe, a newborn, and Jasper, 2, both of whom were born at home with the help of a midwife.

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It is interesting to read that an unlicensed midwife is being prosecuted.

A good licensed mid-wife can be the best for childbirth, but as in officially licensed and sanctioned medical practice, there are standards, laws, and much education necessary before one can hang a shingle.

Childbirth can be a natural and beautiful experience.

However when there is a problem during labor, time, educated experience, extensive training and knowledge of the latest research are all critical factors in the survival of both Mom and baby.

[goldstategop]

Helping a baby being born doesn't require a medical degree. Heck, guys have midwifed babies' births in cars and elevators. Its a stupid law that makes no sense whatsoever.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[DB]

While I don't think it should be a crime I do think it is foolish when there's a choice. Too many things can happen where a few minutes makes the difference between life and death.

[pandoraou812]

It was the most cozy, lovely, lush experience," Ms. Hendrix-Petry said.

I didn't find any of my children's births a cozy, lovely, lush experience. and I had four of them. With my youngest son , now 20 yrs old it was a terrible experience and 17 hours of painful labor. Had he been born at home he would not have lived. I am not against midwives, I saw them with my last child but I would rather be in a hospital where there is more of a chance my baby would be saved if there was a major problem as with my son. I think they are fine if they are licensed and you know for certain that there will be no problems. After going through 9 months of carrying a baby the last thing I , personally would want to do is take a chance with his or her life.

[goldstategop]

Women should have the choice of deciding where to have their child. Its not something that should be decided by bureaucrats or the male politicians who enacted these kinds of laws.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[bd476]

goldstategop wrote: "Helping a baby being born doesn't require a medical degree. Heck, guys have midwifed babies' births in cars and elevators. Its a stupid law that makes no sense whatsoever."

Labor and delivery only requires a medical degree, or in the case of midwives, a basic standard of proven and testable education, mandatory licensing, as long as

• the Mom doesn't suddenly throw a blood clot during labor or afterwards,
• the umbilical cord isn't wrapped around the baby's neck,
• the baby's lungs are completely developed,
• the baby's heart chambers are intact with no signs of patent ductus arteriosus, (aka hole in the heart),
• the baby's liver, lungs, kidney and bladder are functioning at birth,
• the placenta comes out in one piece,
• the baby hasn't aspirated meconium prior to delivery, etc.

The good old days where women gave birth at home with all going well also included many infant and Mothers' deaths during and after birth as well.

Modern medicine still has a long way to go but there's no reason to revert to situations where as in the old days women and infants more often died during and after childbirth.

[bd476]

I think the only way to support licensed medical education, reliable and valid testing of that education is by licensing all who practice medicine.

It is the law and unfortunately, in our society, the only way anyone has been able to enforce the law is to prosecute those who violate it.

The midwife in the story was the attending midwife during a home birth where the baby died. Babies and Mothers die in hospitals as well, but they stand a far better chance of surviving if there is a well-trained and currently licensed professional attending the birth.

If the midwife had been one of the many immigrants who practiced medicine in their country but are unable to pass any licensing exams here, would you feel different about her prosecution? I am asking somewhat rhetorically.

One of my neighbors is from another country and left behind his active medical practice. He has attempted to take the local Medical license exam a few times, yet flunked it. He also has applied to a few medical schools. He was rejected because his college education also did not meet U.S. standards.

If he hung up a shingle as a midwife, claiming his previous home country medical experience as sufficient, any parent knowing of his circumstance would be out of their mind to hire him as a midwife.

[bd476]

Pandoraou812 wrote: "...I didn't find any of my children's births a cozy, lovely, lush experience. and I had four of them."

LOL! Excellent point.

[pandoraou812]

Never said they shouldn't have a choice ....What I said was I would rather use a hospital personally. When you carry a child for 9 months why would chance anything to go wrong and there not be the the neo natal unit right there for your baby?? My son had the cord wrapped around his neck so many times he is lucky to be alive.... Had I had this lush cozy time at home birthing him he would be dead. I don't really understand why anyone want to have their child in the wading pool outside to hear the crickets and all these other ideas I have watched on a baby story.... Fine if that what you want to do. It is your right to birth where you want to.... But when a child dies because the mother and midwife wanted to have this wonderful lush cozy time of birthing I think its their fault. Matter of fact I think its quite selfish not to put yourself in the most capable hands during childbirth.....Maybe its me but I didn't like labor ....it hurt like hell and I wanted it over ASAP. As for midwives like I posted before I saw them with my last child 7 yrs ago. I would have had no problem with them delivering her in the hospital. Many doctors now have midwives in their offices.

