Bill could change how women give birth
Updated: March 18, 2013
URBANA -- A woman says she had a black-market birth. Why? Because who she was with made it against the law.
It's OK to have a midwife with you in a hospital but it's not legal to have one at home. So one mom is Taking Action to change that.
"My husband had actually been born at home in 1982, in Chicago, and he suggested the idea to me," said Ashley Price.
That's why home-birth was an easy choice for her. What wasn't easy was finding a midwife to be there with her.
"It's usually done with an underground midwife which you find by knowing somebody or someone having some connection to the community," said Price.
That isn't keeping moms from choosing the option.
"The problem is that we have no access to license home-birth providers and so black-market midwives are filling in the gaps. I have to keep my midwife's name a secret," said Price.
Also a secret, a midwife's credentials. That's because there is no statewide regulation. That could put moms at risk.
"You can't access the midwife's credentials, so you can't find out if she's had any malpractice issues. There's no oversight whatsoever," said Price.
That's why Price is fighting for change. She's the president of Illinois Friends of Midwives. The group is lobbying for the Home Birth Safety Act. It would license Certified Professional Midwives to help with low-risk births at home. Price has been calling state leaders and other moms hoping their support will mean it finally passes.
"There's been a movement to license Certified Professional Midwives or some variation, since the 70's and it hasn't happened. It's been heating up over the past ten years. We've tried for ten years," said Price.
The bill will go before a hearing next week. It has to pass a house committee by the 22nd for it to move on.
27-other states already allow licensed CPMs to attend home-births.
It's OK to have a midwife with you in a hospital but it's not legal to have one at home. So one mom is Taking Action to change that.
"My husband had actually been born at home in 1982, in Chicago, and he suggested the idea to me," said Ashley Price.
That's why home-birth was an easy choice for her. What wasn't easy was finding a midwife to be there with her.
"It's usually done with an underground midwife which you find by knowing somebody or someone having some connection to the community," said Price.
That isn't keeping moms from choosing the option.
"The problem is that we have no access to license home-birth providers and so black-market midwives are filling in the gaps. I have to keep my midwife's name a secret," said Price.
Also a secret, a midwife's credentials. That's because there is no statewide regulation. That could put moms at risk.
"You can't access the midwife's credentials, so you can't find out if she's had any malpractice issues. There's no oversight whatsoever," said Price.
That's why Price is fighting for change. She's the president of Illinois Friends of Midwives. The group is lobbying for the Home Birth Safety Act. It would license Certified Professional Midwives to help with low-risk births at home. Price has been calling state leaders and other moms hoping their support will mean it finally passes.
"There's been a movement to license Certified Professional Midwives or some variation, since the 70's and it hasn't happened. It's been heating up over the past ten years. We've tried for ten years," said Price.
The bill will go before a hearing next week. It has to pass a house committee by the 22nd for it to move on.
27-other states already allow licensed CPMs to attend home-births.
