Book recommendations 71

Chookie

Was she in Washington state or Washington DC? WA state tends to be a bit more earthy birthy. DC is very conservative. Direct entry midwifery is illegal in DC. I'm not aware of any freestanding birthing centers in DC (and I live in the suburbs). There is only one group of CNMs in northern Virginia who do homebirths or birthing center births, and most people have no idea they even exist (DEMs are illegal in Virginia too). There is a birthing center in Maryland, but DEMs are also illegal there. The hospitals in DC tend to be conservative. Georgetown U. Hospital dismissed all the midwives in their program. The area is large enough that depending on where you are, the VA or MD suburbs may not be much of an option (and if you opt for them, you'd better pray you don't have to go anywhere during rush hour).

But hospitals tend to be *extremely* conservative in the US, and often, the only way to get out of the medicalized birth rat race is to opt out of the hospitals, which is not an option for many people. Midwifery care is not available in all hospitals.

Nope--never (or as close to never as makes no nevermind ;-)

Registered Nurses, or some other flavor of nurses, though there should be at least a couple of RNs on duty. There's a terribly nursing shortage in much of the US.

That is not at all the case in the US. Most pregnancies are managed entirely by OBs, and the OBs attend the deliveries. Nary a midwife in sight. Midwives have far less professional autonomy than they should.

;-)

Best wishes, Ericka