[Jaysun]

They say the ability of women to choose to give birth at home is under assault from a medical establishment dominated by men who, for reasons of money and status, resent a centuries-old tradition that long ago anticipated the concerns of modern feminism.

That's nonsense. It has nothing to do with men trying to stamp out modern feminism (though I wouldn't object to that). It has to do with the health and safety of mother and child. Women have the ability to choose to give birth at home, all they need do is use a qualified nurse or doctor.

[pandoraou812]

Its this Baby Story show on tv. I drove my family nuts watching it 7 years ago. There are these wannabe hippie types ( I have nothing against them ) who want to birth outside in wading pools, have the family gathered around them . I saw one story where the woman wanted a tape of wolves howling while she birthed outside with the family pets near her.... Why on earth would a baby want to hear wolves howling when it enters the world is really beyond me. I guess I didn't smoke enough pot when I was younger.... lmao But seriously so many things can go wrong , why would you put your life or the baby's in danger if you didn't have to?

[DB]

Personally I think that's the mother to be and father's choice. There's no end to trying to protect people from themselves. Now if the midwife they hire misrepresents their qualifications then I have no problem going after them.

And as I said before, I think it is a bad choice to begin with. I'd want to take advantage of whatever opportunities were available to optimize my wife and child's chance at a healthy survival.

[snodog]

So you know better than nature who should survive and who shouldn't. Interesting. Thats not a god complex I seem developing is it?

[justche]

Ultimately it should be up to the woman having the baby who delivers the baby. Who does it really help to sue this midwife? I always hear stories of "My baby would have died if I hadn't been in the hospital" but, I seldom (I don't recall ever) hear a story where the baby did die during a home birth - I'm sure there are some, but I haven't heard about it.

I think a lot of women are tired of the inducing drugs, and the pain relief drugs that don't always work and impact the baby , and all the extra charges involved (My 4 day stay at the hospital cost over 10k). My labor and delivery was no picnic, but I chose to go to the hospital - I had a midwife that wasn't the one I had started this journey with, and she was a royal pain in the a$$, I came very close to leaving and going to another hospital. Hindsight is always different, but I'd go for a homebirth - with the midwife I chose if there is a next time.

[bd476]

A. J. Mast for The New York Times

Jennifer Williams, an Indiana midwife, is facing charges.

She does look like a nice lady with her calm reassuring appearance.

Looks sure don't mean a lot though in the intense moments of labor and delivery.

Four kids are a handful but did you hear about this new movement?

A Full Quiver A Growing Movement for Growing Families for God

A friend of mine, who as far as I know, was not part of that movement, had hopes of having more children after the birth of their eighth child.

A few years prior their in need of repair television set was the first thing to go when she had her fifth child.

She considered the loss of that television set as one of the many glorious blessings of having many children.

[bd476]

snodog wrote: "So you know better than nature who should survive and who shouldn't. Interesting. Thats not a god complex I seem developing is it?"

What in the world are you talking about?

[roadcat]

Childbirth can be a natural and beautiful experience.

I assisted a midwife in delivering our oldest daughter. It was in a hospital, but in a room decorated like a home bedroom. My wife had a long labor, but the non-clinical setting and the caring attention of the midwife went a long way towards making things easier on my wife. The experience of helping my daughter into the world was fantastic. Especially when I cut the umbilical cord separating mother and child.

This seems like the best situation; if an emergency popped up then medical attention is on-site. We had planned the same midwife delivery for our second child, but she was turned the wrong way and we had to make a decision at the last minute to go C-Section because trying to deliver naturally could have endangered my wife's health. So being in the hospital was aáÛˆ:d thing.

[bd476]

"...There's no end to trying to protect people from themselves. Now if the midwife they hire misrepresents their qualifications then I have no problem going after them."

That makes sense, DB.

Just curious, how do you feel about the laws regulating and licensing all medical practitioners?

[pandoraou812]

You said it very well. I can not imagine the pain of losing a child because I decided to have a home birth and something went wrong.... Because I was 41 yrs old when I had my last child I was a considered a high risk pregnancy. There is a hospital less then a mile down the road form me and I felt very safe knowing it was there. I didn't deliver there because of the risk factor, they wanted the best neo natal unit on standby for my daughter. She was born in 1 hour and 33 minutes and I felt every second of it but she sure was worth every bit of pain. I am truly blessed with my children, the ones I birthed and the ones adopted, I have 2 adopted sons besides my other four children.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"While I don't think it should be a crime I do think it is foolish when there's a choice."

I know nothing about these laws.

If there is a natural disaster or something and a midwife is the only one who can help with the delivery would said midwife be facing charges?