Thread: Does anyone recall a situation . . .

I'm pretty positive there was someone last year that had CPS called on them for having a last minute (maybe unassisted?) homebirth because the doctor or provider wouldn't allow her to deliver a breech baby. The birth happened in late summer or early fall right before I had DS2. I don't want to point out names unless she wants to tell you herself but she was for sure in another state (not CA). I also don't think that the state she is in is totally homebirth friendly. From what I recall the baby wasn't taken and it was just a call that occured. I could be remembering wrong but I'm almost positve.

Here in CA I know its OK to have a homebirth so I wouldn't worry so much about legal issues that could come from it.

At this point, I'm treating the UTI at home with natural remedies. I was really talking from a hypothetical standpoint - I don't feel that I need to see a doctor for this UTI, although I do have a bit of concern that if I start having recurring UTIs then I may end up having to seek a doctor's assistance. I'm on an HMO, and all my medical information/history is readily available to all the docs in the network, as far as I know. I'm totally projecting here, but I guess I could foresee my needing to go to the doctor for something - anything - (and btw, I don't have a long-term relationship with him, he's only been my GP for about a year, and I've only seen him to treat my chronic hypertension), and him seeing that I'm pregnant, 44, with hypertension (which he does have me on medication for), and deciding he won't touch me because suddenly he'll see me as too "high risk," and having my OB/GYN (whom I've seen for annual well-woman checkups despite having my last two babies at home) also see me as "high risk," and yeah, the whole thing just snowballing. Completely hypothetical, though I have no doubt whatsoever that they would definitely see me as high risk.

I honestly don't know the legal parameters in CA as far as compelling a woman to have a hospital birth. Home birth is legal here, but it's interesting because midwives (my mw is a licensed midwife, not a CNM - I guess more of a direct entry mw) by law are supposed to have OB backup, but no OBs are willing to back up mw's here, so technically, pretty much all home birth midwives here are practicing illegally because they don't have OB backup. It's messed up, if you ask me.

The situation I vaguely recall (and I could be totally off on particulars) involved a mom (in a different state, I believe) who had a home birth, hemmhoraged and had to be transferred, then had a subsequent hb and had the authorities called on her for the second hb based on endangerment. ??? Or something like that.

My husband is actually an attorney, but not versed in this area of law at all, but it sparked an interesting discussion this morning.

This thread interests me too. I'm in Rhode Island where homebirths are illegal according to what I've read. I see a CNM practive and delivered both LO's in the hospital naturally. My midwives are wonderful and the hopsital I deliver at has an "Alternative Birth Center" where you are not expected to have drugs, it's a "home" like setting etc. (it makes me laugh that this section is called the Alternative birth center though! rediculous!)

Anyway, I have been happy with my hopsital births but have thought about HB. Thing is, I'd never dare to go against the law and try to have one because I'd be risking too much I think.

What can be done to change these laws against assisted HB with a MW?

Yep, y'all are remembering correctly Illiana (Jade) had a breech baby, VERY short labor, and ended up delivering at home unassisted! Someone called the police because they didn't go to the hospital immediately after. Nothing came of it. She still pops on this board from time to time.

Originally Posted by tink9702

This thread interests me too. I'm in Rhode Island where homebirths are illegal according to what I've read. I see a CNM practive and delivered both LO's in the hospital naturally. My midwives are wonderful and the hopsital I deliver at has an "Alternative Birth Center" where you are not expected to have drugs, it's a "home" like setting etc. (it makes me laugh that this section is called the Alternative birth center though! rediculous!)

Anyway, I have been happy with my hopsital births but have thought about HB. Thing is, I'd never dare to go against the law and try to have one because I'd be risking too much I think.

What can be done to change these laws against assisted HB with a MW?

Get involved with local groups working to change the laws. http://pushformidwives.org/

Originally Posted by cmljll

Yep, y'all are remembering correctly Illiana (Jade) had a breech baby, VERY short labor, and ended up delivering at home unassisted! Someone called the police because they didn't go to the hospital immediately after. Nothing came of it. She still pops on this board from time to time.

I definitely remember that one.

There's another one though, specifically undiagnosed twins...still racking my brain!!

Originally Posted by JorgieGirl

I definitely remember that one.

There's another one though, specifically undiagnosed twins...still racking my brain!!

I can't remember her preg.org user name, her name was Lydia. Her blog is here:
http://conradzone.blogspot.com/

Originally Posted by Lots-o-Tots

I honestly don't know the legal parameters in CA as far as compelling a woman to have a hospital birth. Home birth is legal here, but it's interesting because midwives (my mw is a licensed midwife, not a CNM - I guess more of a direct entry mw) by law are supposed to have OB backup, but no OBs are willing to back up mw's here, so technically, pretty much all home birth midwives here are practicing illegally because they don't have OB backup. It's messed up, if you ask me.

The situation I vaguely recall (and I could be totally off on particulars) involved a mom (in a different state, I believe) who had a home birth, hemmhoraged and had to be transferred, then had a subsequent hb and had the authorities called on her for the second hb based on endangerment. ??? Or something like that.

Midwives in CA aren't practicing "illegally" as long as they notify you that they do not have OB backup as required by the law. You have to sign a waiver acknowledging this and provide your own backup OB, and that makes it not illegal. Clear as mud, huh?

For your reading pleasure, here's a link to the CA Midwives Standards of Care: http://www.mbc.ca.gov/allied/midwives_standards.pdf
There's a whole list of things that require referral, but with many of them it's the midwife's judgement call, and perhaps how much confidence she has in her liability waiver. Standard #4 says the midwife "shall respect the autonomy" of a pregnant mom, and that the mom is "the primary decision maker." Standard #5 states that the midwife "shall uphold the client's right to make informed choices." Some midwives will say that they can't deliver twins or breeches in CA, but some midwives will take on those clients in an evidence-based capacity; if the evidence shows things are going well, they will keep you as a client, but if there's evidence of things going wrong, they'll transfer, which IMHO is as it should be.

I think you're remembering someone who hemorraged in her *hospital* birth, and she felt it was because of her OB's actions. She chose being at home with a midwife for her second birth against her OB's advice & he told her that she would die if she delivered at home. He threatened to call CPS, but either he didn't or they didn't do anything, and anyway she didn't hemorrage at home. She was pregnant around the same time I was with Weston IIRC. I was poking around on the birth lodges but can't find a name that rings a bell.

Originally Posted by CamelNoodle

I can't remember her preg.org user name, her name was Lydia. Her blog is here:
http://conradzone.blogspot.com/

Ah thank you!! Now I know why she rang a bell. We had our babies a month apart. I found her lodge, haven'r re-read it yet: http://www.pregnancy.org/bulletinboa...65#post2962265

Originally Posted by momW

Get involved with local groups working to change the laws. http://pushformidwives.org/

Unfortunatly, Rhode Island is so bad they don't have a local group through this organization. *sigh* Thank you though!