Let’s Put Mothers in Jail..

...or at least those who don't give birth the approved way.

Once again people are trying to get the government all up in people’s business.

This time it’s the AMA (American ‘Medical’ Association). This really not a surprise since over the years they have tried to monopolize every aspect of health care. They are constantly trying to have laws passed to regulate or outlaw alternative medical care. Everything from chiropractic care to acupuncture to vitamin supplements to Naturopathic doctors. Anything they can’t make a buck on must be done away with or at least discredited by them.

Heaven forbid someone try to heal or prevent a medical condition naturally. I mean who wouldn’t want to take one of those prescription drugs you see advertised on TV with 200 side-effects listed at the end of the commercial. Seriously hair-loss, impotence and fat gain seems like a fair trade-off to get rid of your heartburn.
Or the risk of picking up a staph infection that is antibiotic resistant just so you can have back surgery that may or may not actually work is well worth it.

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that hospitals and prescription drugs are perfectly safe ( there are 195,000-280,000 preventable deaths per year in US hospitals and 110,000-200,000 deaths from prescription drugs) And let’s assume that alternative medicine is a crock. SO WHAT?! When did the State become the Nanny of everyone? What gives them a right to boss everyone around? (Other than them owning tons of really big weapons) If someone wants to use Eye of Newt to treat their cancer instead of chemotherapy and radiation, so what? That is their business.

We still use prescription drugs when absolutely needed - after trying other methods first. For example I had Lyme disease 7 years ago. So I took an antibiotic. If Sam deservedly whacked me in the head and I needed stitches, I'd go to the emergency room - well after trying my staple gun and Super Glue first.

So I'm not 100% against using conventional medical procedures but they are last resorts.

Of our 11 kids, 1 has been born in a hospital. That was Alex our first child. It was a big pain in the rear end. We were ready to leave an hour after she was born but the Nazi's wouldn't let us leave. After 6 hours I found a wheelchair and put Sam and the baby in it and then they finally took us seriously. It was like being in jail - and I should know;) After that we realized that hospitals are for sick people (maybe) and pregnancy isn't a disease - although it is chronic with us :)

The next 10 were delivered by midwifes. 8 at home and 2 in their birthing rooms because of commie health insurance. Every one of the births has been a better experience than that first one in the hospital. Hopefully Sam will post some day on the joys of home births...if you can use the word joy in the same sentence as giving birth.

The care is incredible. You have a Certified Nurse Midwife and Birth Assistant (a RN) at constant attention. They are 100% there for you. They don't have patients in another hospital room to worry about. They come early when your labor begins and stay until well after the birth and everyone is well. They even clean-up the house and do the laundry.

Sam loves giving birth in her very own bed and being able to have the kids see the baby just minutes old. They usually stay at my mom's house down the road. They even get to cut the cord. Sam also gets to have her sister there to help her out and me and my limited man-help. "I don't know nothing about birthing no babies".

As for people who have hospital births, that’s fine too. Do whatever you want. I really couldn’t careless what anyone else does. Just do me a favor and don’t tell us what to do with our lives. Just like how many kids we have is none of your business so where we choose to birth them is none of your business.

It costing less (no hospital fee) is just the icing on the cake.

Plus home birthed kids are much smarter...just kidding Alex.



From The Big Push for Midwives

Father Knows Best Meets Big Brother Is Watching
Physician Group Seeks to Outlaw Home BirthIs Jail for Moms Next?

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2008)Just in time for Father's Day, at its annual meeting last weekend, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a resolution to introduce legislation outlawing home birth, and potentially making criminals of the mothers who choose home birth with the help of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) for their families.

"It's unclear what penalties the AMA will seek to impose on women who choose to give birth at home, either for religious, cultural or financial reasons or just because they didn't make it to the hospital in time," said Susan Jenkins, Legal Counsel for The Big Push for Midwives 2008 campaign. "What we do know, however, is that any state that enacts such a law will immediately find itself in court, since a law dictating where a woman must give birth would be a clear violation of fundamental rights to privacy and other freedoms currently protected by the U.S. Constitution."

Until the AMA proposed 'Resolution 205 on Home Deliveries,' no state had considered legislation forcing women to deliver their babies in the hospital or limiting the choice of birth setting. Instead, states have regulated the types of midwives that may legally provide care. Currently, 22 states already license and regulate CPMs, who specialize in out-of-hospital maternity care and have received extensive training to qualify as experts in the types of risk assessment and preventive care necessary for safe and highquality care for women who choose give birth at home. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), who are trained primarily as hospital-based providers, are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The resolution did not offer any science-based information for the AMA's anti-midwife or anti-home birth position.

"Maternity care is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States," said Steff Hedenkamp, Communications Coordinator for The Big Push for Midwives. "So it's no surprise to see the AMA join the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in its ongoing fight to corner the market and ensure that the only midwives able to practice legally are hospital-based midwives forced to practice under physician control. I will say, though, that I'm shocked to learn that the AMA is taking this turf battle to the next level by setting the stage for outlawing home birth itselfa direct attack on those families who choose home birth, who could be subject to criminal prosecution if the AMA has its way."

The Big Push for Midwives is a nationally coordinated campaign organized to advocate for regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and to push back against the attempts of the American Medical Association to deny American families access to safe and legal midwifery care.