Stand up for Licensed Midwives on Thursday, March 29th in Sacramento!

A critical meeting regarding the future of the practice of Licensed Midwives in California is taking place on Thursday, March 29th at the Medical Board building in Sacramento. All Licensed Midwives, consumers of midwifery services, and other supporters of midwifery are urged to attend the Interested Parties Meeting of the Midwifery Advisory Council of the Medical Board of California.  This pivotal meeting addresses the issue of physician supervision of Licensed Midwives.  There has been a proposal to the Medical Board to define physician supervision of Licensed Midwives as collaboration- a definition that would end the unobtainable and problematic current requirement.  Please join us in supporting this incredibly important proposal, which would eliminate some of the ongoing barriers to safe, effective and accessible Licensed Midwifery care in California. Your presence and support are crucial! 

Licensed Midwives in California have made many attempts to secure supervision, but it is essentially an impossible requirement to fulfill due to the medico-legal and political climate. Licensed Midwives in California are currently providing care with good birth outcomes without such supervision, despite the requirement. In fact the physician supervision requirement creates barriers to safe care by not allowing supportive physicians to work collaboratively with Licensed Midwives, for fear of liability and retribution from peers.  The physician supervision requirement also limits access to Licensed Midwives for low income Californians, because the requirement prevents Licensed Midwives from becoming Medi-Cal providers independent of a physician.

Please attend this meeting in person!!!  Licensed Midwives, consumers, student midwives, midwifery supporters, ICAN members, doulas and other birth workers, please join us for this critical meeting.  Thank you!